Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles earned a median £36,970 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £2,069 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is 53rd of 84 divisions.
88% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £35,000, men £38,043.
The median rose 25.5% from £29,448 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 1,158,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 1% since 2019; 17% are in South East.
There were 120,125 business sites in March 2026, 385 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 | £24,656 | £498.30 | £12.69 | £19,145 | £408.50 | £12.50 |
| 20th percentile | £27,464 | £545.60 | £13.50 | £25,103 | £503.60 | £13.29 |
| 25th percentile | £28,818 | £570.30 | £14.03 | £26,573 | £527.90 | £13.77 |
| 30th percentile | £30,135 | £594.00 | £14.63 | £28,176 | £555.00 | £14.29 |
| 40th percentile | £33,422 | £649.90 | £16.03 | £31,136 | £609.70 | £15.56 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £36,970 | £717.90 | £17.73 | £34,881 | £673.00 | £17.25 |
| 60th percentile | £42,000 | £809.40 | £20.00 | £39,629 | £766.10 | £19.39 |
| 70th percentile | £48,593 | £930.70 | £23.36 | £45,902 | £881.90 | £22.62 |
| 75th percentile | £52,881 | £996.60 | £25.50 | £50,150 | £956.60 | £24.72 |
| 80th percentile | £59,036 | £1,105.30 | £28.17 | £55,511 | £1,040.90 | £27.24 |
| 90th percentile | £80,030 | £1,452.50 | £38.00 | £75,692 | £1,379.90 | £36.92 |
| Mean | £47,489 | £881.60 | £22.14 | £44,000 | £815.00 | £21.83 |
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 | £29,448 | £571.40 | £14.00 | £27,557 | £533.10 | 1,130 |
| 2022 revised | £31,605 | £597.90 | £14.59 | £29,548 | £564.60 | 1,064 |
| 2023 revised | £33,463 | £648.10 | £16.03 | £31,453 | £608.00 | 1,061 |
| 2024 revised | £35,759 | £698.00 | £17.27 | £33,838 | £658.70 | 1,076 |
| 2025 provisional | £36,970 | £717.90 | £17.73 | £34,881 | £673.00 | 1,037 |
Where the 1,158,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 191,000 | 192,000 |
| London | 170,000 | 171,000 |
| North West | 134,000 | 135,000 |
| West Midlands | 131,000 | 134,000 |
| East of England | 123,000 | 124,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 105,000 | 106,000 |
| East Midlands | 94,000 | 95,000 |
| South West | 71,000 | 73,000 |
| Scotland | 68,000 | 69,000 |
| Wales | 34,000 | 34,000 |
| North East | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Great Britain | 1,145,000 | 1,158,000 |
120,125 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 95,565 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 20,820 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 3,350 |
| Large (250 or more) | 385 |
| Total | 120,125 |
2021: 126,120; 2022: 127,650; 2023: 123,485; 2024: 121,355; 2025: 120,365; 2026: 120,125.
Related
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles · Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles · Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026