Postal and courier activities: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in postal and courier activities earned a median £35,185 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £3,854 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is in the lowest third of 84 divisions.
81% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £32,447, men £35,924.
The median rose 18.9% from £29,598 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 253,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 2% since 2019; 17% are in South East.
There were 38,100 business sites in March 2026, nearly all (93%) 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 | £26,491 | £477.80 | £12.68 | £20,367 | £371.30 | £12.54 |
| 20th percentile | £28,811 | £534.50 | £14.25 | £25,745 | £451.10 | £13.97 |
| 25th percentile | £29,798 | £542.90 | £14.44 | £27,532 | £495.10 | £14.35 |
| 30th percentile | £30,632 | £556.80 | £14.45 | £28,478 | £530.30 | £14.45 |
| 40th percentile | £33,025 | £610.20 | £14.89 | £30,459 | £554.50 | £14.67 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £35,185 | £648.70 | £15.82 | £33,045 | £611.80 | £15.38 |
| 60th percentile | £37,839 | £704.70 | £16.99 | £35,709 | £653.40 | £16.42 |
| 70th percentile | £42,030 | £779.60 | £18.60 | £39,366 | £727.70 | £17.71 |
| 75th percentile | £44,380 | £821.50 | £19.56 | £41,841 | £774.00 | £18.75 |
| 80th percentile | £47,246 | £881.60 | £20.70 | £44,668 | £828.80 | £20.07 |
| 90th percentile | £56,594* | £1,041.30 | £24.94 | £53,871 | £1,000.50 | £23.97 |
| Mean | £39,339 | £720.60 | £17.91 | £35,948 | £654.30 | £17.56 |
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 | £29,598 | £578.80 | £13.94 | £28,005 | £546.60 | 248 |
| 2022 revised | £31,267 | £579.80 | £14.38 | £29,777 | £546.80 | 222 |
| 2023 revised | £30,734 | £635.10 | £15.03 | £28,946 | £600.60 | 213 |
| 2024 revised | £35,373 | £651.70 | £15.76 | £33,521 | £625.80 | 216 |
| 2025 provisional | £35,185 | £648.70 | £15.82 | £33,045 | £611.80 | 215 |
Where the 253,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 41,000 | 44,000 |
| North West | 29,000 | 31,000 |
| London | 27,000 | 30,000 |
| East Midlands | 25,000 | 27,000 |
| West Midlands | 25,000 | 27,000 |
| South West | 18,000 | 22,000 |
| East of England | 21,000 | 21,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 17,000 | 18,000 |
| Scotland | 16,000 | 18,000 |
| North East | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Wales | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Great Britain | 234,000 | 253,000 |
38,100 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 35,415 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 1,540 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 1,035 |
| Large (250 or more) | 110 |
| Total | 38,100 |
2021: 42,500; 2022: 45,830; 2023: 40,600; 2024: 36,545; 2025: 36,250; 2026: 38,100.
Related
Transportation and storage · Warehousing and support activities for transportation · Air transport · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026