Legal and accounting activities: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in legal and accounting activities earned a median £44,037 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £4,998 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
It ranks 28th of 84 divisions on this measure.
80% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £39,762, men £50,668.
The median rose 22.0% from £36,102 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 846,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 14% since 2019; 29% are in London.
There were 81,300 business sites in March 2026, nearly all (87%) with fewer than 10 staff (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 | £24,179 | £479.10 | £13.28 | £16,617 | £351.60 | £13.08 |
| 20th percentile | £28,000 | £542.10 | £14.82 | £23,812 | £470.00 | £14.31 |
| 25th percentile | £29,914 | £574.90 | £15.88 | £25,665 | £498.30 | £15.33 |
| 30th percentile | £32,004 | £613.50 | £17.02 | £27,820 | £536.60 | £16.27 |
| 40th percentile | £37,555 | £715.90 | £19.93 | £32,179 | £622.90 | £18.78 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £44,037 | £852.50 | £23.33 | £38,249 | £737.40 | £22.11 |
| 60th percentile | £52,597 | £977.10 | £27.35 | £45,746 | £881.60 | £25.83 |
| 70th percentile | £61,761 | £1,175.70 | £32.86 | £55,903 | £1,054.10 | £30.86 |
| 75th percentile | £68,564 | £1,289.00 | £36.08 | £61,751 | £1,177.30 | £34.07 |
| 80th percentile | £76,630 | £1,437.40 | £40.30 | £69,874 | £1,317.40 | £38.17 |
| 90th percentile | £99,395 | £1,866.60 | £52.60 | £93,696 | £1,765.20 | £50.68 |
| Mean | £58,047 | £1,081.90 | £29.99 | £51,269 | £960.70 | £29.24 |
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 | £36,102 | £709.30 | £19.33 | £31,474 | £613.30 | 683 |
| 2022 revised | £38,720 | £739.20 | £20.41 | £33,617 | £645.10 | 713 |
| 2023 revised | £40,005 | £777.70 | £21.52 | £34,014 | £670.80 | 735 |
| 2024 revised | £43,605 | £843.30 | £23.09 | £37,590 | £730.20 | 664 |
| 2025 provisional | £44,037 | £852.50 | £23.33 | £38,249 | £737.40 | 709 |
Where the 846,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| London | 218,000 | 245,000 |
| North West | 148,000 | 151,000 |
| South East | 83,000 | 88,000 |
| East of England | 67,000 | 71,000 |
| South West | 61,000 | 67,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 50,000 | 54,000 |
| Scotland | 47,000 | 51,000 |
| West Midlands | 45,000 | 48,000 |
| East Midlands | 31,000 | 32,000 |
| Wales | 21,000 | 22,000 |
| North East | 15,000 | 16,000 |
| Great Britain | 787,000 | 846,000 |
81,300 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 70,610 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 8,760 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 1,570 |
| Large (250 or more) | 360 |
| Total | 81,300 |
2021: 81,870; 2022: 80,560; 2023: 79,095; 2024: 79,270; 2025: 79,860; 2026: 81,300.
Related
Professional, scientific and technical activities · Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities · Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026