Sewerage: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in sewerage earned a median £41,935 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £2,896 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is 34th of 84 divisions.
96% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £39,240, men £41,939.
The median rose 26.7% from £33,096 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 30,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 43% since 2019; 37% are in South East.
There were 1,815 business sites in March 2026, 5 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 | £28,120 | £522.40 | £12.86 | £24,387* | £513.70 | £13.00 |
| 20th percentile | £31,582 | £592.00 | £14.25 | £30,316 | £573.20 | £14.24 |
| 25th percentile | £33,630 | £612.90 | £14.81 | £32,709 | £605.10 | £14.80 |
| 30th percentile | £35,000 | £626.40 | £15.80 | £34,028 | £620.70 | £15.81 |
| 40th percentile | £39,150 | £694.30 | £16.53 | £38,168 | £665.00 | £16.57 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £41,935 | £759.60 | £18.01 | £41,561 | £743.00 | £18.02 |
| 60th percentile | £44,493 | £812.00 | £20.60 | £43,557 | £807.10 | £20.63 |
| 70th percentile | £51,366 | £893.60 | £22.30* | £49,848 | £883.50 | £22.37* |
| 75th percentile | £53,767* | £962.80* | £23.91* | £53,032* | £932.40* | £23.85* |
| 80th percentile | – | £1,040.50* | – | – | £1,029.90* | – |
| Mean | £44,630 | £828.20 | £20.62 | £43,375 | £810.30 | £20.59 |
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 | £33,096 | £652.80 | £15.94 | £32,219 | £639.70 | 23* |
| 2022 revised | £35,930 | £700.70 | £16.56 | £35,572 | £675.00 | 24* |
| 2023 revised | £38,962 | £751.80 | £19.45 | £37,742 | £725.00 | 23* |
| 2024 revised | £40,222 | £736.80 | £18.18 | £40,022 | £728.40 | 23 |
| 2025 provisional | £41,935 | £759.60 | £18.01 | £41,561 | £743.00 | 25 |
Where the 30,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 11,000 | 11,000 |
| South West | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| North West | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 2,250 | 2,500 |
| East of England | 2,250 | 2,250 |
| West Midlands | 1,750 | 1,750 |
| London | 1,750 | 1,750 |
| East Midlands | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Scotland | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Wales | 1,250 | 1,250 |
| North East | 350 | 350 |
| Great Britain | 29,000 | 30,000 |
1,815 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 1,335 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 375 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 95 |
| Large (250 or more) | 5 |
| Total | 1,815 |
2021: 1,550; 2022: 1,630; 2023: 1,660; 2024: 1,680; 2025: 1,730; 2026: 1,815.
Related
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities · Water collection, treatment and supply · Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026