Official ONS earnings · 101 occupations compared
North East vs Wales
Typical pay is about 5% higher in Wales, but that headline hides a lot: North East pays more for 53 of the 101 occupations measured in both.
North East
£30,758
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 142
- Highest paid
- £72,472
- Lowest paid
- £10,408
Wales
£32,489
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 167
- Highest paid
- £86,152
- Lowest paid
- £10,404
Where North East pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in North East's favour.
Research and development (R&D) managers
+38.3%£60,883 in North East · £44,036 in Wales
Debt, rent and other cash collectors
+32.1%£31,744 in North East · £24,029 in Wales
Nurse practitioners
+31.9%£41,201 in North East · £31,244 in Wales
Specialist nurses
+24.3%£48,666 in North East · £39,155 in Wales
Routine inspectors and testers
+19.2%£35,220 in North East · £29,550 in Wales
£54,629 in North East · £45,970 in Wales
Metal machining setters and setter-operators
+18.8%£33,847 in North East · £28,496 in Wales
£54,279 in North East · £45,942 in Wales
Where Wales pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Wales's favour.
Transport and distribution clerks and assistants
+29.9%£34,762 in Wales · £24,367 in North East
Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers
+22.2%£31,708 in Wales · £24,680 in North East
Metal working machine operatives
+22%£31,546 in Wales · £24,610 in North East
Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers
+21.6%£30,254 in Wales · £23,731 in North East
Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.
+21.6%£34,830 in Wales · £27,300 in North East
£32,303 in Wales · £25,946 in North East
Housing officers
+19.2%£31,814 in Wales · £25,709 in North East
£53,752 in Wales · £43,588 in North East
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | North East | Wales | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen and catering assistants | £10,408 | £10,404 | 0% |
| Social workers | £42,179 | £42,029 | +0.4% |
| Telecoms and related network installers and repairers | £39,644 | £39,806 | -0.4% |
| IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | £49,429 | £49,827 | -0.8% |
| Large goods vehicle drivers | £37,083 | £37,476 | -1% |
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 101 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.