Official ONS earnings · 99 occupations compared
North East vs South West
Typical pay is about 4% higher in South West, but that headline hides a lot: North East pays more for 49 of the 99 occupations measured in both.
North East
£30,758
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 142
- Highest paid
- £72,472
- Lowest paid
- £10,408
South West
£32,163
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 195
- Highest paid
- £74,712
- Lowest paid
- £4,111
Where North East pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in North East's favour.
£20,256 in North East · £15,458 in South West
Specialist nurses
+24.1%£48,666 in North East · £39,217 in South West
£55,195 in North East · £45,582 in South West
Painters and decorators
+21.1%£32,520 in North East · £26,843 in South West
Early education and childcare practitioners
+19.9%£21,371 in North East · £17,817 in South West
Metal working production and maintenance fitters
+18.6%£40,246 in North East · £33,932 in South West
Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c.
+16.8%£26,868 in North East · £23,012 in South West
£54,629 in North East · £47,276 in South West
Where South West pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in South West's favour.
Transport and distribution clerks and assistants
+29.7%£34,648 in South West · £24,367 in North East
£55,472 in South West · £39,722 in North East
£44,600 in South West · £32,157 in North East
£66,327 in South West · £49,429 in North East
Business and related research professionals
+20.6%£42,422 in South West · £33,678 in North East
Housing officers
+20.2%£32,234 in South West · £25,709 in North East
Project support officers
+19.1%£30,577 in South West · £24,743 in North East
Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.
+18.9%£33,642 in South West · £27,300 in North East
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | North East | South West | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality control and planning engineers | £36,813 | £36,790 | +0.1% |
| Other nursing professionals | £36,385 | £36,503 | -0.3% |
| Bus and coach drivers | £31,248 | £31,329 | -0.3% |
| Police officers (sergeant and below) | £48,045 | £47,712 | +0.7% |
| Planning, process and production technicians | £34,830 | £35,096 | -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 99 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.