Higher Education Salary Report 2026: United Kingdom
Salary report and benchmark
Professors in the United Kingdom are paid from £76,325–£83,800 (UCEA, 2 October 2026).
How academic pay works in the United Kingdom
Academic Jobs, the higher education salary benchmark, based on 27,564 university job posts since January 1, 2026, drawn from millions of historical job posts.
Most UK universities pay academic and professional staff on the national 51-point pay spine, negotiated through UCEA, with grades running from research assistant and lecturer through senior lecturer and reader to professor.
Professorial pay sits above the spine and is set locally, so it varies between institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London.
London weighting adds to pay in the capital.
Academic Jobs analyses 27,564 UK university job posts since January 1, 2026, to benchmark current salaries.
| Die Rolle | Pay now | What this is |
|---|---|---|
| PhD Researcher | £39,526 | 3,245 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £38,850. |
| Lecturer/Instructor | £43,602 | 2,672 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research Fellow | £42,519 | 2,022 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £43,087. |
| Post-Doc | £42,417 | 1,434 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £42,694. |
| Research | £42,955 | 1,060 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £43,087. |
| Professor | £41,872 | 972 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £43,032. |
| Research Assistant | £40,330 | 963 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £40,944. |
| Scientist/Associate | £42,400 | 580 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £42,417. |
| Senior Lecturer | £51,962 | 493 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Post Doc Research Fellow | £42,384 | 369 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £42,574. |
| Assistant Professor | £50,047 | 297 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £49,356. |
| Associate Professor | £57,429 | 233 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £53,678. |
| Tutor | £42,417 | 220 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £42,636. |
| Clinical Educator | £52,287 | 161 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £51,962. |
| Sessional Lecturer | £46,096 | 105 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £44,218. |
39 more roles
| Die Rolle | Pay now | What this is |
|---|---|---|
| Director/Manager | £65,309 | 102 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Program Director | £60,000 | 83 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Academic Advisor | £43,602 | 75 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Curriculum Developer | £52,500 | 61 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £52,231. |
| Lecturer | £40,265 | 56 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £54,339. |
| Teaching Assistant | £39,526 | 45 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £37,962. |
| Research Associate | £41,297 | 44 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £41,765. |
| Clinical Professor/Prof of Practice | £102,822 | 41 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £87,639. |
| Research Technician | £34,465 | 39 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £34,155. |
| Academic Coordinator | £52,205 | 37 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £51,929. |
| Program Coordinator | £43,700 | 37 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £43,972. |
| Tenure-track | £67,955 | 28 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Senior Research Assistant | £43,199 | 27 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £52,294. |
| Academic Coach | £42,417 | 25 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research Coordinator | £41,872 | 23 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £42,750. |
| Research Manager | £53,491 | 19 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £64,646. |
| Adjunct Faculty | £87,360 | 13 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £99,320. |
| Sessional Academic | £58,105 | 11 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Faculty Development Specialist | £53,678 | 9 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Instructional Designer | £52,287 | 7 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £51,464. |
| Learning Specialist | £37,962 | 7 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Librarian | £41,872 | 7 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Lab Manager | £48,775 | 6 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £47,080. |
| Tenure | £55,551 | 6 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £51,486. |
| Endowed | £87,144 | 5 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Faculty Researcher | £41,872 | 5 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £41,133. |
| Post-Doc Research Fellow | £42,448 | 4 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £43,602. |
| Research Professor | £57,329 | 4 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Educational Technologist | £58,105 | 3 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £59,053. |
| Researcher | £39,526 | 3 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £40,699. |
| Assistant Director | £74,370 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Clinical Chair | £101,058 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year £79,424. |
| Affiliate Professor | £55,839 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Career Advice | £39,526 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Exam Supervisor | £78,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Post Doc | £34,305 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. |
| Research Scientist/Associate | £47,080 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Senior Professor | £772,893 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. |
| Visiting Fellow | £16,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
Sources
Academic pay
Lehrerin
£76,325–£83,800
Professor scale minimum, from 1 August 2026
What changes pay
Rank
A professor scale sits above a lecturer or assistant professor scale.
Institution
Research universities and teaching-focused colleges do not use the same bands.
Contract
Nine-month, twelve-month, and casual contracts are not the same annual pay.
Standort
Capital-city loadings and regional scales change the same title.
University salaries in the United Kingdom
Imperial College London pays the highest professor salary in the United Kingdom, at £85,000 - £150,000+.
| Universität | Lehrerin | Leser | Live jobs | Employer portal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Manchester | £66,857 - £95,000+ | £45,585 - £54,395 | 373 | Employer portal |
| University of Oxford | £80,000 - £150,000+ | £45,000 - £55,000 | 223 | Employer portal |
| The University of Edinburgh | £73,653 - £88,000+ | £45,585 - £56,021 | 75 | Employer portal |
| Imperial College London | £85,000 - £150,000+ | £54,000 - £62,000 | 66 | Employer portal |
Compare a real offer
Use this salary report when you negotiate, or compare professor salaries and university salaries.
Frequently asked questions about salaries in the United Kingdom
🎓What is the cited professor figure for the United Kingdom?
Professors in the United Kingdom are paid from £76,325–£83,800 (UCEA, 2 October 2026).
📌How many university jobs are in the benchmark?
Academic Jobs tracks 27,564 university job posts for the United Kingdom since January 1, 2026. That count is the demand benchmark. It is not the salary.
🔗Where can I compare other salaries?
Open the professor salaries und university salaries hubs.