Public administration and defence; compulsory social security: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in public administration and defence; compulsory social security earned a median £40,879 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £1,840 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is 37th of 84 divisions.
82% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £38,919, men £42,367.
The median rose 22.8% from £33,301 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 1,534,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 17% since 2019; 17% are in London.
There were 24,915 business sites in March 2026, 1,385 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 | £25,801 | £546.60 | £14.46 | £14,993 | £392.00 | £13.90 |
| 20th percentile | £30,062 | £610.50 | £16.15 | £25,170 | £526.00 | £15.57 |
| 25th percentile | £31,880 | £646.20 | £16.91 | £27,393 | £569.40 | £16.21 |
| 30th percentile | £33,717 | £675.30 | £17.77 | £29,625 | £599.80 | £17.16 |
| 40th percentile | £37,228 | £733.50 | £19.56 | £33,685 | £673.70 | £18.88 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £40,879 | £809.80 | £21.53 | £37,635 | £738.90 | £20.77 |
| 60th percentile | £45,033 | £890.90 | £23.39 | £41,668 | £831.90 | £23.11 |
| 70th percentile | £49,512 | £969.50 | £25.39 | £46,977 | £924.60 | £24.98 |
| 75th percentile | £51,933 | £1,027.40 | £26.61 | £49,536 | £971.80 | £26.32 |
| 80th percentile | £55,333 | £1,081.90 | £28.18 | £52,709 | £1,036.40 | £27.91 |
| 90th percentile | £64,530 | £1,270.90 | £33.42 | £62,507 | £1,233.90 | £33.50 |
| Mean | £42,766 | £875.00 | £23.03 | £38,816 | £792.00 | £22.84 |
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 | £33,301 | £634.00 | £16.64 | £30,836 | £591.10 | 1,660 |
| 2022 revised | £35,976 | £687.50 | £17.86 | £33,100 | £633.80 | 1,622 |
| 2023 revised | £36,571 | £708.70 | £18.54 | £33,267 | £651.10 | 1,624 |
| 2024 revised | £39,311 | £763.90 | £20.18 | £36,155 | £700.40 | 1,748 |
| 2025 provisional | £40,879 | £809.80 | £21.53 | £37,635 | £738.90 | 1,753 |
Where the 1,534,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| London | 263,000 | 263,000 |
| North West | 184,000 | 184,000 |
| Scotland | 170,000 | 171,000 |
| South East | 154,000 | 154,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 124,000 | 124,000 |
| South West | 124,000 | 124,000 |
| West Midlands | 118,000 | 118,000 |
| Wales | 113,000 | 113,000 |
| East of England | 109,000 | 109,000 |
| East Midlands | 93,000 | 93,000 |
| North East | 81,000 | 81,000 |
| Great Britain | 1,534,000 | 1,534,000 |
24,915 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 14,555 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 5,995 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 2,980 |
| Large (250 or more) | 1,385 |
| Total | 24,915 |
2021: 24,530; 2022: 24,085; 2023: 24,430; 2024: 24,395; 2025: 24,515; 2026: 24,915.
Related
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security · Education · Office administrative, office support and other business support activities · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026