Residential care activities: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in residential care activities earned a median £29,083 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £9,956 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is in the lowest third of 84 divisions.
66% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £28,069, men £31,403.
The median rose 28.4% from £22,645 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 782,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 9% since 2019; 15% are in South East.
There were 35,295 business sites in March 2026, 95 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 | £19,279 | £450.60 | £12.29 | £9,788 | £224.60 | £12.22 |
| 20th percentile | £22,762 | £490.30 | £12.60 | £14,570 | £317.60 | £12.52 |
| 25th percentile | £23,906 | £511.90 | £12.80 | £16,406 | £370.20 | £12.64 |
| 30th percentile | £24,916 | £530.20 | £12.98 | £18,396 | £412.50 | £12.80 |
| 40th percentile | £26,903 | £566.90 | £13.50 | £21,785 | £470.70 | £13.24 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £29,083 | £610.40 | £14.12 | £24,627 | £524.80 | £13.76 |
| 60th percentile | £31,455 | £659.80 | £15.11 | £27,323 | £577.10 | £14.52 |
| 70th percentile | £34,527 | £730.10 | £16.95 | £30,453 | £642.10 | £15.84 |
| 75th percentile | £37,115 | £777.10 | £18.27 | £32,229 | £689.20 | £17.00 |
| 80th percentile | £40,010 | £830.30 | £20.02 | £34,853 | £739.20 | £18.64 |
| 90th percentile | £48,669 | £1,010.00 | £24.66 | £43,541 | £913.80 | £23.49 |
| Mean | £32,120 | £688.20 | £16.66 | £26,260 | £559.20 | £16.32 |
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 | £22,645 | £459.40 | £10.97 | £18,837 | £385.80 | 798 |
| 2022 revised | £24,011 | £501.40 | £11.82 | £19,819 | £408.90 | 774 |
| 2023 revised | £25,736 | £532.60 | £12.53 | £20,919 | £442.50 | 723 |
| 2024 revised | £27,406 | £574.60 | £13.30 | £22,574 | £480.50 | 741 |
| 2025 provisional | £29,083 | £610.40 | £14.12 | £24,627 | £524.80 | 752 |
Where the 782,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 117,000 | 117,000 |
| North West | 88,000 | 88,000 |
| South West | 84,000 | 84,000 |
| East of England | 77,000 | 77,000 |
| West Midlands | 74,000 | 74,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 72,000 | 72,000 |
| London | 69,000 | 69,000 |
| Scotland | 66,000 | 66,000 |
| East Midlands | 54,000 | 54,000 |
| Wales | 45,000 | 45,000 |
| North East | 36,000 | 36,000 |
| Great Britain | 780,000 | 782,000 |
35,295 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 15,840 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 14,435 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 4,925 |
| Large (250 or more) | 95 |
| Total | 35,295 |
2021: 31,185; 2022: 31,465; 2023: 32,815; 2024: 33,715; 2025: 33,960; 2026: 35,295.
Related
Human health and social work activities · Human health activities · Social work activities without accommodation · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026