average tour guide salary uk

Tour Guide average salary in United Kingdom, 2024

Find out what the average tour guide salary is.

Related salaries

People also ask

Active jobs with salaries

Tour Guide ( Maternity Cover)

Job Role : Tour Guide ( Maternity Cover) As a Tayto Tour Guide you will guide visitors through our fully operational factory. LOCATION: Tayto Castle, Tandragee JOB DESCRIPTION: As a Tayto Tour Guide you will welcome visitors to Tayto, before leading them on guided, informative tour of the Tayto fact...

Tour Guides and Retail staff

The Royal Mint Experience are looking to fill multiple positions both in leading guests on Site tours, assisting members of the public including families and children in the shop. ...

Bike Tour Guides - Worldwide!

Bike Tour Guides - Worldwide!**Location: *Flexible*Workplace: *Onsite*Type of contract: *Fixed Term*Working time: *Various*Job ID: *127567Fancy exploring the world?  Are you a bike enthusiast?  If you have answered yes, then we could have your dream job!  Mare...

The ideal candidate will have proven experience working as a Tour Guide, and act as an ambassador for the Club who will welcome tour groups around the stadium. We have an exciting opportunity for a Tour Guide to work within our Ticketing Team based at Villa Park. The role will be responsible for lea...

Tour Guide, for St Ives, Cornwall, UK. To lead Historical Walking Tours.

We are seeking tour guides for St Ives, Cornwall, UK, to lead Historical Walking tours of the area. To lead guided Historical tours of St Ives, Cornwall. We need full time/part time/eveing and weekend guides. To show what a beautiful town St Ives is, the benefits and generally assist tourists. ...

HAGGiS Adventures and Highland Explorer Tours (part of Radical Travel Group) are on the hunt for new Driver Guides who are enthusiastic and energetic, with a passion for Scotland. Our Driver-Guides love Scotland to the max. We train our guides to be the best. Represent the company delivering all asp...

VIP tour guide

Longleat is seeking multiple bubbly and energetic VIP Tour Guides to join our team and help us continue our tradition of hiring engaged and productive employees. As a part of this adventure, as a VIP Tour Guide you'll report to the VIP Supervisor and drive small groups through the Safari Park. Our G...

What benefits are available as Tour Guides and Retail staff. Apply now to become a part time Tour Guides and Retail staff!. The Royal Mint Experience are looking to fill multiple positions both in leading guests on Site tours, assisting members of the public including families and children in the sh...

Cardiff Brewery Tour Guides - Beer Experts Required

UK Brewery Tours are seeking individuals with a passion for beer, brewing and storytelling as guides for their public and private tours. Tours are usually on weekends and evenings so will suit those with 9-5 jobs. This role suits people with portfolio careers and many of our guides are beer writers,...

Tour Guide - Hop Farm Tours

UK Brewery Tours are looking for a tour guide to support with our hop farm tours at Hukins Hop Farm near Tenterden in Kent. We are looking for someone who can offer guided tours to groups of around 15 people. Tours usually run 10am-1pm and are 3 hours long - but some may take place outside these tim...

Part-Time Evening Tour Guide Peterborough

Joinour team as a freelance tour guide on a parttime evening basiswhere we combine the joy of visiting notable Bars and Pubs alongwith Iconic landmarks within the Peterborough citycentre. Lead and guideparticipants on the Bar and Pub Tour ensuring a safe enjoyable andinteractive experience forall. O...

Hidden London Tour Guide

Hidden London Tour Guide046812. ...

Delivery Driver (Self Employed)

We’re seeking reliable, hard-working, and motivated Delivery Drivers to join one of our logistics service providers. This is a Delivery Driver role where you’ll spend the majority of your day out on the road - so a passion for driving is a plus! Predefined routes and presorted packages a...

Retail Shift Manager

Motivate and support your team, learning from our Leadership and Company Principles.Swiftly solve problems and delegate tasks .Create an environment where your colleagues can succeed alongside you.Manage operations within your Store and colleagues in the absence of the Store Manager and Deputy Store...

Construction Team Leader

Senior Construction Team Leader/ Senior Carpenter Team Leader. You’ve got the ability to guide teams in bringing complex challenges to life, and your site management expertise is underpinned by exceptional trade skills and a knowledge of Construction Design Management requirements. Restoring t...

Delivery Driver

We are looking to partner up with Self-Employed Delivery Drivers right across the country therefore, regardless of where you live, submit your details today and we shall find an available delivery route closest to you!. As one of our Self-Employed Delivery Drivers is great for anyone looking to deli...

Brain Injury Support Worker

We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate Support Worker to join our team in Magor/Undy. In this role, you will provide high-quality care and support to individuals with complex health needs, ensuring their comfort, safety, and well-being. Delivering personalised care and support to clients with ...

Kitchen Assistant - Bank - Care Home

As a Bank Kitchen Assistant at a Barchester care home, you'll help to provide the first-class food and hospitality that enable us to give our residents exceptional all-round care and support. When you join us as a Bank Kitchen Assistant, you'll play a crucial role in the success of your care home. A...

