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Average Software Tester Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A software tester in United Kingdom earns about 61,300 GBP a year. That's 12% 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 29,200 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 94,500 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 software tester make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
61,300 GBP
5,108 GBP per month
Lowest reported
29,200 GBP
2,433 GBP per month
Highest reported
94,500 GBP
7,875 GBP per month

A typical software tester working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,108 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 29,200 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 94,500 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 software tester 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 software tester salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How software tester 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 software testers in United Kingdom earn less than 61,700 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 40,700 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 78,700 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of software testers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 29,200 GBP. The highest stretch to 94,500 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.

29,200
Low
61,700
Median
94,500
High
40,700
25th
78,700
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Software tester pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a software tester 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 software tester salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    34,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +35% from previous
    46,300 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +33% from previous
    61,500 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +27% from previous
    78,200 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +4% from previous
    81,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +11% from previous
    90,000 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 35%. That is the point at which a software tester 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.

Software tester pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving software tester 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 software tester salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    46,300 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +29% from previous
    59,800 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +56% from previous
    93,300 GBP

Software tester 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 software testers in United Kingdom earn an average of 63,100 GBP a year, while female software testers earn around 59,200 GBP. That works out to a 7% gap in favour of men, 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.

Software Tester gender pay gap

6%

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

Men 63,100 GBP
Women 59,200 GBP

Pay raises for a software tester 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 12% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% 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

Software tester 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.

33%

33% of software testers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a software tester 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 67% of software testers 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

Software tester: 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

Software tester salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Software tester 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
  • Birmingham
  • Glasgow
  • London
  • Leeds
  • Cardiff
  • Sheffield
  • Edinburgh
  • Derby
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion108,200 GBP112,700 GBP52,800-171,300 GBP
ScotlandRegion86,400 GBP86,400 GBP43,500-130,500 GBP
BirminghamCity69,700 GBP74,300 GBP34,100-112,700 GBP
GlasgowCity69,700 GBP68,500 GBP35,000-109,700 GBP
LondonCity69,200 GBP76,000 GBP31,400-108,200 GBP
LeedsCity68,400 GBP66,400 GBP33,300-107,300 GBP
CardiffCity67,500 GBP61,700 GBP36,400-103,600 GBP
SheffieldCity65,900 GBP67,800 GBP32,300-105,200 GBP
EdinburghCity65,400 GBP65,400 GBP32,300-100,700 GBP
DerbyCity64,600 GBP58,000 GBP33,800-99,400 GBP
BristolCity64,400 GBP68,900 GBP30,300-102,700 GBP
BradfordCity64,300 GBP66,200 GBP30,800-99,700 GBP
LeicesterCity64,100 GBP61,300 GBP32,200-97,400 GBP
CoventryCity64,100 GBP58,000 GBP31,700-95,200 GBP
YorkCity63,900 GBP67,900 GBP31,200-99,700 GBP
ManchesterCity63,800 GBP66,100 GBP29,100-100,700 GBP
NottinghamCity63,500 GBP63,500 GBP30,700-100,700 GBP
BrightonCity63,500 GBP65,700 GBP29,600-103,600 GBP
SomersetCity63,500 GBP58,700 GBP34,400-99,100 GBP
LiverpoolCity63,400 GBP58,700 GBP34,400-97,400 GBP
NewcastleCity63,200 GBP65,800 GBP30,300-100,700 GBP
DundeeCity63,100 GBP64,900 GBP29,600-96,000 GBP
PeterboroughCity62,500 GBP58,400 GBP32,200-93,800 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity61,800 GBP61,800 GBP32,900-98,100 GBP
WolverhamptonCity61,800 GBP67,900 GBP29,900-100,300 GBP
ArmaghCity61,800 GBP63,700 GBP31,200-96,800 GBP
BelfastCity61,700 GBP65,500 GBP29,100-99,100 GBP
LincolnCity61,400 GBP57,000 GBP30,200-91,700 GBP
PlymouthCity61,400 GBP57,000 GBP30,200-91,900 GBP
PooleCity60,900 GBP55,700 GBP33,200-88,300 GBP
NewryCity60,400 GBP57,100 GBP31,400-90,900 GBP
SouthamptonCity60,400 GBP60,400 GBP30,800-92,400 GBP
SwanseaCity60,100 GBP61,200 GBP27,400-93,600 GBP
AberdeenCity59,800 GBP64,900 GBP30,800-94,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity59,800 GBP64,100 GBP27,300-92,500 GBP
CambridgeCity59,200 GBP59,200 GBP31,300-92,300 GBP
NewportCity59,000 GBP61,200 GBP27,100-91,600 GBP
ExeterCity58,800 GBP64,300 GBP26,300-92,600 GBP
WalesRegion58,700 GBP61,400 GBP27,400-88,700 GBP
DerryCity58,500 GBP58,500 GBP29,300-90,900 GBP
OxfordCity57,800 GBP58,200 GBP30,800-90,600 GBP
HartlepoolCity57,800 GBP60,400 GBP26,400-91,700 GBP
WinchesterCity57,100 GBP51,300 GBP30,300-86,600 GBP
ChesterCity57,100 GBP54,200 GBP31,200-88,600 GBP
NorwichCity55,500 GBP57,200 GBP25,500-86,600 GBP
GloucesterCity55,500 GBP59,000 GBP27,300-88,400 GBP
AbingdonCity54,700 GBP51,400 GBP30,100-84,800 GBP
StirlingCity54,500 GBP51,800 GBP29,100-83,800 GBP
WakefieldCity54,300 GBP51,800 GBP26,100-79,800 GBP
InvernessCity54,100 GBP52,600 GBP29,600-83,700 GBP
StromnessCity54,100 GBP58,500 GBP22,800-87,200 GBP
KirkwallCity53,800 GBP49,300 GBP28,900-84,200 GBP
TruroCity53,600 GBP50,600 GBP28,800-81,700 GBP
WellsCity53,600 GBP47,400 GBP27,400-78,500 GBP
DurhamCity53,500 GBP56,600 GBP26,400-86,800 GBP
RiponCity53,300 GBP57,800 GBP23,600-85,500 GBP
St DavidsCity53,300 GBP57,800 GBP23,600-85,500 GBP
LisburnCity52,800 GBP54,600 GBP27,400-84,500 GBP
SalisburyCity52,000 GBP55,600 GBP23,600-83,700 GBP
BangorCity51,300 GBP48,000 GBP25,800-80,200 GBP
CanterburyCity51,100 GBP50,100 GBP26,500-82,300 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion50,600 GBP51,800 GBP27,000-81,000 GBP
StrontianCity49,200 GBP51,900 GBP22,000-79,000 GBP

Software Tester in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A software tester in United Kingdom earns about 5,108 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 61,300 GBP.

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

    Entry-level software testers in United Kingdom start near 29,200 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 94,500 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 40,700 and 78,700 GBP.

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

    The median is 61,700 GBP, higher than the average of 61,300 GBP. Half of software testers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a software tester in United Kingdom earn around 7% more than women on average (63,100 vs 59,200 GBP a year).

  • Do software testers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 33% of software testers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

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

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

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

    A software tester in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.