Business and related research professionals: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time business and related research professionals in the UK earned a median £41,128 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £2,089 above the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That ranks 125th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £34,995 and £49,985.
The mean, £47,328, is 15% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £38,797 a year, men £44,787 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 123,000 employee jobs, 85% full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 16.3%, from £35,353, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 62,500 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £28,891 | £564.60 | £15.14 | £23,337 | £455.90 | £15.14 |
| 20th percentile | £33,679 | £658.70 | £17.88 | £29,669 | £562.30 | £17.78 |
| 25th percentile | £34,995 | £677.50 | £18.47 | £32,028 | £613.30 | £18.23 |
| 30th percentile | £36,333 | £694.20 | £19.14 | £33,988 | £659.80 | £18.88 |
| 40th percentile | £38,948 | £751.40 | £20.36 | £37,097 | £703.70 | £20.24 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £41,128 | £798.60 | £21.72 | £39,941 | £760.00 | £21.46 |
| 60th percentile | £44,871 | £864.90 | £23.47 | £43,129 | £821.80 | £23.30 |
| 70th percentile | £47,397 | £898.60 | £25.02 | £46,023 | £874.40 | £24.66 |
| 75th percentile | £49,985 | £949.80 | £26.37 | £48,216 | £912.10 | £25.83 |
| 80th percentile | £53,567 | £1,008.30 | £27.49 | £51,494 | £976.80 | £27.13 |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | – | £1,149.90* | – |
| Mean | £47,328 | £868.30 | £23.67 | £44,154 | £801.40 | £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 | £35,353 | £707.50 | £19.06 | £34,138 | £667.00 | 127 |
| 2022 revised | £35,854 | £697.30 | £19.05 | £34,320 | £677.00 | 107 |
| 2023 revised | £36,810 | £739.50 | £20.41 | £35,712 | £709.10 | 110 |
| 2024 revised | £38,823 | £737.30 | £20.31 | £37,697 | £711.00 | 109 |
| 2025 provisional | £41,128 | £798.60 | £21.72 | £39,941 | £760.00 | 123 |
Business and related research professionals by region
UK: 62,500 (± 9,700), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What business and related research professionals do
Business and related research professionals carry out a variety of research activities for the broadcast and print media, for the police and armed forces intelligence services, for national security agencies and in other non-scientific areas. (ONS SOC 2020, 2434)
Also covers: crime analyst, fellow (research), games researcher (broadcasting), inventor, digital marketing analyst, market research analyst, social media analyst, forensic practitioner, games researcher, intelligence analyst, intelligence officer, intelligence researcher, picture researcher, R&d technician, research assistant, research associate, research executive and research officer (36 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Liaises with production team to generate and develop ideas for film, television and radio programmes
- Research sources for accurate factual material, finds suitable contributors to programmes or print features and deals with any copyright issues
- Briefs presenters, scriptwriters or journalists as required via verbal or written reports
- Provides administrative support for programme development such as booking facilities
- Provides support to criminal intelligence or to military or other security operations by gathering and verifying intelligence data and sources
- Presents findings in the required format, via written reports or presentations
Entrants usually possess a degree or equivalent qualification. Training is usually provided on-the-job, or support may be given for postgraduate study. Professional qualifications are available in some areas.
Related
Business, research and administrative professionals (median £51,125) · Actuaries, economists and statisticians · Professional/chartered company secretaries · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026