Spinal Injury Support Worker

We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate Support Worker to join our team in Braintree, Essex. In this role, you will provide high-quality care and support to individuals with complex health needs, ensuring their comfort, safety, and well-being. Delivering personalised care and support to clients...

Regional Senior Care Assistant - Bank

As a Regional Senior Care Assistant with Barchester care homes, you'll deliver warm, empathetic and respectful care and support across a 20-mile radius to help our residents get the most out of life. A background in care is important for the role of Regional Senior Care Assistant, and you'll need a ...

Support Worker - Full time - Llantwit Major

Support Worker - Full-time - Llantwit Major. Your new role:This role will consist of supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism or mental illness. Through this, you will be supported to gain qualifications and experience that will assist you in creating a career in social care. A friendly,...

Tenancy Support Worker

We are looking to recruit passionate and motivated case workers to provide person-centred support to our service users. We support a wide range of people, including those who are homeless, at risk of losing their tenancy and who have mental health difficulties. You will help service users to identif...

Sales Assistant

Skills: Sales Assistant Sales Person Benefits: Annual Bonus / 13th Cheque Parking Staff Discounts Pension Fund uniform. Requirements: A passion for jewellery Proven sales experience Previous experience in jewellery sales (preferred but not compulsory) Must be available to work Saturdays (non-negotia...

Warehouse Operative - Evenings/Nights - Lisburn

Hygiene in your department and good housekeeping Your attendance at work Health and Safety of yourself and others around you Ensuring that you keep good relationships with your team members Your work area Reporting damages, accidents and issues relating to Food Safety Essential Criteria: Flexibility...

Ground Floor Team Member

LOCATION: Premier Inn Lisburn, 136-144 Hillsborough Road, Lisburn BT27 5QY Why you'll love it here: Training and support: We've got a warm welcome and simple administration system to use that will make your job easier from the start PLUS the opportunities to give you a clear career path within our b...

For Employers

Salary assessor, executive compensation assessor, nonprofit comparables assessor, our process, global salary calculator, relocation assessor, geographic assessor, occupational assessor, request a quote, learn more about eri's assessor platform.

Try a Free Demo

For Job Seekers

Salary calculator, research salaries, cost of living comparison, research cost of living, get a detailed salary report.

Get Your Customized Pay Report

Why SalaryExpert

Want to learn more about our salary data.

Schedule Time to Learn More

White Papers

Webinar recordings, stay up to date on hr news, united kingdom, £23,795 (gbp)/yr, £11.44 (gbp) /hr, £340 (gbp) /yr.

The average tour guide gross salary in United Kingdom is £23,795 or an equivalent hourly rate of £11. In addition, they earn an average bonus of £340. Salary estimates based on salary survey data collected directly from employers and anonymous employees in United Kingdom. An entry level tour guide (1-3 years of experience) earns an average salary of £23,795. On the other end, a senior level tour guide (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of £26,995.

Data powered by ERI's Salary Expert Database .

This page is a promotion for SalaryExpert’s Assessor Platform and is not intended for professional use.

Professionals should subscribe to SalaryExpert’s Assessor Platform .

ERI’s compensation data are based on salary surveys conducted and researched by ERI. Cost of labor data in the Assessor Series are based on actual housing sales data from commercially available sources, plus rental rates, gasoline prices, consumables, medical care premium costs, property taxes, effective income tax rates, etc.

DO YOU WORK IN HR OR COMPENSATION?

Try our professional compensation software to generate detailed salary and cost of living reports.

£26,511 (GBP)

Based on our compensation data, the estimated salary potential for Tour Guide will increase 11 % over 5 years.

This chart displays the highest level of education for: Tour Guide , the majority at 96% with high schools.

Cost of living is calculated based on accumulating the cost of food, transportation, health services, rent, utilities, taxes, and miscellaneous.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and most of the smaller islands within the British Isles. Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland; otherwise, the United Kingdom...

Are you paid fairly?

Learn About Our Products

• Travel Guide

How Much Should You Be Paid?

Subscribe to salaryexpert’s emails.

For the latest in HR and compensation news, subscribe to our monthly e-newsletters, blogs, and white papers. Subscribe

We use cookies to collect information about how you use the National Careers Service. This information is used to make the website work as well as possible and improve our services.

You’ve accepted all cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

beta How could we improve this service? Your feedback will help.

Get help with your exam results: whatever your results, there are lots of options available to you.

There is a problem

• Home: Explore careers

Tourist guide

Alternative titles for this job include tour guide, blue badge guide.

Tourist guides show visitors around places of interest like cities, historic buildings and art galleries.

Average salary (a year)

£18,000 Starter

£30,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

28 to 30 seasonal

You could work

freelance / self-employed flexibly

How to become

How to become tourist guide.

You can get into this job through:

• an apprenticeship
• a college course
• volunteering
• applying directly
• specialist courses run by private training organisations

You could do a travel and tourism qualification like:

• Level 2 Certificate in Travel and Tourism
• Level 3 Diploma in Travel and Tourism

This will give you an insight into the tourist industry and help you develop some of the skills to work as a tourist guide.

