Official ONS earnings · 121 occupations compared
East of England vs Wales
Typical pay is about 3% higher in East of England, but that headline hides a lot: Wales pays more for 46 of the 121 occupations measured in both.
East of England
£33,543
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 209
- Highest paid
- £83,444
- Lowest paid
- £9,512
Wales
£32,489
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 167
- Highest paid
- £86,152
- Lowest paid
- £10,404
Where East of England pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in East of England's favour.
£44,336 in East of England · £30,404 in Wales
Groundworkers
+33.5%£43,426 in East of England · £32,531 in Wales
£60,203 in East of England · £45,942 in Wales
£54,912 in East of England · £42,497 in Wales
Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.
+29.2%£44,993 in East of England · £34,830 in Wales
£36,948 in East of England · £29,230 in Wales
Floorers and wall tilers
+25.9%£37,089 in East of England · £29,459 in Wales
Metal machining setters and setter-operators
+25.8%£35,836 in East of England · £28,496 in Wales
Where Wales pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Wales's favour.
Other nursing professionals
+41.4%£35,816 in Wales · £20,972 in East of England
Sales related occupations n.e.c.
+32%£40,049 in Wales · £27,231 in East of England
Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c.
+29.3%£35,251 in Wales · £24,926 in East of England
£45,462 in Wales · £33,382 in East of England
Metal making and treating process operatives
+26.2%£37,233 in Wales · £27,467 in East of England
Bakers and flour confectioners
+24%£27,101 in Wales · £20,594 in East of England
Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods)
+23.6%£36,804 in Wales · £28,109 in East of England
Quality assurance technicians
+19.4%£33,919 in Wales · £27,324 in East of England
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | East of England | Wales | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human resources and industrial relations officers | £32,863 | £32,820 | +0.1% |
| Sales accounts and business development managers | £52,437 | £52,223 | +0.4% |
| Data analysts | £35,643 | £35,806 | -0.5% |
| Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants | £28,123 | £28,285 | -0.6% |
| Transport and distribution clerks and assistants | £34,475 | £34,762 | -0.8% |
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 121 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.