Customer service occupations n.e.c.: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time customer service occupations n.e.c. in the UK earned a median £27,848 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 29% 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 (58th from the bottom).
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £21,733; one in ten paid over £41,127.
Median full-time pay: women £27,426 a year, men £28,439 a year.
About 60% of the roughly 373,000 employee jobs are full-time.
From £22,453 in 2021, the median is up 24.0%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 283,300 people in this line of work, 14% of them in North West.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £21,733 | £460.10 | £12.42 | £8,538 | £169.50 | £12.21 |
| 20th percentile | £23,827 | £481.80 | £12.84 | £13,325 | £253.30 | £12.55 |
| 25th percentile | £24,583 | £493.40 | £13.05 | £15,623 | £294.80 | £12.63 |
| 30th percentile | £25,354 | £503.90 | £13.36 | £17,941 | £339.00 | £12.71 |
| 40th percentile | £26,378 | £523.60 | £13.90 | £21,960 | £431.20 | £13.21 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £27,848 | £548.20 | £14.51 | £24,438 | £479.20 | £13.85 |
| 60th percentile | £29,627 | £578.70 | £15.31 | £26,303 | £513.20 | £14.40 |
| 70th percentile | £31,470 | £623.90 | £16.26 | £28,401 | £550.30 | £15.40 |
| 75th percentile | £33,076 | £649.80 | £16.87 | £29,745 | £575.00 | £15.92 |
| 80th percentile | £35,108 | £684.50 | £17.86 | £31,200 | £610.70 | £16.69 |
| 90th percentile | £41,127 | £789.60 | £21.13 | £37,199 | £720.00 | £19.57 |
| Mean | £29,674 | £598.40 | £15.82 | £23,782 | £460.90 | £15.34 |
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 | £22,453 | £430.10 | £11.26 | £18,573 | £358.70 | 377 |
| 2022 revised | £23,048 | £456.10 | £12.09 | £19,301 | £378.60 | 414 |
| 2023 revised | £24,927 | £496.00 | £13.08 | £20,776 | £423.10 | 326 |
| 2024 revised | £26,704 | £530.50 | £13.92 | £22,694 | £460.50 | 353 |
| 2025 provisional | £27,848 | £548.20 | £14.51 | £24,438 | £479.20 | 373 |
Customer service occupations n.e.c. by region
UK: 283,300 (± 20,600), April 2025 to March 2026.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| North West | 38,500 | ± 7,500 |
| London | 37,500* | ± 10,000 |
| South East | 35,900* | ± 7,500 |
| East Midlands | 31,500* | ± 7,400 |
| Scotland | 25,200* | ± 5,700 |
| East of England | 23,200* | ± 6,600 |
| West Midlands | 22,900* | ± 6,300 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 19,700* | ± 5,200 |
| South West | 15,700* | ± 4,500 |
| Wales | 14,300* | ± 3,400 |
| North East | 12,100* | ± 3,400 |
| Northern Ireland | 7,000* | ± 2,700 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What customer service occupations n.e.c. do
Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of customer service occupations not elsewhere classified in minor group 721: Customer service occupations. (ONS SOC 2020, 7219)
Also covers: complaints officer, customer adviser, customer service administrator, customer service adviser, customer service assistant, customer services representative, commercial officer, complaint handler, complaints handler, consumer clerk, consumer controller, course adviser, customer advocate, emigration agent, father christmas, passport agent, reservations agent and reservations assistant (52 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Receives enquiries from potential and existing clients, discusses requirements, and recommends products or services
- Discusses pricing processes with clients, agrees payment arrangements and handles customer accounts
- Makes reservations, books tickets, organises insurance policies on behalf of customers
- Follows up clients to ensure their satisfaction with a product or service and to gain renewal of customer service agreements
- Addresses customer complaints and problems
- Informs customers of special promotions and new product launches
There are no formal academic entry requirements, although many employers expect candidates to possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically provided on-the-job, supplemented by specialist short courses.
Related
Customer service occupations (median £28,036) · Market research interviewers · Communication operators · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026