Having a language like French, German, Italian or Spanish, or a history qualification can also be useful for this type of role.

Entry requirements

You may need:

• 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

More Information

• search for courses
• funding advice
• equivalent entry requirements

Apprenticeship

You may be able to gain some of the skills needed in this role through apprenticeships like:

• Level 2 Customer service practitioner
• Level 3 Event assistant
• Level 3 Cultural learning and participation officer

To get onto an apprenticeship, you'll find it useful to have:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• guide to apprenticeships

Volunteering

Organisations like the National Trust and English Heritage offer opportunities to gain experience as a tour guide through volunteering.

Direct Application

Many people become tourist guides as a second career, for example teachers who want to work during school holidays or actors who need work between acting roles.

If you have customer service, teaching or language skills or you have experience of working with people, you may be able to apply directly.

Other Routes

You can do 3 levels of training to get a tour guide badge:

• level 2 - white badge
• level 3 - green badge
• level 4 - blue badge

You can apply to local tourist guide associations for training, or major tourist attractions that run their own schemes.

Guide London offers blue badge training, which usually takes around 18 months, and some heritage organisations, like York Minster , have their own training courses.

Career tips

An outgoing and friendly personality, plus being able to speak a second or third language, will give you an advantage when applying for jobs. Experience of dealing with the public and giving presentations will also help.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a guide from the Institute of Tourist Guiding .

What it takes

Skills and knowledge.

You'll need:

• customer service skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be flexible and open to change
• sensitivity and understanding
• an interest and knowledge of history
• a good memory
• knowledge of English language
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What you’ll do

What you'll do, day-to-day tasks.

In this role you could:

• guide people around a castle, gallery, historic house or garden
• escort groups of tourists around a site
• give information about the history, purpose and architecture of a site
• accompany groups on day tours to a number of places of interest
• answer questions and suggest other places to visit
• organise or arrange for additional trips and visits

Working environment

You could work at monuments and castles, in a museum, at an art gallery or in parks and gardens.

Your working environment may be physically active, outdoors some of the time and you'll travel often.

Career path and progression

With experience you could work for a tour operator as a regional tour supervisor or manager.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships in england, daf vehicle parts advisor apprentice - frome.

• Wage: £13,312 a year Annually
• Location: Frome

Customer Service Apprentice

• Wage: £12,480 to £22,308 a year Annually
• Location: 3-4 Morgan Way, Bowthorpe Employment Area, Norwich

Courses In England

• Provider: IFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
• Start date: 01 September 2024
• Location: Crawley

Travel & Tourism

• Provider: THE OLDHAM COLLEGE
• Start date: 02 September 2024
• Location: Oldham

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Not what you're looking for?

Search further careers, related careers.

• Tour manager
• Travel agent
• Resort representative
• Museum attendant
• Customer service assistant

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Speak to an adviser

You can call 0800 100 900 or use webchat to speak to an adviser.

We're open:

• 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday
• 10am to 5pm Saturdays and bank holidays

We're closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Is this page useful?

Thank you for your feedback.

Thank you for your feedback. Click here if you'd like to let us know how we can improve the service.

Rate your experience

How satisfied are you with the website?

Tour Guide Salary Information

Tour Guide salary information, income percentile, mortgage affordability and more.

How much does a tour guide earn?

Annual salaries range from £14,520 to £40,032. Below is the full range of pay both before and after tax:

Tour guides work with tour operators or certain tourist attractions to offer tours to various destinations. If they work for a particular destination or work for a travel agency, they travel from one destination to another at a party and guide them through the travel process.

Compare the average salary of a tour guide to your salary:

Below are the range of mortgages typically affordable for a single applicant tour guide:

search for tour guide jobs?

calculate the salary for a different job?

Help - find relevant tax tools and calculators - go back to top

Tour guide average salary

Jobs included.

• Bus conductor
• Holiday representative
• Information assistant (tourism)
• Steward (shipping)

Related professions

• Sports and leisure assistant
• Travel agent
• Air travel assistant
• Rail travel assistant

Tour Guide Salary in the United States

Tour guide salary.

How much does a Tour Guide make in the United States? The average Tour Guide salary in the United States is $67,196 as of July 29, 2024, but the salary range typically falls between $58,260 and $76,240 . Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education , certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

AR Tour Guide and Sales Rep

See Reality, Inc. - Boston, MA

AR TOUR GUIDE AND SALES REP

Historic Tours of America - St. Augustine, FL

TOUR GUIDE- ACTION LINE SALES

Hilton Grand Vacations - Sedona, AZ

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

What Should I Pay?

• View Hourly Wages
• Select State
• Select City
• Choose Similar Job
• Pick Related Category
• View Cost of Living in Major Cities

What is a Tour Guide ?

A tour guide (U.S.) or a tourist guide (European) is a person who provides assistance, information on cultural, historical and contemporary heritage to people on organized tours and individual clients at educational establishments, religious and historical sites, museums, and at venues of other significant interest, attractions sites....

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/17/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Tour Guide.

View Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles, 18 Industries, and 26 Job Families.

