Not 100% sure this is unbiased but from what I see, £50k is good for a 30-years-old and £60k very good I would say. (Permanent employees of course.)

Probably £55 - £80k a year, depending on how 'hot' the stack you're on is and how willing you are to work for hedge funds / banks.

Multiply by ~1.2-1.5 for contracting rates (but then good luck getting a mortgage)

This is me. £150K p/a, > 3 years of accounts but banks can't understand low salary and high dividends so won't give me a decent mortgage. Plus my credit rating is fucked from moving to a different rental place each year. I'm looking at auctions instead.

I've heard a rumour Halifax might give mortgages to contractors based on a pro-rated day rate...

I've also heard this.

There are also specialist contractor brokers, and I got a mortgage approval for a decent amount through one of them last year, they offered me way more than I could afford.

HSBC don't understand contractors completely but they have offered me a reasonable amount of lending (I make about half what you do, but then I choose to live elsewhere). HSBC seem to have about the best rates at the moment.

Thanks i had thought about a loan but didn't follow up.