Water collection, treatment and supply: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in water collection, treatment and supply earned a median £44,390 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £5,351 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
It ranks 25th of 84 divisions on this measure.
97% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £40,476, men £44,734.
The median rose 18.1% from £37,600 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 53,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 26% since 2019; 15% are in West Midlands.
There were 1,030 business sites in March 2026, 40 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 | £29,044 | £558.50 | £14.42 | £27,779 | £545.10 | £14.39 |
| 20th percentile | £34,169 | £656.30 | £16.86 | £33,280 | £636.50 | £16.83 |
| 25th percentile | £37,184 | £693.90 | £17.85 | £36,016 | £676.10 | £17.82 |
| 30th percentile | £38,507 | £726.80 | £18.94 | £38,031 | £714.10 | £18.77 |
| 40th percentile | £41,755 | £794.30 | £20.91 | £40,695 | £780.50 | £20.79 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £44,390 | £845.60 | £22.32 | £44,203 | £840.00 | £22.14 |
| 60th percentile | £47,349 | £923.60 | £23.81 | £47,097 | £917.30 | £23.72 |
| 70th percentile | £51,208 | £1,017.00 | £25.71 | £50,884 | £1,010.20 | £25.65 |
| 75th percentile | £53,540 | £1,056.00 | £27.75 | £53,223 | £1,048.20 | £27.58 |
| 80th percentile | £55,684 | £1,099.20 | £28.70 | £55,553 | £1,097.10 | £28.63 |
| Mean | £47,175 | £909.90 | £23.57 | £46,432 | £899.20 | £23.52 |
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 | £37,600 | £715.40 | £18.21 | £36,525 | £710.00 | 46 |
| 2022 revised | £38,177 | £744.20 | £18.64 | £37,485 | £730.70 | 65 |
| 2023 revised | £38,443 | £770.90 | £19.56 | £37,888 | £758.10 | 61 |
| 2024 revised | £42,134 | £804.80 | £20.72 | £41,546 | £801.00 | 75 |
| 2025 provisional | £44,390 | £845.60 | £22.32 | £44,203 | £840.00 | 72 |
Where the 53,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| South West | 7,000 | 7,000 |
| East of England | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| South East | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| North West | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Scotland | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| East Midlands | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| North East | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| Wales | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| London | 700 | 700 |
| Great Britain | 53,000 | 53,000 |
1,030 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 555 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 325 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 110 |
| Large (250 or more) | 40 |
| Total | 1,030 |
2021: 980; 2022: 935; 2023: 935; 2024: 1,005; 2025: 1,015; 2026: 1,030.
Related
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities · Sewerage · 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