Train Driver Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East.
Median salary — South East
£76,715
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 20% change on the previous year
Mean
£75,792
What a typical train driver takes home
On the median of £76,715, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£4,588
Take-home a year
£55,052
Income Tax
£18,118
National Insurance
£3,545
What most train drivers actually earn
Half of train drivers across the UK earn between £63,585 and £81,905. Earning above £81,905 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
This range is UK-wide — ONS publishes no regional breakdown of the spread for this occupation.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of train drivers earn less than this.
How South East ranks for train driver pay
2nd
of 3 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £77,889 and East sits at the bottom on £75,608. South East is £1,174 short of the top.
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
- Train and tram drivers
- SOC 2020 code
- 8231
- 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.
Train Driver salary FAQs
What is the average Train Driver salary in South East?
The median is £76,715 a year and the mean is £75,792, 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 train driver earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £38.97 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for South East.
What is a good Train Driver salary?
Half of train drivers earn between £63,585 and £81,905. Anything above £81,905 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a train driver?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of train drivers earn under £41,998 and the lowest quarter under £63,585 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do train drivers in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £76,715 against £76,176 across the UK, 0.7% higher, which places it 2nd highest of the 3 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has train driver pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +20.0% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
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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