Low and high pay in the UK 2025

24th October 2025

The proportion of low-paid employee jobs fell to 2.5% in April 2025 from 3.4% in 2024, the lowest since the series began in 1997, while the proportion of high-paid employee jobs increased to 23.2% in April 2025.

Average hourly pay (excluding overtime) for employee jobs in April 2025 increased for all earnings deciles year-on-year; for full-time employee jobs, pay has increased most in the top and bottom deciles.

The lowest-earning employees are aged between 16 and 21 years, and are concentrated in elementary occupations and the hospitality industry.

The highest-earning employees are aged between 40 and 54 years, and are concentrated in managerial and professional occupations, and in information and communication and finance and insurance service industries.

The number of jobs paid below the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage is estimated to be 447,000, or 1.6% of the total, although this is an estimate and not a measure of non-compliance.

Low- and high-paid employee jobs
In April 2025, 2.5% of all employee jobs were low-paid, that is, were paid less than £11.97 (two-thirds of median hourly pay, which was £17.96). This was the lowest proportion of low-paid employee jobs since the data series began in 1997.

The proportion of high-paid employee jobs - those paid more than £26.94 (1.5 times the median hourly pay) - increased to 23.2% in April 2025, returning closer to its April 2023 proportion (23.4%).

Read the full ONS report HERE