Public services associate professionals: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time public services associate professionals in the UK earned a median £39,537 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): almost exactly the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 140th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £34,538 and £46,806.
Median full-time pay: women £38,910 a year, men £40,005 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 94,000 employee jobs, 86% full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 13.9%, from £34,716, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 127,500 people in this line of work, 15% 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 | £29,132 | £576.00 | £15.36 | £24,962 | £469.40 | £14.93 |
| 20th percentile | £32,910 | £641.00 | £17.04 | £29,982 | £576.10 | £16.86 |
| 25th percentile | £34,538 | £669.20 | £17.95 | £31,419 | £608.20 | £17.82 |
| 30th percentile | £36,230 | £692.20 | £18.65 | £33,669 | £646.90 | £18.47 |
| 40th percentile | £38,076 | £721.60 | £19.55 | £36,968 | £699.20 | £19.43 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £39,537 | £767.00 | £20.58 | £38,454 | £727.90 | £20.47 |
| 60th percentile | £42,465 | £808.70 | £21.78 | £41,321 | £794.50 | £21.72 |
| 70th percentile | £44,844 | £867.90 | £23.21 | £43,986 | £845.10 | £23.21 |
| 75th percentile | £46,806 | £879.00 | £23.82 | £45,158 | £869.10 | £23.74 |
| 80th percentile | £48,366 | £915.80 | £24.66 | £47,662 | £890.00 | £24.43 |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | – | £1,004.00 | £27.16 |
| Mean | £41,016 | £792.20 | £21.23 | £38,777 | £743.60 | £21.11 |
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 | £34,716 | £664.90 | £17.61 | £33,822 | £638.20 | 119 |
| 2022 revised | £35,455 | £683.90 | £18.19 | £34,430 | £664.60 | 99 |
| 2023 revised | £38,510 | £737.10 | £19.27 | £36,494 | £697.40 | 109 |
| 2024 revised | £39,352 | £762.00 | £20.50 | £37,256 | £719.90 | 105 |
| 2025 provisional | £39,537 | £767.00 | £20.58 | £38,454 | £727.90 | 94 |
Public services associate professionals by region
UK: 127,500 (± 13,900), April 2025 to March 2026. 5 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 19,100* | ± 7,100 |
| North West | 17,300* | ± 5,000 |
| South East | 15,300* | ± 4,900 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 12,000* | ± 4,000 |
| Scotland | 11,100* | ± 3,800 |
| South West | 9,600* | ± 3,500 |
| Wales | 5,800* | ± 2,200 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What public services associate professionals do
Public services associate professionals supervise, manage and undertake general administrative work in national and local government departments, organise the activities of local offices of national government departments, and promote the image and understanding of an organisation and its products and services to consumers and other specified audiences. (ONS SOC 2020, 3560)
Also covers: civil servant (HEO, SEO), higher executive officer (government), principle revenue officer (local government), senior executive officer (government), team leader (local government), agricultural officer, appointments officer, area officer, band 3, band 3a, band 3b, band 3c, band 4, band d, band e, bed manager, branch manager and care coordinator (115 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Manages the activities of government office staff, assigns tasks and responsibilities and makes changes in procedures to deal with variations in workload
- Assists senior government officers with policy work, external liaison or general administrative work
- Supervises a variety of administrative functions in government departments such as recruitment and training, the negotiation and arrangement of contracts, building and capital management, monitoring and authorising department expenditure etc.
- Organises resources for the acceptance and recording of vacancy details, the selection of suitable applicants and other Job Centre activities
- Authorises the payment of social security benefits, assesses the financial circumstances of claimants and investigates any state insurance contribution problems
- Undertakes supervisory duties specific to the operation of Revenue and Customs offices, Job Centres, Benefits Agency offices and other local offices of national government
Although there are no formal academic entry requirements, entrants typically possess A levels/H grades or an equivalent qualification, and many entrants possess a degree. Entry may be possible by promotion from clerical grades for those with suitable experience. Training is typically provided on-the-job, supplemented by specialised courses. Professional qualifications are available in some areas.
Related
Public services associate professionals (median £39,537) · Events managers and organisers · Sales accounts and business development managers · salary percentile · UK real pay growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026