Accountant Salaries in United Kingdom

The average salary for an Accountant is £46,023 per year in United Kingdom. Salaries estimates are based on 6462 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by an Accountant employees in United Kingdom.

The highest salary for an Accountant in United Kingdom is £63,601 per year.

The lowest salary for an Accountant in United Kingdom is £33,916 per year.

Accountants earn similar salaries whether they are working as a private practice accountant or in the public sector as a public finance accountant. Experienced accountants can expect to earn well over the average salary. To earn more money, accountants can establish their own business, specialise in a competitive area, or become a manager at an accountancy firm. There are also opportunities to teach accountancy, with lecturing jobs paying close the equivalent of an experienced accountant's salary.

A career as an accountant is broad, so the best way to enhance your profile is to gain recognised qualifications in your specific area of work.

Look into the ACA qualifications from the Chartered Accountants in England Wales (ICAEW) if you’re interested in working for a private accounting firm, or the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) if you’re looking to move into the public sector. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is another good option if your dream job involves managing a company’s finances. These will boost your credentials and earning potential considerably. Of course there are multiple other training options to boost your accounting skills, help you access entry-level roles, or move into a more senior role to increase your pay and overall compensation. Salaries in the private sector are more likely to be higher and may include bonuses too.

Before you can begin to negotiate a salary increase in a new accountancy role or an existing role, it's vital to understand the actual salaries being paid in your local market. In accountancy, there are many different salary surveys you can look at to review how you are being paid against the rest of the market for your level and experience.

You can also use surveys to ensure you are being paid fairly for skills and qualifications. For example, you can use specific salary surveys from places like Accountancy Age, CIMA, or specialist finance recruitment companies. You can also speak to specialist recruiters to understand your market value to give you a benchmark to ensure you are paid fairly in an existing or future role.

Once you have this information, you can approach your manager, or the company recruiting and present the data to them to help your compensation to increase.

About 65.25% of Accountant professionals feel satisfied with their salary, according to anonymous Glassdoor ratings. An additional £3,575 in potential pay per year, among other factors, can qualify the annual pay of an Accountant in United Kingdom as a good salary.

Accountant professionals in United Kingdom have a wide total pay range, between £26,039 and £87,041 depending on experience, with an estimated total pay of £46,023 following the average career path of an Accountant.