Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations earned a median £53,181 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £14,142 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
It ranks 10th of 84 divisions on this measure.
97% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £46,567, men £55,530.
The median rose 38.5% from £38,407 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 41,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 2% since 2019; 24% are in North West.
There were 700 business sites in March 2026, 65 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 | £29,357 | £594.40 | £15.55 | £28,137 | £568.60 | £15.33 |
| 20th percentile | £35,817 | £699.70 | £18.57 | £35,341 | £684.40 | £18.43 |
| 25th percentile | £37,723 | £745.70 | £19.48 | £37,457 | £729.90 | £19.44 |
| 30th percentile | £39,929 | £805.80 | £21.00 | £39,581 | £787.70 | £20.80 |
| 40th percentile | £47,091 | £913.80 | £23.60 | £46,142 | £887.10 | £23.54 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £53,181 | £1,006.30 | £26.46 | £51,970 | £989.70 | £26.47 |
| 60th percentile | £60,060 | £1,116.10 | £29.28 | £59,931 | £1,105.70 | £29.39 |
| 70th percentile | £71,141* | £1,387.30 | £35.19* | £70,882* | £1,370.20 | £35.21 |
| 75th percentile | £83,664* | £1,518.50 | £40.62* | £82,055* | £1,499.70 | £40.28* |
| 80th percentile | £94,999* | £1,699.50* | £45.56* | £94,983* | £1,682.00* | £45.56* |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | – | £2,286.40* | £62.73* |
| Mean | £68,316 | £1,245.80 | £32.87 | £67,395 | £1,224.60 | £32.81 |
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 | £38,407 | £743.50 | £19.55 | £37,677 | £738.50 | 66 |
| 2022 revised | £30,934 | £607.90 | £16.19 | £30,810 | £602.10 | 37 |
| 2023 revised | £36,134 | £716.80 | £18.65 | £35,521 | £708.60 | 46 |
| 2024 revised | £45,346 | £915.00 | £23.98 | £44,344 | £897.80 | 81 |
| 2025 provisional | £53,181 | £1,006.30 | £26.46 | £51,970 | £989.70 | 88 |
Where the 41,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| East of England | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| South East | 4,500 | 4,500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| South West | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| London | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Wales | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Scotland | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| North East | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| East Midlands | 2,250 | 2,250 |
| West Midlands | 200 | 200 |
| Great Britain | 41,000 | 41,000 |
700 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 435 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 110 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 90 |
| Large (250 or more) | 65 |
| Total | 700 |
2021: 780; 2022: 770; 2023: 725; 2024: 735; 2025: 710; 2026: 700.
Related
Manufacturing · Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products · Manufacture of rubber and plastic products · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026