Official ONS earnings · 130 occupations compared
North West vs Wales
Typical pay is about 3% higher in North West, but that headline hides a lot: Wales pays more for 54 of the 130 occupations measured in both.
North West
£33,462
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 226
- Highest paid
- £83,567
- Lowest paid
- £4,511
Wales
£32,489
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 167
- Highest paid
- £86,152
- Lowest paid
- £10,404
Where North West pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in North West's favour.
£40,417 in North West · £30,404 in Wales
Nurse practitioners
+31.7%£41,159 in North West · £31,244 in Wales
£34,271 in North West · £27,258 in Wales
Water and sewerage plant operatives
+23.4%£37,534 in North West · £30,413 in Wales
£56,622 in North West · £45,970 in Wales
Quality assurance and regulatory professionals
+22.2%£50,263 in North West · £41,117 in Wales
Debt, rent and other cash collectors
+19.7%£28,764 in North West · £24,029 in Wales
£55,767 in North West · £46,626 in Wales
Where Wales pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Wales's favour.
Sales related occupations n.e.c.
+33.8%£40,049 in Wales · £26,519 in North West
Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods)
+27.3%£36,804 in Wales · £26,746 in North West
Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c.
+25.1%£35,251 in Wales · £26,404 in North West
Metal making and treating process operatives
+23%£37,233 in Wales · £28,685 in North West
Tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters
+21.5%£35,085 in Wales · £27,545 in North West
Mental health nurses
+19.1%£35,719 in Wales · £28,913 in North West
Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers
+18.6%£30,254 in Wales · £24,641 in North West
Caretakers
+16.7%£23,965 in Wales · £19,962 in North West
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | North West | Wales | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production and process engineers | £47,043 | £47,056 | -0% |
| Delivery drivers and couriers | £24,096 | £24,126 | -0.1% |
| Sales accounts and business development managers | £52,074 | £52,223 | -0.3% |
| Large goods vehicle drivers | £37,616 | £37,476 | +0.4% |
| Production managers and directors in manufacturing | £48,198 | £47,944 | +0.5% |
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 130 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.