Our job description management tool- JobArchitect streamlines your job description process. Say goodbye to the hassle of crafting job descriptions.

Search Tour Guide Job Openings

• AR TOUR GUIDE AND SALES REP See Reality, Inc. - Boston, MA Urgently hiring. Join our innovative, new team as a Ticket Sales Representative to showcase the capabilities of Augmented Reality (AR) technology and the h... - 5 Days Ago
• Tour Guide Historic Tours of America - St. Augustine, FL JOIN OUR HISTORIC TOURS OF AMERICA FAMILY. Voted BEST Employer. Become a CASTmember of the Nations Storyteller. ®. This is a GREAT opportunity to LEARN abo... - 4 Days Ago
• TOUR GUIDE- ACTION LINE SALES Hilton Grand Vacations - Sedona, AZ Job Description. HGV is now offering first day Benefits. Grow a remarkable sales career here – in a place where you’re supported and rewarded for always gi... - 4 Days Ago
• SALES TOUR GUIDE Hilton Grand Vacations - DAYT BCH SH, FL Job Description. Open a door to an exciting career with. HGV REAL. our new Real Estate Licensing Program for Sales. At Hilton Grand Vacations, we’ll suppor... - 4 Days Ago

Career Path for this job

1 - 3 years experience High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

Up a level:

Travel coordinator.

3 - 5 years experience High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

What does a Tour Guide do?

Not the job you're looking for search more salaries here:, are you an hr manager or compensation specialist.

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

• Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
• Job and employee pricing reports
• Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Similar Jobs to Tour Guide

Level of education.

• Tour Guide Salaries with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate
• Tour Guide Salaries with an Associate's Degree
• Tour Guide Salaries with a Bachelor's Degree
• Tour Guide Salaries with a Master's Degree or MBA
• Tour Guide Salaries with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent

Tour Guide Salary by State

• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• New Hampshire
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• West Virginia

Browse All Hotel, Gaming, Leisure, and Travel Jobs by Salary Level

Browse related industries, browse related job categories with tour guide, understand the total compensation opportunity for a tour guide, base salary plus other pay elements, average base salary.

Core compensation

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors

How much should you be paid.

For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

Your estimated salary based on up-to-date market data and the factors you selected below

Recently searched related titles: Corporate Travel Agent , Travel Associate , Travel Counselor

Learn more about: Compensation Packages , Employee Flight Risk , Gender Pay Gap , Job Openings for This Role

Jobs with a similar salary range to Tour Guide : Hotel Reservations Agent , Ticketing Agent , Mailhandler

• Average Salary
• Hospitality and Leisure
• Travel and Tourism

Average Tour Guide Salary in Edinburgh

The average Tour Guide salary in Edinburgh is £24,946.80 The hourly average pay for a Tour Guide salary in Edinburgh is £11.99 The starting salary for a junior Tour Guide in Edinburgh is £30.00 per year or £0.01 per hour

Min: £30.00 Max: £37,440.00

Average Tour Guide Salary in Edinburgh : £24,946.80

Average Tour Guide salary in City of Edinburgh : £24,946.80

Min: £7.00 Max: £33,280.00

Average Tour Guide salary in Scotland : £21,011.07

Min: £25.00 Max: £32,500.00

Average Tour Guide salary in UK : £23,329.57

The salary is calculated by jobs advertised online.

Read about Tour Guide salaries, related jobs and salary information across the UK

Tour Guide Salary data from the ONS

Recommended tour guide jobs in edinburgh, related jobs.

View salaries for similar jobs.

Salary by Region

Compare Tour Guide salaries across different regions

Tour Guide Salaries by City

Compare Tour Guide salaries for different cities

About Check-a-Salary

We believe people should have access to all salary data to help them to make informed life decisions at every juncture in their careers. Whether you are a school leaver, recent graduate, considering changing jobs, moving to a new location, or salary benchmarking you can make better decisions if equipped with our salary insight.

Find a Salary

Key job facts, tour guide salaries by experience.

Compare Tour Guide salaries grouped by experience

Tour Guide Salaries by Industry

Compare Tour Guide salaries grouped by industry, UK wide

Additional Salary Details

A few details you might find interesting

Get The Best Paid Jobs – Sign Up Now

By signing up you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy . You also agree to receive Job Alerts from our partner, TheBigJobSite.

Check-a-Salary provides insight on earnings collated across multiple sources for every position in the UK.

Access over 55,000 free job description templates and use our job alert service to access over 650,000 jobs at any time.

