The highest paying apprenticeships in the UK

Well-paid apprenticeships really do exist.

We’ve all heard the old saying ‘money can’t buy you happiness’. Then again, we’re not sure that whoever came up with that bit of wisdom ever had to deal with zero-hour contracts, spiralling petrol prices, or a vastly inflated housing market…

We’re (somewhat) joking, of course, but who’s to say that choosing an apprenticeship means sacrificing your financial independence? That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top-earning apprenticeship schemes available this year.

So, without further ado, here’s the pick of our apprenticeships that promise a cash injection from the get-go, to get your life savings off to a serious boost (while also affording you the occasional fancy coffee).

The best-paid apprenticeships in the UK…

Corporate Banking Apprenticeship – Santander – £24K

This corporate banking apprenticeship from Santander has a starting wage that many University graduates would envy.

During this level 6 apprenticeship, you will pick up all the skills necessary to own a portfolio of corporate customers and make your way in the banking industry. On top of that,  you’ll also earn yourself a financial services professional qualification along the way.

Finance and banking apprenticeships offer plenty of opportunities for decent starting salaries and fast progression. Other high-paying providers in this area include Lloyds and Barclays

For more high-paid roles, Check out our full list of available finance apprenticeships.

Civil Service Fast Stream – ONS – £22k

The Civil Service would not have been our first guess when looking for high-paying positions. However, the Civil Service Fast Stream is an award-winning initiative to help get apprenticeships and graduates into careers in the Civil Service, and one of the ways they’ve been able to do this is with attractive starting salaries. 

The fast stream offers 15 schemes, all with excellent starting salaries and earning potential. Positions with the Office for National Statistics offer fantastic training and advancement opportunities.

Check out the Fast stream to get alerted when new positions are posted.

Accounting Apprenticeship – EY – £21,750

Back in the world of finance now, but this time we are inside the fast-moving stream of corporate accounting and auditing. Big four accounting firm Ernst Young (EY), offers a number of apprenticeships with a tasty starting salary of just under £22k. Schemes that will get you started on the road to financial freedom include Assurance, Tax, and Transactions.

Of the big four accounting firms, EY has (or at least openly advertises) the biggest starting salary, but given the unprecedented room for quick advancement within these large accounting firms, you’d do well also to check out schemes from the rest of the group;  Deloitte, PWC, and KPMG.

Logistics Apprenticeship – Royal Mail – 20k

Royal Mail delivers over 14 billion letters each year, and they are willing to pay you a decent chunk of change to help them do it more efficiently.

Logistics apprenticeships from the Royal Mail kick in with a starting salary of £20k. Even better, these are degree apprenticeships, so not only will you be making bank, but you’ll also earn a degree absolutely free. (I wish someone had told me I could get paid £20K a year to get my degree…)

This isn’t the only scheme that Royal Mail runs and most have good starting salaries. Check out their early careers page during one of their hiring windows for several respectable 19K starting salaries with lots of room to grow.

That concludes our roundup of top earners for this month, but we’re always on the lookout for fantastic starting salaries. Why not check out our latest apprentice roles?

Found a well-paying apprenticeship? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list!