Official ONS earnings · 147 occupations compared
North West vs South West
Typical pay is about 4% higher in North West, but that headline hides a lot: South West pays more for 62 of the 147 occupations measured in both.
North West
£33,462
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 226
- Highest paid
- £83,567
- Lowest paid
- £4,511
South West
£32,163
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 195
- Highest paid
- £74,712
- Lowest paid
- £4,111
Where North West pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in North West's favour.
£49,824 in North West · £29,922 in South West
Welding trades
+33.4%£38,865 in North West · £29,134 in South West
Security system installers and repairers
+31.4%£41,597 in North West · £31,652 in South West
Kitchen and catering assistants
+26.2%£11,872 in North West · £9,411 in South West
£19,258 in North West · £15,458 in South West
Interior designers
+23.4%£37,803 in North West · £30,624 in South West
£49,821 in North West · £40,583 in South West
£38,695 in North West · £31,512 in South West
Where South West pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in South West's favour.
Health care practice managers
+36.8%£54,592 in South West · £34,522 in North West
£73,291 in South West · £51,954 in North West
Road construction operatives
+28.7%£44,133 in South West · £31,450 in North West
£40,846 in South West · £29,736 in North West
Groundworkers
+25.4%£38,140 in South West · £28,452 in North West
Routine inspectors and testers
+24.1%£38,119 in South West · £28,945 in North West
£66,327 in South West · £50,526 in North West
Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants
+23.5%£20,569 in South West · £15,730 in North West
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | North West | South West | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production managers and directors in manufacturing | £48,198 | £48,113 | +0.2% |
| Other nursing professionals | £36,591 | £36,503 | +0.2% |
| Medical radiographers | £46,652 | £46,738 | -0.2% |
| Data analysts | £33,871 | £33,928 | -0.2% |
| Butchers | £28,711 | £28,761 | -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 147 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.