Graduate Gender Pay Gap UK 2026: What the Latest Data Shows

The graduate gender pay gap is not one number. The UK-wide figure from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) measures every full-time employee, while a separate Department for Education study tracks what graduates earn five years after leaving university. This guide puts the two side by side, explains what each can and cannot tell you, and shows how to check an employer’s own figures before you apply.

Every figure below comes from ONS, the Department for Education or GOV.UK, and is labelled Official. No named-person quote is used because none was found on an official source that fits; nothing is invented.

UK gender pay gap at a glance (April 2026)

Source: ONS, Gender pay gap in the UK: 2026, released 22 October 2026. The gap is the difference between men’s and women’s median hourly earnings (excluding overtime) as a share of men’s median hourly earnings.

What the gender pay gap does and does not measure

ONS is explicit that its gap is “a measure across all jobs in the UK, not of the difference in pay between men and women for doing the same job.” Official It does not compare people with the same skills, age, occupation or experience, so it is not the same as an equal pay finding.

It also cannot be compared directly with the employer-reported figures on the government’s Gender Pay Gap Service, because the two use different data sources, populations and methods. That matters when you read a company’s figure next to the national one.

Where the gap is larger: age, occupation and region

The full-time gap grows with age. In April 2026 it was 0.3% for 18- to 21-year-olds, 4.1% for those aged 30 to 39, 8.2% for 40 to 49, 11.0% for 50 to 59 and 11.2% for those aged 60 and over. ONS says the rise around age 40 is largely explained by the impact of motherhood. Official

The gap was positive in all nine major occupation groups. The three highest-paid groups matter most for graduates, because women make up a smaller share of those groups at older ages while pay in them rises most with age. For example, 50.1% of professional-occupation employees aged 22 to 29 were women, against 45.2% of those aged 50 to 59.

By region, the full-time gap was smaller in Scotland (0.9%), Wales (3.2%) and Northern Ireland (negative 1.6%) than in every English region. London had the largest gap, followed by the South West and the South East. ONS says this partly reflects a higher share of employees in the highest-paid occupations.

What graduates earn five years after leaving university

The Department for Education’s Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO) release, published 25 June 2026 and updated 14 September 2026, follows UK-domiciled graduates who finished a first degree at an English provider in 2017-18 and reports their 2023-24 earnings, five years after graduation. Official

It finds that male graduates have higher annualised earnings than female graduates, but that this pay gap “shrinks substantially” when earnings are adjusted for hours worked. DfE concludes the gap is chiefly due to a greater prevalence of part-time work among female graduates rather than significantly lower hourly pay. The FTE (full-time equivalent) adjustment uses survey data and DfE calls the estimates illustrative only.

By subject, “combined and general studies” had the largest proportional gap, with female graduates earning 24.0% less than male graduates, while female graduates in pharmacology, toxicology and pharmacy earned 9.1% more than males. Male earnings were higher in many but not all subjects. Median earnings were highest for medicine and dentistry and lowest for performing arts.

An earlier LEO release (tax year 2018-19) reported that female graduates’ median earnings were 7.3% lower than male earnings one year after graduation, 9.9% lower at three years, 13.4% at five years and 24.1% at ten years. Treat these as a different cohort and measurement approach from the 2026 release rather than a trend. Official

How to check an employer’s gender pay gap before you apply

Employers with 250 or more employees on their snapshot date must report their gender pay gap each year. Most public authorities use a snapshot date of 31 March and report by 30 March the following year; private, voluntary and other public authority employers use 5 April and report by 4 April. Employers must also publish the figures on their own website and keep them online for at least three years. Official

GOV.UK says action plans are optional now and, subject to legislation, become mandatory from spring 2027. Its reporting guidance was updated on 21 May 2026. Search an employer’s report on the Gender Pay Gap Service and read the GOV.UK reporting guidance to see what each figure means. Official

What this means for your first job (Debut’s advice)

• Do not treat the 6.8% full-time figure as your personal gap. At the start of a career the gap is small (0.3% for ages 18 to 21), and it widens later, so early choices about progression matter.
• Look at the employer’s published report and, in interviews, ask how pay progression and promotion are decided and what its action plan is.
• Negotiate with evidence. Use salary ranges for the role, and see our guide to negotiating the salary you deserve.
• Compare offers by take-home pay with the UK paycheck calculator, and check pay by sector in our highest paid graduate jobs guide.
• If you are weighing sectors, read why women in banking may find this a strong time to start, and browse employers in the graduate scheme hub.

FAQ

Sources

• ONS: Gender pay gap in the UK: 2026
• DfE: Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO), tax year 2023-24
• GOV.UK: Gender pay gap reporting guidance for employers
• Gender Pay Gap Service

Checked on 30 October 2026. All figures come from ONS, the Department for Education or GOV.UK. ONS 2026 estimates are provisional.