Official ONS earnings · 160 occupations compared
South East vs South West
Typical pay is about 8% higher in South East, but that headline hides a lot: South West pays more for 54 of the 160 occupations measured in both.
South East
£34,801
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 237
- Highest paid
- £95,391
- Lowest paid
- £3,432
South West
£32,163
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 195
- Highest paid
- £74,712
- Lowest paid
- £4,111
Where South East pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in South East's favour.
Steel erectors
+67.8%£44,819 in South East · £26,702 in South West
Horticultural trades
+50.9%£26,152 in South East · £17,334 in South West
£47,737 in South East · £33,471 in South West
Quality control and planning engineers
+40.4%£51,647 in South East · £36,790 in South West
£55,001 in South East · £40,583 in South West
Welding trades
+34.3%£39,122 in South East · £29,134 in South West
Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.
+33.1%£44,778 in South East · £33,642 in South West
£46,945 in South East · £35,787 in South West
Where South West pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in South West's favour.
Engineering technicians
+22%£48,621 in South West · £37,906 in South East
Bar and catering supervisors
+21.3%£24,588 in South West · £19,357 in South East
£46,738 in South West · £37,639 in South East
£45,582 in South West · £36,909 in South East
Retail cashiers and check-out operators
+18.8%£13,203 in South West · £10,726 in South East
Paper and wood machine operatives
+18.6%£31,862 in South West · £25,929 in South East
Boat and ship builders and repairers
+17.3%£32,720 in South West · £27,046 in South East
£40,846 in South West · £33,998 in South East
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | South East | South West | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refuse and salvage occupations | £26,366 | £26,375 | -0% |
| Clergy | £30,655 | £30,638 | +0.1% |
| Newspaper and periodical editors | £37,025 | £36,979 | +0.1% |
| Secondary education teaching professionals | £42,600 | £42,660 | -0.1% |
| Large goods vehicle drivers | £39,535 | £39,568 | -0.1% |
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 160 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.