UK average weekly earnings growth

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), series KAC3 (total pay growth); KAB9 (total pay level); KAI9 (regular pay growth). Monthly, usually a Tuesday in the middle of the month, 7am (ONS labour market release); next release 20 October 2026

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What it measures

Average weekly earnings (AWE) is the ONS's lead measure of how much employees in Great Britain are paid per week, before tax. It comes from the Monthly Wages and Salaries Survey of businesses. The headline is the annual growth rate of the three-month average, comparing the latest three months with the same three months a year earlier. Total pay includes bonuses; regular pay excludes them. Both exclude arrears. The level shown is the mean across all employees, full-time and part-time, so it is not a typical full-time salary. AWE covers Great Britain, not Northern Ireland.

How to read it

Total pay growth can jump around in months when large bonuses are paid, especially in finance, so the ONS often highlights regular pay growth. These figures are in cash terms; for growth after inflation see real pay. Because AWE is a mean, changes in the mix of jobs can move it: if many low-paid jobs are lost, average pay can rise even if no one gets a pay rise. Public sector pay growth can be distorted by the timing of pay awards and one-off payments. For a typical salary, use the median from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) instead.

Background

The AWE series starts in 2000, and three-month annual growth rates are available from 2001. In 2010 AWE replaced the Average Earnings Index as the ONS's lead measure of earnings growth. In the series, regular pay growth peaked at 7.9% in June to August 2023. Total pay growth reached 8.9% in spring 2021, a figure the ONS explained was boosted by comparison with a period a year earlier when many employees were on furlough with reduced pay.

Other parts of the UK

ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (pay by region and local area, including Northern Ireland) · Nomis: earnings by place of residence and workplace

What is the average weekly wage in the UK?

The ONS average weekly earnings figure for Great Britain is shown on this page as the total pay level, which is a mean across all employees including part-time workers. For a typical full-time salary, the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings gives median gross weekly and annual pay for full-time employees each autumn, which is lower than the mean because high earners pull the mean up.

What is the difference between regular pay and total pay?

Regular pay is basic pay and other regular payments, excluding bonuses and arrears. Total pay adds bonuses. The ONS publishes growth rates for both because bonuses are concentrated in a few months and sectors, which can make total pay growth swing sharply. Regular pay growth is usually the better guide to the underlying trend.

Is public sector pay rising faster than private sector pay?

The ONS publishes average weekly earnings growth separately for the public and private sectors each month. The comparison changes over time and can be affected by when pay awards are paid, including back pay. Check the same three-month period for both sectors in the latest bulletin rather than comparing figures from different releases.

Related questions

• What is the average salary in the UK?
• Are wages rising faster than inflation in the UK?

More on this source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) official statistics