Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks in the UK earned a median £31,560 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 19% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 253rd of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £23,000; one in ten paid over £50,845.
Median full-time pay: women £30,926 a year, men £33,679 a year.
About 68% of the roughly 313,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 20.9%, from £26,106, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 378,700 people in this line of work, 18% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £23,000 | £479.10 | £12.96 | £10,000 | £215.20 | £12.76 |
| 20th percentile | £25,768 | £517.50 | £13.88 | £16,042 | £336.30 | £13.55 |
| 25th percentile | £26,802 | £536.20 | £14.31 | £19,148 | £402.50 | £14.00 |
| 30th percentile | £27,834 | £549.80 | £14.72 | £21,600 | £453.60 | £14.37 |
| 40th percentile | £29,685 | £578.00 | £15.51 | £25,000 | £506.10 | £15.18 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £31,560 | £620.90 | £16.77 | £27,743 | £546.20 | £16.35 |
| 60th percentile | £34,636 | £670.80 | £18.14 | £30,000 | £594.10 | £17.73 |
| 70th percentile | £37,858 | £741.20 | £19.93 | £33,564 | £657.70 | £19.31 |
| 75th percentile | £40,123 | £788.90 | £21.16 | £35,464 | £694.40 | £20.25 |
| 80th percentile | £43,112 | £841.40 | £22.48 | £37,979 | £748.50 | £21.90 |
| 90th percentile | £50,845 | £996.50 | £26.58 | £45,998 | £910.30 | £25.68 |
| Mean | £34,543 | £686.50 | £18.40 | £28,200 | £562.00 | £18.09 |
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 | £26,106 | £512.10 | £13.68 | £22,000 | £432.50 | 358 |
| 2022 revised | £26,892 | £534.20 | £14.27 | £23,041 | £460.00 | 314 |
| 2023 revised | £28,000 | £555.80 | £15.10 | £24,000 | £479.10 | 312 |
| 2024 revised | £30,000 | £593.00 | £15.82 | £25,901 | £511.70 | 293 |
| 2025 provisional | £31,560 | £620.90 | £16.77 | £27,743 | £546.20 | 313 |
Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks by region
UK: 378,700 (± 23,900), April 2025 to March 2026.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 66,600* | ± 13,300 |
| South East | 51,700 | ± 9,000 |
| East of England | 47,400* | ± 9,400 |
| North West | 41,300 | ± 7,800 |
| South West | 33,100 | ± 6,500 |
| West Midlands | 29,800* | ± 7,100 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 27,100* | ± 6,100 |
| East Midlands | 26,500* | ± 6,800 |
| Scotland | 20,500* | ± 5,200 |
| North East | 13,400* | ± 3,600 |
| Wales | 12,200* | ± 3,100 |
| Northern Ireland | 9,000* | ± 3,100 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks do
Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks maintain and balance records of financial transactions, oversee the operation of payroll functions and calculate hours worked, wages due and other relevant contributions and deductions. (ONS SOC 2020, 4122)
Also covers: accounts administrator, accounts assistant, accounts clerk, auditor, bookkeeper, payroll manager, account assistant, account clerk, accountancy assistant, accountancy clerk, accounting assistant, accounting supervisor, accounts associate, accounts controller, accounts inspector, accounts investigator, accounts officer and accounts supervisor (90 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Records and checks accuracy of daily financial transactions
- Prepares provisional balances and reconciles these with appropriate accounts
- Supervises payroll team and develops payroll systems and procedures
- Calculates and records hours worked, wages due, deductions and voluntary contributions
- Processes holiday, sick and maternity pay and travel and subsistence expenses
- Compiles schedules and distributes or arranges distribution of wages and salaries
There are no minimum academic requirements, although entrants typically possess GCSEs/S grades or equivalent qualifications, and maths may be required. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/SVQs in relevant areas are available, and apprenticeships may be available in some areas.
Related
Administrative occupations: finance (median £30,587) · Credit controllers · Bank and post office clerks · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026