Contact Us: [email protected]

Stay Connected

Useful Links

• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Data Suppliers
• Top Jobs and Locations
• Average Salary by Town and City
• A-Z of Salaries
• Browse Jobs by Location
• Location Statistics

Recent Blog Entries

• How To Launch Your Digital Marketing Agency Thursday 15 th August 2024 -->
• The Best Skills To Add To Your CV Revealed Tuesday 13 th August 2024 -->
• The Ultimate Guide To Job Skills For Career Advancement Thursday 08 th August 2024 -->
• High School Research Programs: Unlocking he Potential Of Young Minds Tuesday 06 th August 2024 -->
• Understanding the UK Skilled Worker Visa. Eligibility and Salary Requirements Thursday 01 st August 2024 -->

Subscribe to our newsletter

Data Protection Confirmation

By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our data protection policy and privacy policy . Key points from the policy are:

• We will send you the emails which you have subscribed to. You can unsubscribe using the link in every email.
• We will collect and process personal website usage information. We will use this to understand how our websites are used, along with letting you know of products or services which we think might be of interest to you by email, phone or other digitial means. You might get different content displayed on certain pages based on previous website activity.
• We will occasionaly send you information about other products or services from brands owned by Partners of Research LTD.
• If you become a customer to any of our products, we will contact you whilst you are a customer with key product and billing information.
• If you have provided consent for your CV to be shared with employers, there is a chance your current employer might find it.
• ©2016 - 2024 All Rights Reserved |
• Privacy Policy |
• Terms and Conditions
• Partners of Research LTD. Trading as Check-a-Salary. Registered address: The Carriage House, Mill Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6YE with company number: 08521222. Trading address: Unit 4 The Mews, 16 Holly Bush Lane, Sevenoaks, TN13 3TH

Money blog: Couples reveal how they split finances when one earns more than other

Welcome to the Money, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Read our weekend feature on relationship finances below and let us know how you and your partner divide money in the comments box. We'll be back with live updates on Monday.

Saturday 17 August 2024 12:43, UK

Essential reads

• Couples on how they split finances when one earns more than other
• What's gone wrong at Asda?
• The week in money
• Best of the Money blog - an archive of features

Tips and advice

• All discounts you get as student or young person
• Save up to half price on top attractions with this trick
• Fines for parents taking kids out of school increasing next month
• TV chef picks best cheap eats in London
• 'I cancelled swimming with plenty of notice - can they keep my money?'

Ask a question or make a comment

By Emily Mee , news reporter

Openly discussing how you split your finances with your partner feels pretty taboo - even among friends.

As a consequence, it can be difficult to know how to approach these conversations with our partner or what is largely considered fair - especially if there's a big imbalance salary-wise. 

Research by Hargreaves Lansdown suggests in an average household with a couple, three-quarters of the income is earned by one person. 

Even when there is a large disparity, some couples will want to pay the same amount on bills as they want to contribute equally. 

But for others, one partner can feel resentful if they are spending all of their money on bills while the other has much more to spend and is living a different lifestyle as a result. 

At what stage of the relationship can you talk about money?

"We've kind of formally agreed there is some point in a relationship you start talking about kids - there is no generally agreed time that we start talking about money," says Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown. 

Some couples may never get around to mentioning it, leading to "lopsided finances". 

Ms Coles says if you want to keep on top of finances with your partner, you could set a specific date in the year that you go through it all. 

"If it's in the diary and it's not emotional and it's not personal then you can properly go through it," she says.

"It's not a question of 'you need to pull more weight'.  It's purely just this is what we've agreed, this is the maths and this is how we need to do that."

While many people start talking about finances around Christmas, Ms Coles suggests this can be a "trying time" for couples so February might be a "less emotional time to sit down". 

How do you have the conversation if you feel the current arrangement is unfair?

Relationship counsellor at Relate , Peter Saddington, says that setting out the balance as "unfair" shouldn't be your starting point. 

You need to be honest about your position, he says, but your conversation should be negotiating as a couple what works for both of you. 

Before you have to jump into the conversation, think about: 

• Letting your partner know in advance rather than springing it on them;
• Making sure you and your partner haven't drunk alcohol before having the conversation, as this can make it easy for it to spiral;
• Having all the facts to hand, so you know exactly how much you are spending;
• Using 'I' statements rather than 'you'. For example, you could say to your partner: "I'm really worried about my finances and I would like to sit down and talk about how we manage it. Can we plan a time when we can sit down and do it?"

Mr Saddington says if your partner is not willing to help, you should look at the reasons or question if there are other things in the relationship that need sorting out. 

If you're having repeated arguments about money, he says you might have opposite communication styles causing you to "keep headbutting". 

Another reason could be there is a "big resentment" lurking in the background - and it may be that you need a third party such as a counsellor, therapist or mediator to help resolve it. 

Mr Saddington says there needs to be a "safe space" to have these conversations, and that a third party can help untangle resentments from what is happening now. 

He also suggests considering both of your attitudes to money, which he says can be formed by your early life and your family. 

"If you grew up in a family where there wasn't any money, or it wasn't talked about, or it was pushed that you save instead of spend, and the other person had the opposite, you can see where those conversations go horribly wrong. 

"Understanding what influences each of you when it comes to money is important to do before you have significant conversations about it."

What are the different ways you can split your finances?

There's no one-size-fits-all approach, but there are several ways you can do it - with Money blog readers getting in touch to let us know their approach...

1. Separate personal accounts - both pay the same amount into a joint account regardless of income

Paul Fuller, 40, earns approximately £40,000 a year while his wife earns about £70,000. 

They each have separate accounts, including savings accounts, but they pay the same amount (£900) each a month into a joint account to pay for their bills. 

