Caretakers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time caretakers in the UK earned a median £28,950 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 26% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (86th from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £25,678 and £32,942.
Median full-time pay: women £26,396 a year, men £29,176 a year.
About 60% of the roughly 72,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 28.2% (from £22,579), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 53,500 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 | £23,022 | £471.60 | £12.76 | – | £131.40 | £12.38 |
| 20th percentile | £25,177 | £498.10 | £13.25 | – | £230.00 | £12.75 |
| 25th percentile | £25,678 | £513.30 | £13.50 | £14,153* | £284.60 | £13.00 |
| 30th percentile | £26,031 | £522.60 | £13.82 | £16,210* | £321.00 | £13.10 |
| 40th percentile | £27,269 | £543.60 | £14.22 | £21,803* | £437.30 | £13.68 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £28,950 | £565.30 | £14.80 | £25,147 | £494.20 | £14.12 |
| 60th percentile | £30,066 | £588.70 | £15.32 | £26,670 | £527.30 | £14.74 |
| 70th percentile | £32,055 | £622.10 | £16.26 | £29,022 | £565.30 | £15.36 |
| 75th percentile | £32,942 | £646.00 | £16.33 | £30,040 | £585.30 | £15.85 |
| 80th percentile | £34,557 | £663.90 | £17.02 | £31,527 | £604.30 | £16.33 |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | – | £680.40* | £17.85* |
| Mean | £30,403 | £600.00 | £15.52 | £23,313 | £452.80 | £15.19 |
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 | £22,579 | £443.80 | £11.48 | £19,601 | £377.50 | 66 |
| 2022 revised | £23,491 | £463.70 | £11.83 | £20,322 | £395.40 | 79 |
| 2023 revised | £25,055 | £492.10 | £12.51 | £22,156 | £421.20 | 68 |
| 2024 revised | £27,120 | £526.90 | £13.78 | £24,008 | £465.70 | 68 |
| 2025 provisional | £28,950 | £565.30 | £14.80 | £25,147 | £494.20 | 72 |
Caretakers by region
UK: 53,500 (± 9,000), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What caretakers do
Caretakers supervise and undertake the care and maintenance of church, school, office and other buildings, their facilities, fixtures and contents. (ONS SOC 2020, 6232)
Also covers: caretaker, concierge, janitor, porter (educational establishments), school premises manager, site manager (educational establishments), barrack warden, building attendant, building superintendent, camp warden, caretaker (cemetery), caretaker's assistant, castle custodian, castle warden, cemetery keeper, chapel keeper, church keeper and college porter (53 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Locks and unlocks doors and entrances at appropriate times
- Supervises and/or undertakes the cleaning and maintenance of premises
- Controls heating, lighting and security systems
- Undertakes minor repairs and notifies owner of need for major repairs
- Checks fire and safety equipment for adequate functioning
No academic qualifications are required. Previous relevant experience may be needed, and training is provided in some areas. Background checks will be required for those whose job brings them into contact with children or vulnerable adults.
Related
Housekeeping and related services (median £27,504) · Housekeepers and related occupations · Cleaning and housekeeping managers and supervisors · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026