Official ONS earnings · 149 occupations compared
East Midlands vs West Midlands
Typical pay is about 4% higher in West Midlands, but that headline hides a lot: East Midlands pays more for 59 of the 149 occupations measured in both.
East Midlands
£31,587
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 201
- Highest paid
- £76,175
- Lowest paid
- £4,030
West Midlands
£32,969
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 206
- Highest paid
- £79,812
- Lowest paid
- £3,823
Where East Midlands pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in East Midlands's favour.
Early education and childcare services managers
+34.1%£33,201 in East Midlands · £24,759 in West Midlands
Production, factory and assembly supervisors
+29%£39,777 in East Midlands · £30,839 in West Midlands
Telephone salespersons
+24.7%£31,685 in East Midlands · £25,409 in West Midlands
Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants
+22.9%£20,077 in East Midlands · £16,341 in West Midlands
Inspectors of standards and regulations
+22%£39,566 in East Midlands · £32,432 in West Midlands
Kitchen and catering assistants
+19.5%£13,303 in East Midlands · £11,135 in West Midlands
Sales supervisors - retail and wholesale
+18.4%£26,765 in East Midlands · £22,610 in West Midlands
Customer service supervisors
+15.8%£34,418 in East Midlands · £29,715 in West Midlands
Where West Midlands pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in West Midlands's favour.
Managers and directors in the creative industries
+48.8%£66,195 in West Midlands · £33,914 in East Midlands
£44,172 in West Midlands · £30,950 in East Midlands
£39,852 in West Midlands · £29,802 in East Midlands
Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists
+24.5%£30,175 in West Midlands · £22,797 in East Midlands
Routine inspectors and testers
+23.2%£37,589 in West Midlands · £28,854 in East Midlands
£41,746 in West Midlands · £32,677 in East Midlands
Higher level teaching assistants
+20.7%£21,759 in West Midlands · £17,257 in East Midlands
Other health professionals n.e.c.
+20.3%£42,065 in West Midlands · £33,517 in East Midlands
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | East Midlands | West Midlands | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human resources and industrial relations officers | £32,889 | £32,891 | -0% |
| Sales administrators | £25,214 | £25,165 | +0.2% |
| Managers and directors in retail and wholesale | £37,012 | £37,082 | -0.2% |
| Police officers (sergeant and below) | £47,228 | £47,320 | -0.2% |
| Electricians and electrical fitters | £39,842 | £39,921 | -0.2% |
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 149 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.