Paul says this pays for the things they both benefit from or have a responsibility for, but when it comes to other spending his wife should be able to spend as she likes. 

"It's not for me to turn around to my wife and expect her to justify why she thinks it's appropriate to spend £150 in a hairdresser. She works her backside off and she has a very stressful job," he says. 

However, their arrangement is still flexible. Their mortgage is going up by £350 a month soon, so his wife has agreed to pay £200 of that. 

And if his wife wants a takeaway but he can't afford to pay for it, she'll say it's on her.

"Where a lot of people go wrong is being unable to have those conversations," says Paul.

2. Separate personal accounts - whoever earns the most puts more into a joint account

This is a more formal arrangement than the hybrid approach Paul and his wife use, and many Money blog readers seem to do this in one form or another judging by our inbox.

There's no right or wrong way to do the maths - you could both put in the same percentage of your individual salaries, or come up with a figure you think is fair, or ensure you're both left with the same amount of spending money after each payday.

3. Everything is shared

Gordon Hurd and his wife Brenda live by their spreadsheet. 

Brenda earns about £800 more a month as she is working full-time while Gordon is freelance. Previously Gordon had been the breadwinner - so it's a big turnaround.

They each have separate accounts with different banks, but they can both access the two accounts. 

How much is left in each account - and their incomings and outgoings - is all detailed in the spreadsheet, which is managed weekly. 

Whenever they need to buy something, they can see how much is left in each account and pay from either one. 

Gordon says this means "everyone knows how much is available" and "each person's money belongs to the other". 

"We have never in the last decade had a single disagreement about money and that is because of this strategy," he says.

Money blog reader Shredder79 got in touch to say he takes a similar approach. 

"I earn £50k and my wife earns just under £150k. We have one joint bank account that our wages go into and all our outgoings come out of. Some friends can't get their head around that but it's normal for us."

Another reader, Curtis, also puts his wages into a joint account with his wife. 

"After all, when you have a family (three kids) it shouldn't matter who earns more or less!" he says. 

Reader Alec goes further and says he questions "the authenticity of any long-term relationship or the certainly of a marriage if a couple does not completely share a bank account for all earnings and all outgoings". 

"As for earning significantly more than the other, so what? If you are one couple or long-term partnership you are one team and you simply communicate and share everything," he says. 

"Personally I couldn't imagine doing it any other way and I do instinctively wonder what issues or insecurities, whether it be in trust or something else, sit beneath the need to feel like you need to keep your finances separate from one another, especially if you are a married couple." 

A reader going by the name lljdc agrees, saying: "I earn half of what my husband does because I work part-time. Neither of us has a solo account. We have one joint account and everything goes into this and we just spend it however we like. All bills come out of this too. Sometimes I spend more, sometimes he spends more."

4. Separate accounts - but the higher earner pays their partner an 'allowance'

If one partner is earning much more than the other, or one partner isn't earning for whatever reason, they could keep separate accounts and have the higher earner pay their partner an allowance. 

This would see them transfer an agreed amount each week or month to their partner's account.

Let us know how you and your partner talk about and split finances in the comments box - we'll feature some of the best next week

By Jimmy Rice, Money blog editor

The centre-point of a significant week in the economy was inflation data, released first thing on Wednesday, that showed price rises accelerated in July to 2.2%.

Economists attributed part of the rise to energy prices - which have fallen this year, but at a much slower rate than they did last year. 

As our business correspondent Paul Kelso pointed out, it felt like the kind of mild fluctuation we can probably expect month to month now that sky high price hikes are behind us, though analysts do expect inflation to tick up further through the remainder of the year...

Underneath the bonnet, service inflation, taking in restaurants and hotels, dropped from 5.7% to 5.2%.

This is important because a large part of this is wages - and they've been a concern for the Bank of England as they plot a route for interest rates.

On Tuesday we learned average weekly earnings had also fallen - from 5.7% to 5.4% in the latest statistics.

High wages can be inflationary (1/ people have more to spend, 2/ employers might raise prices to cover staff costs), so any easing will only aid the case for a less restrictive monetary policy. Or, to put it in words most people use, the case for interest rate cuts.

Markets think there'll be two more cuts this year - nothing has changed there.

Away from the economy, official data also illustrated the pain being felt by renters across the UK.

The ONS said:

• Average UK private rents increased by 8.6% in the 12 months to July 2024, unchanged from in the 12 months to June 2024;
• Average rents increased to £1,319 (8.6%) in England, £748 (7.9%) in Wales, and £965 (8.2%) in Scotland;
• In Northern Ireland, average rents increased by 10% in the 12 months to May 2024;
• In England, rents inflation was highest in London (9.7%) and lowest in the North East (6.1%).

Yesterday, we found the UK economy grew 0.6% over three months to the end of June. 

That growth rate was the second highest among the G7 group of industrialised nations - only the United States performed better with 0.7%, though Japan and Germany have yet to released their latest data.

Interestingly, there was no growth at all in June, the Office for National Statistics said, as businesses delayed purchases until after the general election.

