Average Salaries in UK for Indian Students 2025 [Career Guide]

As an international student in the UK, you can work in various part-time roles during your studies and after your graduation. These help you get practical work experience and skill-building that strengthen your resume. If you are on a Tier 4 or Student Visa, you are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during holidays, depending on university rules.

Let’s discuss the various types of jobs available for you as an international student in the UK:

1. Part-time Jobs

As an international student, you can get part-time roles in retail, hospitality, supermarkets, and customer service. The average part-time wage for Indian students is GBP 10 to GBP 12 per hour (INR 1,050 to INR 1,260), depending on the city and employer.

2. Internships and Placements

Internships and industrial placements in the UK help you gain industry experience/ Paid internships typically offer GBP 1,000 to GBP 1,500 per month (INR 1.05 Lakhs to INR 1.57 Lakhs).

3. Graduate Jobs

After completing your degree in the UK, you can take up full-time graduate roles through the UK Graduate Route visa. This allows you to stay for up to 2 years. Graduate salaries usually start from GBP 22,000 to GBP 35,000 per year (INR 23.1 Lakhs to INR 36.7 Lakhs), depending on the industry. 

Indian students can earn between GBP 10 to 15 per hour (INR 11,000 to 16,500), leading to a monthly income of around GBP 200 to 600 (INR 2.2 Lakhs to 6.6 Lakhs) depending on hours worked and the sector. Here are some of the part-time jobs in the UK that you can navigate: 

As an Indian student, you can find internships through university career portals, networking events, and company recruitment drives. On average, an internship can help you earn up to GBP 47,835 (INR 57.5 Lakhs) yearly. Let us look at some of the best sectors for internships in the UK: 

After completing your studies in the UK, you can expect an average annual salary of GBP 61,000 (INR 73.3 Lakhs). To legally work in the UK as an Indian student, you’ll need a Graduate Route Visa, which allows you to stay and work in the UK for up to two years (three years for PhD graduates) after completing your degree.

Let us take a look at some of the jobs that you apply for as a graduate in the UK: 

The most important factors that affect salaries in the UK are experience, education, job location, cost of living, and employer size. Apart from these, the economic conditions, such as government policy and inflation, also impact your salary considerably. 

Here’s a detailed understanding of the major factors that affect salaries in the UK: 

Location 

Your salary would largely depend on the area of your work. For instance, offices in London and the south-east are substantially higher to compensate for the high cost of living. The average salary in London is GBP 66,000. This is primarily because of the purchasing power.

Industry and Sector 

Salaries differ widely across sectors and industries due to varying profit margins, demand, and complexity. For instance, management consultants in strategy consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain earn significantly more than those in smaller or generalist firms. 

Work Experience

Experience is the single most important factor that greatly impacts your salary, with years of experience allowing you to work at high managerial levels, bringing in significantly higher pay. For instance, junior engineers earn GBP 29,381 (INR 35.3 Lakhs), whereas senior-level engineers earn GBP 57,000 as their base pay.

Firm and Brand Reputation 

Large firms, especially companies MBB (McKinsey, Nain, BCG) and Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG), pay higher base salaries with structured progression. In contrast, smaller in-house roles may pay less but provide more work-hour flexibility. Additionally, brand prestige would also allow you to get faster promotions and earn higher long-term earnings. 

Market Demand 

Salaries are strongly linked to the current market demand for the particular skill and other economic factors such as inflation and corporate budgets. For instance, there has been a high demand for digital marketing sustainability consulting. 

The UK job market has shown an increase of 305,000 job roles as of March 2025, with an average bonus of 5.3% yearly. Some of the high-paying jobs in the UK include healthcare, law, Engineering, and consulting, with graduates in these fields earning EUR 50,804 (INR 61 Lakhs) on average. 

Let us discuss some of the highest-paying roles in the UK and their salaries: 

Legal Work Regulations for International Students in the UK 

International students on a student visa in the UK can work up to 20 hours per week during term time. This ensures students focus on their studies while balancing work. 

Here are some legal work regulations you should remember in the UK:

• Visa Compliance: Exceeding the allowed hours can lead to visa breaches and penalties, so it’s important to strictly adhere to the limit.
• Full-Time Breaks: Students are allowed to work full-time during official vacations, including summer and course breaks, providing opportunities to gain hands-on work experience.
• Job Restrictions: Most types of jobs are allowed, but self-employment and permanent full-time roles are generally prohibited while on a student visa.
• Sponsor Check: It is vital to check your institution’s sponsorship status before assuming work rights, as your ability to work depends on the type and track record of your sponsoring university.

As you set to work in the UK, you need to understand the ways the UK job market works, identify high-paying options, and analyse the market strategy to maximize your income. You can maximise your salary by demonstrating in-demand skills and negotiating smartly during the interview. Let us explore some smart ways using which you could maximise your salary in the UK: 

• Analyse UK Salary Benchmarks: Check real-time salary data on Reed, Glassdoor, and Payscale to understand pay ranges for your role, location, and experience.
• Negotiate Total Compensation: Instead of negotiating only base salary, focus on benefits like professional training budgets, relocation support, or additional paid leave. These can increase your overall compensation by 15 to 20% without requiring a salary hike.
• Develop High-Demand Skills: Prioritise skills that employers in the UK pay a premium for, such as AI, data analytics, cloud technologies, cyber security, finance, and healthcare specialisations.
• Gain UK-Relevant Experience: Part-time roles, internships, volunteering, and industry certifications help you stand out in the UK job market. Students with local experience often secure salaries up to 10 to 12% higher than those without UK exposure.

For Indian students, the UK offers not just top-ranked universities but also rewarding career opportunities. While part-time work at GBP 10 (INR 880) per hour helps manage living costs during your studies, the real value lies in post-graduation outcomes. With finance, business analytics, and IT emerging as the highest-paying sectors, graduates can expect starting salaries that offset the higher cost of living and open doors to long-term career growth in the UK and beyond.

Yocket’s guidance is designed to help you maximise these opportunities by choosing the right course, leveraging internships, and aligning your profile with sectors that promise strong employability. The right strategy today can translate into career and financial success tomorrow.