Employment activities: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in employment activities earned a median £33,758 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £5,281 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is in the lowest third of 84 divisions.
Part-time work is common: only 55% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £31,050, men £38,223.
The median rose 27.7% from £26,442 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 956,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 3% since 2019; 21% are in London.
There were 36,645 business sites in March 2026, 625 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 | £20,434 | £463.60 | £12.33 | £5,767 | £150.60 | £12.21 |
| 20th percentile | £24,354 | £500.00 | £12.95 | £11,381 | £244.20 | £12.76 |
| 25th percentile | £25,997 | £517.50 | £13.34 | £13,533 | £292.00 | £13.15 |
| 30th percentile | £27,470 | £536.60 | £13.84 | £16,301 | £346.00 | £13.59 |
| 40th percentile | £30,001 | £589.60 | £14.74 | £21,163 | £430.10 | £14.41 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,758 | £644.20 | £16.00 | £25,524 | £497.10 | £15.77 |
| 60th percentile | £38,570 | £710.60 | £17.80 | £29,468 | £552.70 | £17.68 |
| 70th percentile | £44,700 | £809.90 | £20.14 | £34,329 | £640.00 | £20.00 |
| 75th percentile | £47,736 | £876.00 | £22.18 | £38,038 | £696.20 | £22.00 |
| 80th percentile | £52,908* | £959.50 | £24.24 | £42,431 | £766.60 | £24.01 |
| 90th percentile | – | £1,300.50* | £33.20* | £60,003* | £1,050.00 | £30.72 |
| Mean | £43,617 | £806.80 | £20.28 | £31,536 | £581.30 | £19.84 |
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 | £26,442 | £479.10 | £11.66 | £20,174 | £381.10 | 495 |
| 2022 revised | £27,585 | £534.30 | £13.14 | £20,853 | £415.50 | 580 |
| 2023 revised | £28,542 | £557.50 | £13.84 | £20,788 | £445.20 | 595 |
| 2024 revised | £31,741 | £594.00 | £15.09 | £23,848 | £472.30 | 575 |
| 2025 provisional | £33,758 | £644.20 | £16.00 | £25,524 | £497.10 | 552 |
Where the 956,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| London | 197,000 | 198,000 |
| East of England | 156,000 | 157,000 |
| North West | 113,000 | 113,000 |
| South East | 95,000 | 95,000 |
| West Midlands | 88,000 | 88,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 76,000 | 76,000 |
| East Midlands | 65,000 | 65,000 |
| South West | 62,000 | 63,000 |
| Scotland | 48,000 | 48,000 |
| Wales | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| North East | 24,000 | 24,000 |
| Great Britain | 953,000 | 956,000 |
36,645 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 27,655 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 5,450 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 2,915 |
| Large (250 or more) | 625 |
| Total | 36,645 |
2021: 36,350; 2022: 39,125; 2023: 38,520; 2024: 40,010; 2025: 38,990; 2026: 36,645.
Related
Administrative and support service activities · Rental and leasing activities · Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026