"In a range of industries across the economy, businesses stated that customers were delaying placing orders until the outcome of the election was known," the ONS said.

Finally, a shout for this analysis from business presenter Ian King examining what's gone wrong at Asda. It's been one of our most read articles this week and is well worth five minutes of your Friday commute or weekend...

We're signing out of regular updates now until Monday - but do check out our weekend read from 8am on Saturday. This week we're examining how couples who earn different amounts split their finances.

Each week we feature comments from Money blog readers on the story or stories that elicited most correspondence.

Our weekend probe into the myriad reasons for pub closures in the UK prompted hundreds of comments.

Landlords and campaigners, researchers and residents revealed to Sky News the "thousand cuts" killing Britain's boozers - and what it takes to survive the assault.

Here was your take on the subject...

I've been a publican for 19 years. This article is bang on! It's like you've overheard my conversations with my customers - COVID, cost of living, wages - the traditional British boozer going out of fashion. (My place: no food, no small children). Hey Jood

I own a small craft ale bar or micropub as some say. The current climate is sickening for the whole hospitality sector. This summer has been ridiculously quiet compared to previous ones. Micropubs were on the rise pre-COVID, but not now even we're struggling to survive… Lauren

I am an ex-landlord. It's ridiculous you can buy 10 cans for £10 or one pint for £5 now. It's not rocket science, it's a no-brainer: reverse the situation. Make supermarket beer more expensive than pub beer, then people will start to go out and mix again rather than getting drunk at home. Ivanlordpeers

Bought four pints of my regular drink at a supermarket for less than one pint in our local pub. It's becoming a luxury to go to a pub these days. Torquay David

Traditional pubs are being taken over by conglomerates who don't sell traditional beer, only very expensive lager, usually foreign, and other similar gassy drinks. How can they be called traditional pubs? Bronzestraw

The main reason for pubs closing is twofold! 1: The out-of-reach rents that the big groups charge landlords. 2: Landlords are told what stock they can hold and restrict where they can purchase it from. Strange, but most pubs belonged to the same groups! A pub-goer

Less pubs are managed now, pub companies are changing them to managed partnerships, putting the pressure onto inexperienced young ex-managers. Locals complain that their local pub has gone. but they don't use them enough. Can government regulate rents and beer prices for business owners? John Darkins

I was a brewery tenant in Scotland for many years and sequestrated because of the constant grabbing at my money by greedy brewers who wanted more and more. I made my pub very successful and was penalised by the brewery. James MacQuarrie 

The only reason pubs are closing is locals only use them on Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, and one Sunday a year. Plus breweries don't need pubs, they sell enough through supermarkets! Use them or lose them. Peter Smith

The closing of pubs is a terrible shame. I still go to my local and have great memories of getting drunk in many in my hometown. They are important places in society. As someone once said: "No good story ever started with a salad." Kev K

It's the taxman killing pubs. £1 of every £3 sold. Utter disgrace. Stef

I go with my girlfriend, Prue, every day to my local. It's a shame what's happening to prices. It used to be full of people and joy but now it's a ghost town in the pub since prices are too high now. I wish we could turn back time and find out what went wrong. Niall Benson

Minimum wage is around £11 and the tax threshold is £12,600 per year. How can you possibly afford a night in a pub out when a pint costs between £3 and £8 a pint on those wages? Allan7777blue

Unfortunately, the very people who have kept these establishments going over the years (the working man) have been priced out, and they're paying the price. Dandexter

The pubs are too expensive for people to go out regularly as we once did a decade or so ago. People's priorities are on survival, not recreation. Until the living wage increases beyond an inflation that wages haven't risen above in years, then we will see shops, pubs, etc. close JD

Who wants to spend hard-earned money going into a pub that's nearly always empty. It takes away one of the main attractions - socialising. Michael

Monzo has been named the best bank in the UK for customer satisfaction, according to a major survey. 

More than 17,000 personal current account customers rated their bank on the quality of its services and how likely they would be to recommend to friends or family. 

Digital banks made up the top three, with Monzo coming out on top, followed by Starling Bank and then Chase. 

Some 80% of Monzo customers said they would recommend the bank. 

The digital banking app said topping the tables "time and time again" was not something it would "ever take for granted". 

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was bottom of the ranking for another year. 

The banks with the best services in branches were Nationwide, Lloyds Bank and Metro Bank. 

Gail's bakery chain has come under fire for repurposing unsold pastries into croissants and selling them for almost £4 the next day.

The retailer lists the "twice baked" chocolate almond croissants as part of its "Waste Not" range, which means it is made using leftover croissants that are then "topped with almond frangipane and flaked almonds".

The scheme has been hit with criticism online, with many pointing out the £3.90 price tag is 95p more than the original croissant.

One X user said: "The audacity of bragging about it being part of their 'Waste Not' range like we should be grateful to them and proud of ourselves for contributing to reducing food waste when they could just sell it for less money – not one pound more than yesterday.

"Unsure whether to be impressed or horrified that someone has come up with a concept to capitalise on yellow sticker goods to make more profit."

It should be added, however, that the practice was not invented by Gail's - and almond croissants were originally created by French boulangeries to reuse day-old croissants and stop them going stale.

