Official ONS earnings · 160 occupations compared
East Midlands vs South East
Typical pay is about 9% higher in South East, but that headline hides a lot: East Midlands pays more for 42 of the 160 occupations measured in both.
East Midlands
£31,587
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 201
- Highest paid
- £76,175
- Lowest paid
- £4,030
South East
£34,801
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 237
- Highest paid
- £95,391
- Lowest paid
- £3,432
Where East Midlands pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in East Midlands's favour.
Protective service associate professionals n.e.c.
+33.8%£48,099 in East Midlands · £35,958 in South East
Travel agents
+33.8%£35,068 in East Midlands · £26,213 in South East
Other skilled trades n.e.c.
+33%£29,391 in East Midlands · £22,091 in South East
Production, factory and assembly supervisors
+29.7%£39,777 in East Midlands · £30,664 in South East
Telephone salespersons
+24.6%£31,685 in East Midlands · £25,429 in South East
Buyers and procurement officers
+23.7%£41,631 in East Midlands · £33,652 in South East
Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers
+21%£35,084 in East Midlands · £28,987 in South East
Tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters
+19.7%£34,820 in East Midlands · £29,101 in South East
Where South East pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in South East's favour.
Metal making and treating process operatives
+33.7%£38,818 in South East · £25,747 in East Midlands
£47,737 in South East · £32,677 in East Midlands
£55,001 in South East · £38,181 in East Midlands
Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.
+28.4%£44,778 in South East · £32,049 in East Midlands
£63,289 in South East · £45,493 in East Midlands
£67,902 in South East · £49,892 in East Midlands
£50,719 in South East · £38,033 in East Midlands
£95,391 in South East · £71,620 in East Midlands
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | East Midlands | South East | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal working production and maintenance fitters | £40,852 | £40,839 | 0% |
| Human resources administrative occupations | £23,848 | £23,817 | +0.1% |
| Biochemists and biomedical scientists | £42,502 | £42,777 | -0.6% |
| Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants | £20,077 | £20,207 | -0.6% |
| Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c. | £25,769 | £25,592 | +0.7% |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional), Table 15. Comparison covers the 160 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.