Quality assurance and regulatory professionals: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time quality assurance and regulatory professionals in the UK earned a median £50,083 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 28% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 55th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £37,854 and £67,255.
The mean, £58,472, is 17% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £45,625 a year, men £52,987 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 148,000 employee jobs, 93% full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 18.9%, from £42,109, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 195,800 people in this line of work, 17% 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 | £30,947 | £632.30 | £16.59 | £28,810 | £580.70 | £16.50 |
| 20th percentile | £36,053 | £729.80 | £19.40 | £34,320 | £690.40 | £19.17 |
| 25th percentile | £37,854 | £766.60 | £20.44 | £36,347 | £734.50 | £20.24 |
| 30th percentile | £40,921 | £818.60 | £21.39 | £38,068 | £772.80 | £21.09 |
| 40th percentile | £45,141 | £875.80 | £23.42 | £43,333 | £860.20 | £23.32 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £50,083 | £958.20 | £25.76 | £47,969 | £933.40 | £25.39 |
| 60th percentile | £55,020 | £1,066.00 | £28.88 | £53,006 | £1,034.20 | £28.17 |
| 70th percentile | £62,258 | £1,219.70 | £32.72 | £60,502 | £1,192.90 | £31.92 |
| 75th percentile | £67,255 | £1,302.90 | £34.45 | £64,525 | £1,266.40 | £33.91 |
| 80th percentile | £71,631 | £1,367.90 | £37.43 | £71,012 | £1,341.60 | £37.14 |
| 90th percentile | – | £1,647.00* | £43.77* | – | £1,609.20* | £43.70* |
| Mean | £58,472 | £1,090.40 | £29.06 | £56,215 | £1,054.20 | £28.90 |
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 | £42,109 | £855.90 | £22.15 | £40,651 | £817.80 | 112 |
| 2022 revised | £44,126 | £862.40 | £22.46 | £40,776 | £817.50 | 104 |
| 2023 revised | £44,063 | £865.40 | £23.29 | £41,899 | £833.60 | 126 |
| 2024 revised | £48,358 | £939.30 | £25.30 | £46,608 | £905.30 | 146 |
| 2025 provisional | £50,083 | £958.20 | £25.76 | £47,969 | £933.40 | 148 |
Quality assurance and regulatory professionals by region
UK: 195,800 (± 17,200), April 2025 to March 2026. 1 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 33,700* | ± 9,400 |
| South East | 29,900* | ± 6,800 |
| North West | 23,000* | ± 5,800 |
| West Midlands | 20,700* | ± 6,000 |
| East of England | 16,200* | ± 5,500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 15,000* | ± 4,500 |
| South West | 13,900* | ± 4,200 |
| East Midlands | 13,400* | ± 4,800 |
| Scotland | 11,500* | ± 3,900 |
| Wales | 7,700* | ± 2,500 |
| North East | 6,400* | ± 2,500 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What quality assurance and regulatory professionals do
Quality assurance and regulatory professionals plan, organise, co-ordinate and direct the effective measurement monitoring and reporting on the qualitative and regulatory aspects of a specified tangible (industrial production) or non-tangible (service provision) output. (ONS SOC 2020, 2482)
Also covers: compliance manager, financial regulator, quality assurance manager, quality manager, accreditation consultant, accreditation manager, AI auditor, AI ethicist, client manager, clinical auditor, compliance consultant, compliance director, pharmacovigilance manager, pharmacovigilance officer, pharmacovigilance scientist, QA manager, QC manager and qualified person (65 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Develops and implements visual, physical, functional or other appropriate measures and tests of quality
- Analyses and reports upon the results of quality control tests to ensure that production remains within specification
- Considers the impact of legislation upon specification requirements
- Examines current operating procedures to determine how quality may be improved
- Examines operating procedures to ensure the process and the product meet regulatory standards and implements changes necessary to ensure compliance
Entry normally requires a degree or equivalent qualification with relevant experience. Off and on-the-job training is available. A variety of vocational qualifications that encompass quality assurance elements are available at up to level 4.
Related
Quality and regulatory professionals (median £47,634) · Quality control and planning engineers · Environmental health professionals · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026