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Average Receptionist Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A receptionist in United Kingdom earns about 35,100 GBP a year. That's 50% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 16,800 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 51,300 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a receptionist make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
35,100 GBP
2,925 GBP per month
Lowest reported
16,800 GBP
1,400 GBP per month
Highest reported
51,300 GBP
4,275 GBP per month

A typical receptionist working in United Kingdom brings home around 2,925 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 16,800 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 51,300 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior receptionist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the receptionist salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How receptionist pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all receptionists in United Kingdom earn less than 33,000 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 23,800 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 43,500 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of receptionists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 16,800 GBP. The highest stretch to 51,300 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

16,800
Low
33,000
Median
51,300
High
23,800
25th
43,500
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Receptionist pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a receptionist in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical receptionist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    17,800 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +48% from previous
    26,400 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +29% from previous
    34,000 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +28% from previous
    43,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +4% from previous
    45,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +11% from previous
    50,000 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 48%. That is the point at which a receptionist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Receptionist pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving receptionist pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average receptionist salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    26,400 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +39% from previous
    36,600 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +35% from previous
    49,400 GBP

Receptionist gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male receptionists in United Kingdom earn an average of 34,100 GBP a year, while female receptionists earn around 35,400 GBP. That works out to a 4% gap in favour of women, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Receptionist gender pay gap

4%

Men earn this much less than women on average in United Kingdom.

Women 35,400 GBP
Men 34,100 GBP

Pay raises for a receptionist in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 9% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 6% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Receptionist bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

32%

32% of receptionists in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a receptionist a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 68% of receptionists reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Receptionist: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Receptionist salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Receptionist pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Manchester
  • Birmingham
  • Leeds
  • Leicester
  • Bristol
  • London
  • Coventry
  • Derby
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion66,900 GBP66,900 GBP31,400-103,600 GBP
ScotlandRegion50,500 GBP51,500 GBP22,200-79,600 GBP
ManchesterCity40,300 GBP36,900 GBP21,100-63,200 GBP
BirminghamCity40,000 GBP44,300 GBP17,100-61,200 GBP
LeedsCity39,800 GBP35,600 GBP20,000-58,000 GBP
LeicesterCity39,600 GBP38,100 GBP20,900-61,400 GBP
BristolCity39,100 GBP39,800 GBP20,300-58,700 GBP
LondonCity39,000 GBP44,300 GBP20,300-63,800 GBP
CoventryCity38,100 GBP38,100 GBP20,300-59,000 GBP
DerbyCity38,100 GBP39,600 GBP19,200-58,500 GBP
CardiffCity38,000 GBP38,900 GBP20,300-61,600 GBP
GlasgowCity37,900 GBP35,500 GBP21,700-59,700 GBP
DundeeCity37,200 GBP34,900 GBP16,000-56,100 GBP
AberdeenCity37,200 GBP33,000 GBP16,300-55,700 GBP
EdinburghCity36,800 GBP39,100 GBP18,800-56,900 GBP
LiverpoolCity36,800 GBP41,300 GBP17,900-60,700 GBP
SwanseaCity36,800 GBP36,500 GBP20,300-57,800 GBP
BradfordCity36,800 GBP35,600 GBP21,100-59,800 GBP
NottinghamCity36,800 GBP41,900 GBP16,300-59,800 GBP
PooleCity36,500 GBP35,600 GBP18,800-57,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity36,400 GBP42,000 GBP16,000-61,400 GBP
SouthamptonCity36,000 GBP36,700 GBP15,300-57,800 GBP
SheffieldCity35,600 GBP36,900 GBP19,000-56,600 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity35,600 GBP37,800 GBP15,700-55,300 GBP
DerryCity35,500 GBP36,000 GBP15,100-54,600 GBP
SomersetCity35,400 GBP36,800 GBP19,300-56,600 GBP
HartlepoolCity35,300 GBP33,800 GBP18,300-52,300 GBP
BrightonCity35,300 GBP35,300 GBP19,300-52,800 GBP
YorkCity35,300 GBP33,200 GBP19,200-50,100 GBP
PlymouthCity35,200 GBP35,200 GBP17,900-57,100 GBP
NewcastleCity35,000 GBP34,300 GBP17,100-54,100 GBP
BelfastCity34,800 GBP36,700 GBP19,300-58,100 GBP
ArmaghCity34,000 GBP32,300 GBP15,700-52,600 GBP
CambridgeCity34,000 GBP35,300 GBP16,300-51,900 GBP
PeterboroughCity33,800 GBP31,700 GBP16,300-52,300 GBP
NewportCity33,300 GBP36,500 GBP17,100-51,300 GBP
WinchesterCity33,200 GBP32,600 GBP13,500-49,100 GBP
PortsmouthCity33,000 GBP38,100 GBP16,800-56,100 GBP
GloucesterCity33,000 GBP35,100 GBP16,000-53,600 GBP
NorwichCity33,000 GBP33,600 GBP15,700-51,100 GBP
CanterburyCity32,900 GBP30,700 GBP18,600-50,800 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion32,900 GBP29,600 GBP19,300-48,300 GBP
ExeterCity32,600 GBP30,200 GBP18,600-51,300 GBP
LincolnCity32,300 GBP32,300 GBP17,500-50,000 GBP
StirlingCity32,200 GBP33,300 GBP15,400-49,700 GBP
SalisburyCity32,200 GBP30,300 GBP15,300-51,300 GBP
ChesterCity32,200 GBP28,900 GBP16,800-48,600 GBP
TruroCity32,200 GBP30,800 GBP16,900-47,400 GBP
InvernessCity32,200 GBP30,100 GBP16,100-49,700 GBP
KirkwallCity31,800 GBP31,800 GBP15,100-49,400 GBP
WalesRegion31,800 GBP29,400 GBP15,500-49,700 GBP
OxfordCity31,700 GBP30,000 GBP16,300-51,300 GBP
LisburnCity31,700 GBP30,000 GBP16,300-51,300 GBP
WellsCity31,200 GBP31,200 GBP13,300-45,000 GBP
StromnessCity30,700 GBP30,700 GBP12,000-46,700 GBP
WakefieldCity30,300 GBP31,300 GBP16,800-45,300 GBP
AbingdonCity30,300 GBP30,300 GBP15,500-49,700 GBP
RiponCity30,300 GBP27,300 GBP17,500-47,800 GBP
NewryCity30,300 GBP29,400 GBP15,300-50,800 GBP
StrontianCity30,100 GBP29,300 GBP16,400-46,000 GBP
BangorCity30,000 GBP30,000 GBP13,500-46,700 GBP
St DavidsCity29,200 GBP29,600 GBP17,000-45,700 GBP
DurhamCity29,100 GBP33,300 GBP15,800-48,000 GBP

Receptionist in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a receptionist make per month in United Kingdom?

    A receptionist in United Kingdom earns about 2,925 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 35,100 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a receptionist in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level receptionists in United Kingdom start near 16,800 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 51,300 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 23,800 and 43,500 GBP.

  • Is the median receptionist salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 33,000 GBP, lower than the average of 35,100 GBP. Half of receptionists in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for receptionists in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a receptionist in United Kingdom earn around 4% less than women on average (34,100 vs 35,400 GBP a year).

  • Do receptionists in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 32% of receptionists in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do receptionists earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a receptionist about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do receptionists in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A receptionist in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 9% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 6% a year.