Social work activities without accommodation: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in social work activities without accommodation earned a median £29,383 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £9,656 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is in the lowest third of 84 divisions.
Part-time work is common: only 58% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £28,502, men £32,129.
The median rose 24.4% from £23,617 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 935,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 2% since 2019; 16% are in London.
There were 55,850 business sites in March 2026, 275 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 | £19,875 | £450.40 | £12.41 | £8,634 | £177.60 | £12.26 |
| 20th percentile | £23,082 | £486.80 | £12.80 | £12,738 | £267.10 | £12.60 |
| 25th percentile | £24,117 | £502.10 | £13.02 | £14,590 | £308.20 | £12.77 |
| 30th percentile | £25,172 | £518.20 | £13.29 | £16,304 | £354.40 | £13.00 |
| 40th percentile | £27,148 | £556.40 | £14.05 | £20,190 | £434.50 | £13.61 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £29,383 | £596.00 | £15.00 | £23,563 | £488.40 | £14.37 |
| 60th percentile | £31,931 | £657.60 | £16.24 | £26,395 | £538.30 | £15.35 |
| 70th percentile | £35,235 | £727.10 | £18.14 | £29,587 | £604.00 | £16.91 |
| 75th percentile | £37,236 | £768.00 | £19.49 | £31,719 | £651.60 | £17.96 |
| 80th percentile | £39,990 | £811.00 | £21.00 | £34,146 | £705.90 | £19.48 |
| 90th percentile | £47,837 | £974.50 | £25.68 | £41,737 | £850.40 | £24.22 |
| Mean | £32,577 | £675.60 | £17.35 | £25,052 | £513.60 | £16.87 |
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 | £23,617 | £473.70 | £12.03 | £17,622 | £363.40 | 798 |
| 2022 revised | £24,731 | £503.30 | £12.78 | £18,883 | £396.60 | 706 |
| 2023 revised | £26,760 | £539.30 | £13.87 | £20,869 | £427.20 | 736 |
| 2024 revised | £27,847 | £567.40 | £14.38 | £22,384 | £463.30 | 741 |
| 2025 provisional | £29,383 | £596.00 | £15.00 | £23,563 | £488.40 | 782 |
Where the 935,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| London | 150,000 | 150,000 |
| South East | 124,000 | 125,000 |
| North West | 102,000 | 102,000 |
| Scotland | 99,000 | 99,000 |
| West Midlands | 86,000 | 86,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 83,000 | 83,000 |
| East of England | 70,000 | 70,000 |
| South West | 69,000 | 70,000 |
| East Midlands | 60,000 | 61,000 |
| Wales | 49,000 | 49,000 |
| North East | 39,000 | 39,000 |
| Great Britain | 930,000 | 935,000 |
55,850 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 31,880 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 20,375 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 3,320 |
| Large (250 or more) | 275 |
| Total | 55,850 |
2021: 57,375; 2022: 57,025; 2023: 56,560; 2024: 56,420; 2025: 55,925; 2026: 55,850.
Related
Human health and social work activities · Residential care activities · Human health activities · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026