Permanent
Average pay
£56,525.00
Jobs counted
716
Defence average salary in the UK in 2026
Use live pay and demand signals to decide your next move as a Defence
Last checked: 24 Apr 2026, 21:32
Salary by
- Year
- Month
- Week
- Day
- Hour
Contract Rate by
- Year
- Month
- Week
- Day
- Hour
Historical annual view
Track Defence pay and demand beyond the last 12 months
Switch between completed calendar years from 2023 onwards, then compare the current year to the same point last year.
Annual archive
Completed year snapshots
Contract inside IR35
Average pay
£600.00
Jobs counted
30
Contract outside IR35
Average pay
£550.00
Jobs counted
32
Contract IR35 not specified
Average pay
NA
Jobs counted
0
Permanent salary trend in 2025
Monthly permanent pay and listing counts for Defence across the whole of 2025.
| Month | Jobs | Low | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | 17 | £56,475.00 | £61,175.00 | £65,900.00 |
| November 2025 | 19 | £60,850.00 | £63,850.00 | £66,850.00 |
| October 2025 | 44 | £51,250.00 | £57,500.00 | £63,750.00 |
| September 2025 | 89 | £47,350.00 | £53,600.00 | £59,875.00 |
| August 2025 | 106 | £51,050.00 | £55,900.00 | £60,750.00 |
| July 2025 | 63 | £52,725.00 | £58,725.00 | £64,725.00 |
| June 2025 | 97 | £50,100.00 | £55,450.00 | £60,800.00 |
| May 2025 | 65 | £48,225.00 | £54,300.00 | £60,400.00 |
| April 2025 | 65 | £53,275.00 | £58,975.00 | £64,675.00 |
| March 2025 | 87 | £53,225.00 | £56,775.00 | £60,300.00 |
| February 2025 | 48 | £54,525.00 | £56,950.00 | £59,375.00 |
| January 2025 | 16 | £46,550.00 | £49,050.00 | £51,550.00 |
Contract rate trend in 2025
Switch IR35 view to see how contract demand and day rates moved through the year.
| Month | Jobs | Low | Day rate | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | 0 | NA | NA | NA |
| November 2025 | 7 | £575.00 | £575.00 | £600.00 |
| October 2025 | 0 | NA | NA | NA |
| September 2025 | 1 | £600.00 | £625.00 | £650.00 |
| August 2025 | 3 | £575.00 | £600.00 | £600.00 |
| July 2025 | 4 | £575.00 | £600.00 | £650.00 |
| June 2025 | 4 | £625.00 | £650.00 | £675.00 |
| May 2025 | 2 | £600.00 | £675.00 | £725.00 |
| April 2025 | 6 | £600.00 | £650.00 | £675.00 |
| March 2025 | 2 | £475.00 | £500.00 | £525.00 |
| February 2025 | 0 | NA | NA | NA |
| January 2025 | 1 | £500.00 | £575.00 | £650.00 |
Year to date
2026 vs 2025 at the same point in the year
Comparison window: 1 Jan to 24 Apr 2026. The previous year is automatically cut to the same day, so these figures stay like-for-like.
Permanent
2026 average pay
£55,300.00
907 jobs
Compared with 2025
Pay down 2% (£1,075.00)
Jobs up 330% (696)
Contract inside IR35
2026 average pay
£575.00
30 jobs
Compared with 2025
Pay down 4% (£25.00)
Jobs up 233% (21)
Contract outside IR35
2026 average pay
£525.00
28 jobs
Compared with 2025
Pay down 13% (£75.00)
Jobs up 300% (21)
Contract IR35 not specified
2026 average pay
NA
0 jobs
Compared with 2025
Pay -
Jobs -
Nothing to compare
Related Security and Emergency roles
Explore other salary and hiring pages in the Security and Emergency sector.
Defence EngineerDoor SecurityDoor personEvent SecurityFireFire AlarmFire Alarm EngineerFire InstallerFire Risk AssessorFire Safety ManagerFire Safety OfficerFire Service EngineerHead Of RiskHead Of SecurityHead of SafetyHealth & SafetyHealth & Safety AdvisorHealth & Safety ManagerHealth & Safety OfficerHealth & Safety TrainerHealth And Safety AdministratorHealth And Safety AdvisorHealth And Safety ConsultantIntruder Alarm Engineer
Timeframe
When showing job numbers, salaries, and contract rates, we will use all the jobs posted in the…
Timeframe
When showing job numbers, salaries, and contract rates, we will use all the jobs posted in the…