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Average Training and Development Specialist Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A training and development specialist in United Kingdom earns about 78,500 GBP a year. That's 13% above 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 40,700 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 123,000 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 training and development specialist make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
78,500 GBP
6,541 GBP per month
Lowest reported
40,700 GBP
3,391 GBP per month
Highest reported
123,000 GBP
10,250 GBP per month

A typical training and development specialist working in United Kingdom brings home around 6,541 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 40,700 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 123,000 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 training and development specialist 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 training and development specialist salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How training and development specialist 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 training and development specialists in United Kingdom earn less than 74,300 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 51,100 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 96,000 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of training and development specialists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 40,700 GBP. The highest stretch to 123,000 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.

40,700
Low
74,300
Median
123,000
High
51,100
25th
96,000
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Training and development specialist pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a training and development specialist 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 training and development specialist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    46,200 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +37% from previous
    63,500 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +27% from previous
    80,500 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +21% from previous
    97,300 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +12% from previous
    109,000 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    114,900 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 37%. That is the point at which a training and development specialist 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.

Training and development specialist pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    60,700 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +24% from previous
    75,500 GBP
  • PhD
    +59% from previous
    119,700 GBP

Training and development specialist 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 training and development specialists in United Kingdom earn an average of 79,800 GBP a year, while female training and development specialists earn around 78,100 GBP. That works out to a 2% 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.

Training and Development Specialist gender pay gap

2%

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

Men 79,800 GBP
Women 78,100 GBP

Pay raises for a training and development specialist 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 11% every 16 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

Training and development specialist 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.

56%

56% of training and development specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a training and development specialist a moderate-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 3% to 5% of base salary. The remaining 44% of training and development specialists 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

Training and development specialist: 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

Training and development specialist salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Training and development specialist 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
  • London
  • Edinburgh
  • Belfast
  • Leeds
  • Somerset
  • Nottingham
  • Glasgow
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion151,800 GBP142,300 GBP78,200-228,200 GBP
ScotlandRegion109,700 GBP100,700 GBP59,500-163,800 GBP
BirminghamCity89,400 GBP99,400 GBP41,000-142,300 GBP
LondonCity87,400 GBP95,100 GBP40,300-138,700 GBP
EdinburghCity87,300 GBP77,100 GBP46,700-130,500 GBP
BelfastCity87,200 GBP83,700 GBP45,600-130,500 GBP
LeedsCity86,800 GBP92,200 GBP40,300-141,000 GBP
SomersetCity86,100 GBP83,800 GBP47,500-132,000 GBP
NottinghamCity86,100 GBP79,000 GBP46,200-130,500 GBP
GlasgowCity85,700 GBP92,100 GBP39,700-138,700 GBP
SheffieldCity85,100 GBP81,000 GBP45,000-130,500 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity85,100 GBP78,100 GBP43,800-128,200 GBP
BristolCity84,800 GBP83,800 GBP46,400-130,400 GBP
LiverpoolCity84,600 GBP80,800 GBP46,300-128,400 GBP
CardiffCity83,800 GBP78,400 GBP45,600-127,600 GBP
BrightonCity83,700 GBP83,700 GBP39,700-128,200 GBP
BradfordCity83,700 GBP88,000 GBP38,900-132,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity83,200 GBP90,300 GBP37,800-132,000 GBP
ManchesterCity83,200 GBP87,700 GBP41,300-130,500 GBP
LeicesterCity83,100 GBP87,400 GBP41,000-130,400 GBP
PlymouthCity81,700 GBP80,000 GBP40,600-128,200 GBP
NorwichCity81,200 GBP74,300 GBP40,700-121,800 GBP
PeterboroughCity81,000 GBP83,300 GBP40,000-127,700 GBP
ArmaghCity81,000 GBP81,000 GBP42,000-127,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity80,800 GBP85,500 GBP36,800-128,200 GBP
YorkCity80,800 GBP84,500 GBP38,000-127,700 GBP
CoventryCity80,000 GBP78,400 GBP42,600-125,400 GBP
ExeterCity79,800 GBP82,200 GBP36,400-124,500 GBP
NewcastleCity79,600 GBP79,600 GBP40,000-123,000 GBP
AberdeenCity79,600 GBP79,600 GBP39,000-123,800 GBP
OxfordCity79,600 GBP87,300 GBP36,700-128,200 GBP
DundeeCity78,500 GBP74,100 GBP39,000-118,900 GBP
DerbyCity78,200 GBP74,500 GBP40,700-117,100 GBP
LincolnCity77,400 GBP73,500 GBP36,800-114,300 GBP
WalesRegion77,000 GBP77,000 GBP39,500-115,600 GBP
SouthamptonCity76,800 GBP72,800 GBP40,600-115,600 GBP
SwanseaCity76,800 GBP76,800 GBP40,500-121,800 GBP
HartlepoolCity76,000 GBP73,100 GBP40,500-116,400 GBP
GloucesterCity75,800 GBP75,800 GBP36,800-118,900 GBP
PooleCity75,800 GBP72,400 GBP39,700-115,600 GBP
DurhamCity75,500 GBP79,500 GBP35,100-118,900 GBP
DerryCity74,700 GBP70,900 GBP39,800-116,400 GBP
NewportCity74,700 GBP81,400 GBP34,400-121,800 GBP
LisburnCity74,100 GBP78,500 GBP34,000-116,400 GBP
AbingdonCity73,700 GBP70,000 GBP36,800-111,700 GBP
NewryCity73,300 GBP74,300 GBP36,800-115,600 GBP
WinchesterCity72,700 GBP70,800 GBP39,800-112,700 GBP
CambridgeCity71,900 GBP67,300 GBP39,300-111,700 GBP
StirlingCity71,000 GBP67,400 GBP38,100-109,000 GBP
SalisburyCity70,900 GBP70,900 GBP34,400-109,000 GBP
RiponCity70,100 GBP72,400 GBP32,300-107,700 GBP
ChesterCity70,000 GBP73,100 GBP33,000-108,200 GBP
InvernessCity69,800 GBP70,000 GBP34,000-107,700 GBP
WellsCity69,700 GBP67,800 GBP35,600-109,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion69,700 GBP73,300 GBP35,100-112,700 GBP
BangorCity69,400 GBP66,200 GBP34,700-107,300 GBP
WakefieldCity68,500 GBP69,600 GBP33,000-109,000 GBP
CanterburyCity68,100 GBP73,500 GBP30,300-109,000 GBP
StrontianCity67,800 GBP72,700 GBP34,000-109,700 GBP
KirkwallCity66,700 GBP63,400 GBP33,500-103,600 GBP
StromnessCity66,000 GBP68,800 GBP31,300-103,600 GBP
TruroCity65,900 GBP71,000 GBP32,200-105,800 GBP
St DavidsCity65,100 GBP70,100 GBP30,600-102,700 GBP

Training and Development Specialist in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a training and development specialist make per month in United Kingdom?

    A training and development specialist in United Kingdom earns about 6,541 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 78,500 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a training and development specialist in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level training and development specialists in United Kingdom start near 40,700 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 123,000 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 51,100 and 96,000 GBP.

  • Is the median training and development specialist salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 74,300 GBP, lower than the average of 78,500 GBP. Half of training and development specialists in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for training and development specialists in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a training and development specialist in United Kingdom earn around 2% more than women on average (79,800 vs 78,100 GBP a year).

  • Do training and development specialists in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 56% of training and development specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary.

  • Do training and development specialists earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do training and development specialists in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A training and development specialist in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.