Education: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in education earned a median £39,999 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £960 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is 42nd of 84 divisions.
65% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £37,847, men £42,925.
The median rose 18.4% from £33,797 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 2,709,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 4% since 2019; 16% are in South East.
There were 82,695 business sites in March 2026, 965 of them employing 250 or more (UK Business Counts).
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £23,220 | £496.40 | £13.90 | £10,223 | £200.80 | £13.03 |
| 20th percentile | £27,711 | £569.00 | £15.74 | £16,933 | £359.40 | £14.30 |
| 25th percentile | £29,883 | £605.30 | £16.66 | £19,525 | £416.20 | £14.94 |
| 30th percentile | £31,936 | £639.50 | £17.77 | £22,137 | £466.60 | £15.77 |
| 40th percentile | £35,706 | £711.80 | £19.86 | £27,207 | £545.70 | £17.77 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £39,999 | £787.60 | £22.39 | £32,032 | £631.10 | £20.26 |
| 60th percentile | £44,025 | £870.30 | £25.02 | £37,201 | £728.90 | £23.26 |
| 70th percentile | £48,323 | £956.20 | £27.80 | £42,861 | £845.70 | £26.54 |
| 75th percentile | £50,192 | £1,002.40 | £29.28 | £45,880 | £903.40 | £28.29 |
| 80th percentile | £53,124 | £1,057.10 | £31.20 | £48,899 | £967.30 | £30.12 |
| 90th percentile | £62,901 | £1,270.10 | £37.33 | £57,587 | £1,157.00 | £36.56 |
| Mean | £42,117 | £849.80 | £24.14 | £34,000 | £678.40 | £23.36 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £33,797 | £661.80 | £18.82 | £26,346 | £518.20 | 4,124 |
| 2022 revised | £34,766 | £683.60 | £19.48 | £27,817 | £538.20 | 3,888 |
| 2023 revised | £36,305 | £717.50 | £20.43 | £29,456 | £571.10 | 3,659 |
| 2024 revised | £38,223 | £752.60 | £21.43 | £31,041 | £612.60 | 3,995 |
| 2025 provisional | £39,999 | £787.60 | £22.39 | £32,032 | £631.10 | 3,965 |
Where the 2,709,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 420,000 | 421,000 |
| London | 408,000 | 409,000 |
| North West | 296,000 | 297,000 |
| East of England | 262,000 | 264,000 |
| West Midlands | 237,000 | 237,000 |
| South West | 226,000 | 227,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 225,000 | 225,000 |
| Scotland | 217,000 | 218,000 |
| East Midlands | 184,000 | 184,000 |
| Wales | 119,000 | 119,000 |
| North East | 109,000 | 109,000 |
| Great Britain | 2,703,000 | 2,709,000 |
82,695 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 44,495 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 24,080 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 13,155 |
| Large (250 or more) | 965 |
| Total | 82,695 |
2021: 75,960; 2022: 77,140; 2023: 77,470; 2024: 78,395; 2025: 79,645; 2026: 82,695.
Related
Education · Public administration and defence; compulsory social security · Human health activities · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026