UK jobs that pay the most for under 30 hours’ work a week
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They say ‘work smarter, not harder’, and that applies to choosing a job as well as doing it. It’s all very well earning a decent wage, but if you work all hours, there’s no time to spend it. And for many, work/life balance is worth more than any pay packet.
![[Female lawyer with laptop concentrating while reading book at office]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1180593804.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Even so, money is still a necessity — which means looking to receive as high a salary as possible in as little time as possible. The average full-time employee in the UK works just under 37 hours each week, while the average annual wage is £35,830 per year.
![[Dentist looking down on camera with tools in hand]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-980075332.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
According to the TUC however, there are a few jobs that massively eclipse these figures, bagging you more cash while leaving more precious time free to enjoy. Fancy retraining and starting a new career in 2025? These are the highest-earning UK roles that require less than 30 hours’ work a week.
Working an average of 30 hours each week, these staff take home a healthy £62,920 a year – equating to £40 an hour or £1,210 a week. Specific roles can include headteacher, dean, bursar, provost, academic manager and registrar, with a remit of planning, organising and co-ordinating the administration, support systems and activities that facilitate the effective running of an educational establishment.
It can take a while to reach these heights though; most jobs require a degree and relevant experience in the field of education. Also racking up 30 hours a week, solicitors earn an average £57,200 annually, which comes to £37 an hour or £1,100 a week.
But you’ll have to invest in yourself to get there, as training includes a qualifying law degree or postgraduate diploma, or a one-year conversion course for those who graduated in another subject. From there, you have to undertake a one-year legal practice course, followed by a two-year training contract.
