Social Worker Salary in London
Official ONS earnings for London, covering 13,000 jobs.
Median salary — London
£46,435
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 4.3% change on the previous year
Mean
£47,067
Jobs measured
13,000
What a typical social worker takes home
On the median of £46,435, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,079
Take-home a year
£36,953
Income Tax
£6,773
National Insurance
£2,709
What most social workers actually earn
Half of social workers in London earn between £35,670 and £50,395. Earning above £50,395 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Welfare Professionals” group in London.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of social workers earn less than this.
How London ranks for social worker pay
1st
of 6 GB regions with a published figure
London pays social workers more than anywhere else ONS measures — £5,599 above East, the lowest of the 6.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Social workers
- SOC 2020 code
- 2461
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Social Worker salary FAQs
What is the average Social Worker salary in London?
The median is £46,435 a year and the mean is £47,067, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a social worker earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £23.21 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for London.
What is a good Social Worker salary?
Half of social workers earn between £35,670 and £50,395. Anything above £50,395 is in the top quarter for the role.
Do social workers in London earn more than the UK average?
The median in London is £46,435 against £42,708 across the UK, 8.7% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 6 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has social worker pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +4.3% for this occupation in London. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many social workers are there in London?
ASHE counts around 13,000 employee jobs in “Social workers” (SOC 2461) in London. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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