Water transport: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in water transport earned a median £45,083 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £6,044 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
It ranks 24th of 84 divisions on this measure.
85% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time weekly medians: women £801.50, men £940.00.
The median rose 21.0% from £37,269 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 15,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 7% since 2019; 33% are in South East.
There were 1,585 business sites in March 2026, nearly all (83%) with fewer than 10 staff (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 | – | £514.80 | – | – | – | £12.54 |
| 20th percentile | £29,364 | £580.20 | £14.88 | £22,283* | £452.10* | £14.16 |
| 25th percentile | £29,983* | £619.60 | £16.09 | £24,627* | £503.80* | £14.59 |
| 30th percentile | £33,990* | £628.10 | £16.62 | £26,652* | £545.40 | £15.84 |
| 40th percentile | £39,442* | £747.10* | £19.04* | £29,841* | £622.50* | £17.13 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £45,083* | £889.60* | £22.74* | £36,381* | £725.00* | £19.10* |
| 60th percentile | £53,414* | £997.70* | £24.74* | £45,011* | £890.60* | £22.85* |
| Mean | £67,706* | £1,130.30 | £29.63* | £56,213* | £969.50 | £27.93 |
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 | £37,269* | £747.10* | £18.67* | £35,595* | £685.80* | 16* |
| 2022 revised | £40,751* | £732.10* | £18.65* | – | £636.90* | 12* |
| 2023 revised | £42,053* | £846.30* | £21.63 | £36,859* | £784.00* | 17* |
| 2024 revised | £40,692* | £790.30 | £19.19* | £36,329* | £722.50 | 13* |
| 2025 provisional | £45,083* | £889.60* | £22.74* | £36,381* | £725.00* | 13* |
Where the 15,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Scotland | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| London | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| North West | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| East of England | 900 | 900 |
| South West | 700 | 700 |
| Wales | 500 | 500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 300 | 300 |
| North East | 0 | 0 |
| East Midlands | 0 | 0 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 0 |
| Great Britain | 14,000 | 15,000 |
1,585 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 1,320 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 205 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 50 |
| Large (250 or more) | 10 |
| Total | 1,585 |
2021: 1,485; 2022: 1,485; 2023: 1,475; 2024: 1,505; 2025: 1,595; 2026: 1,585.
Related
Transportation and storage · Land transport and transport via pipelines · Air transport · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026