When factoring in the extra ingredients (almond frangipane and flaked almonds) and baking time, the bakery chain would likely defend the increased price by pointing to the additional costs incurred.

It comes as locals in a trendy London neighbourhood signed a petition against a Gail's bakery setting up shop in their area.

After (unconfirmed) rumours began circulating that the chain was looking to open a site in Walthamstow village, more than 600 have signed a petition opposing the plans.

The petition says the village "faces a threat to its uniqueness" should Gail's move into the area (see yesterday's 11.54am post for more).

Gail's has been contacted for comment.

British retailers saw a rise in sales last month after a boost from Euro 2024 and summer discounting, according to official figures.

High street retailers said sales of football shirts, electronics such as TVs, and alcoholic drinks were all stronger amid the Three Lions' journey to the final.

Total retail sales volumes rose by 0.5% in July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. It was, however, slightly below predictions, with economists forecasting a 0.7% increase.

It followed a 0.9% slump in volumes in June as retail firms blamed uncertainty ahead of the general election and poor weather.

ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, said: "Retail sales grew in July led by increases in department stores and sports equipment shops, with both the Euros and discounting across many stores boosting sales.

"These increases were offset by a poor month for clothing and furniture shops, and falling fuel sales, despite prices at the pump falling."

The data showed that non-food stores saw a 1.4% rise, driven by a strong performance from department stores, where sales grew by 4% for the month as summer sales helped to stoke demand.

However, clothing and footwear shops saw a 0.6% dip, whilst homeware retailers also saw volumes fall 0.6%. Food stores, meanwhile, saw sales remain flat for the month.

There are fears that the £2-cap on single bus fares could be scrapped after the government declined to say whether the policy would continue past December.

Bus companies said it was vital the cost of using their services is kept low for young people to "enhance their access to education and jobs".

Alison Edwards, director of policy and external relations at industry body the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said: "Bus operators are working closely with the government so that together we can find a way to avoid a cliff edge return to commercial fares.

"Analysis has shown that supporting fares, which can be done in a range of different ways, is great value for money and can support many other government objectives.

"For example, keeping fares low for young people would enhance their access to education and jobs, while also encouraging them to develop sustainable travel habits to last a lifetime."

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said in a recent interview with the PA news agency that her officials were "looking at various options" in relation to the cap, including whether they could "target it better".

It's been a busy week on the economic front.

There was no major shift in the overall outlook - since Monday we've had it confirmed that the UK economy has lower inflation and more growth than the last two years, while wages have grown faster than the overall pace of price rises.

On the back of all that news the pound is at the highest rate since early this month against the dollar, worth $1.2882, and the highest since July when it comes to buying euro with one pound equal to €1.1733. 

Signs of a recovery from the global market sell-off of Monday last week can be seen in the share prices of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Share prices have grown among the most valuable companies on the stock exchange, those that comprise the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 list of most valuable companies.

Today though, this benchmark UK index fell 0.19% but finishes the week higher than the start.

Also finishing the week higher than the start are the more UK-based companies of the FTSE 250 (the 101st to the 250th most valuable firms on the London Stock Exchange).

On Friday morning that index was up 0.08%. 

With tensions in the Middle East and Eastern Europe high as Iran mulled a retaliatory strike on Israel and Ukraine made incursions into Russian territory, there had been concern about energy price spikes.

But the benchmark oil price has remained steady at $80.13 dollars for a barrel of Brent crude oil.

Gas prices have remained below the Monday high of 100 pence a therm (the measurement for heat) and now are 94.50 pence a therm. 

A Cabinet Office minister has said it is "unfair" to suggest other public sector workers will be queuing up for a pay rise after the government's offer of a 15% increase for train drivers and junior doctors.

"I think that's an unfair characterisation as well," paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds told Times Radio.

"I think what is absolutely crucial here is we are a Government again that is sticking to the promises we made in opposition.

"We promised we would sit down and find solutions, and people expressed scepticism about that, but actually that is precisely what we have done in Government."

Last month, the government and the British Medical Association struck an improved pay deal for junior doctors in England worth 22% on average over two years.

Meanwhile, train drivers will vote on a new pay deal following talks between representatives of drivers' union ASLEF and the Department for Transport.

The new offer is for a 5% backdated pay rise for 2022/23, a 4.75% rise for 23/24, and 4.5% increase for 24/25.

The Dartford Crossing is the highest-earning toll road in the UK, new data shows. 

The Kent to Essex route raked in £215.9m in the last year - 2,159 times more than the Whitney toll bridge in Hereford. 

The crossing, which was supposed to stop charging customers in 2003, costs between £2 and £6 to use (depending on the vehicle you're driving) between 10am and 6pm every day. 

Car finance company Moneybarn found it earned just over £209m in 2022. 

It topped the chart of 13 toll roads in the country, making over £100m more than the second highest-earning road in 2023 - the M6 Toll in the West Midlands. 

In third place was the Mersey Gateway Bridge between Halton and Cheshire, which made £48.9m. 

You can see how the other toll roads fared below... 

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free