Social workers salary in London
Full-time average annual pay in London
£46,435
Based on ~13,000 employees · 2025 · moderate suppression
Median
£46,435
Mean
£47,067
| Statistic | Annual pay (gross) |
|---|---|
| Median | £46,435 |
| Mean | £47,067 |
Region-level range withheld by ONS — UK-wide, the middle half of social workers earn £35,841–£48,907. See full methodology →
Employment patterns
- 84% of Social workers work full-time
- 1.8% are self-employed
- 93% of employees have permanent contracts
Understanding Social workers pay in London
The typical social workers in London earns a median salary of £46,435 in 2025/26, based on around 13,000 employees — 8.7% (£3,727) above the UK-wide median of £42,708. These figures come from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), so they reflect actual reported pay rather than self-reported estimates or job-advert ranges.
Across the UK, London ranks 1st of 11 regions for social workers pay. Regional medians run from £37,044 in East Midlands up to £46,435 in London, a spread of £9,391 (25%).
The mean (average) salary is £47,067, close to the median — the two measures broadly agree for social workers in London, and the median remains the clearest guide to typical pay.
To see what £46,435 means after income tax and National Insurance, use the take-home pay calculator below — it also factors in student loan repayments.
Take-home pay estimate
Tax year 2025/26| Monthly | Annual | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £3,870 | £46,435 |
| Income tax | £564 | £6,773 |
| National Insurance | £226 | £2,709 |
| Take-home pay | £3,079 | £36,953 |
Estimate only · 2025/26 HMRC rates · Standard tax code · No pension contribution · Not financial or tax advice
How Social workers pay varies by region
London is the highest-paying region for social workers at £46,435 — 9% above the UK median. East Midlands is lowest at £37,044.
UK median £42,708
| Region | Median payUK median £42,708 | Median | Mean | vs UK median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London (current region) | £46,435 | £46,435 | £47,067 | +9% |
| Scotland | £44,428 | £44,428 | £42,737 | +4% |
| North West | £42,829 | £42,829 | £42,638 | ±0% |
| North East | £42,179 | £42,179 | £40,327 | -1% |
| Wales | £42,029 | £42,029 | £40,502 | -2% |
| South West | £41,199 | £41,199 | £38,619 | -4% |
| South East | £41,026 | £41,026 | £39,733 | -4% |
| East of England | £40,836 | £40,836 | £41,161 | -4% |
| West Midlands | £40,415 | £40,415 | £39,120 | -5% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £38,170 | £38,170 | £36,820 | -11% |
| East Midlands | £37,044 | £37,044 | £36,070 | -13% |
| Region | Median | vs UK |
|---|---|---|
| London (current region) £46,435 | £46,435Mean £47,067 | +9% |
| Scotland £44,428 | £44,428Mean £42,737 | +4% |
| North West £42,829 | £42,829Mean £42,638 | ±0% |
| North East £42,179 | £42,179Mean £40,327 | -1% |
| Wales £42,029 | £42,029Mean £40,502 | -2% |
| South West £41,199 | £41,199Mean £38,619 | -4% |
| South East £41,026 | £41,026Mean £39,733 | -4% |
| East of England £40,836 | £40,836Mean £41,161 | -4% |
| West Midlands £40,415 | £40,415Mean £39,120 | -5% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber £38,170 | £38,170Mean £36,820 | -11% |
| East Midlands £37,044 | £37,044Mean £36,070 | -13% |
Sorted highest median to lowest. The vertical line marks the UK median (£42,708); ‘Vs UK median’ compares each region’s median to it. Suppressed values mean ONS withheld this figure because the sample was too small to publish.
How social workers pay in London has changed over time
Median annual pay for social workers in London by year, shown against the UK-wide median (Source: ONS ASHE). The shaded band is the UK-wide 25th–75th percentile range — ONS does not publish percentile ranges at region level.
London median
UK median
▪ UK-wide 25th–75th percentile range
Pre-2021 figures mapped from SOC 2010 via ONS concordance table
Compare with…
How the figures are sourced
Data sources: Official UK earnings data (2025 provisional)(opens in new tab)
Related roles in Welfare Professionals
Other published roles in this occupation group. View category overview →