Official ONS earnings · 121 occupations compared
South West vs Wales
Typical pay is about 1% higher in Wales, but that headline hides a lot: South West pays more for 63 of the 121 occupations measured in both.
South West
£32,163
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 195
- Highest paid
- £74,712
- Lowest paid
- £4,111
Wales
£32,489
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 167
- Highest paid
- £86,152
- Lowest paid
- £10,404
Where South West pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in South West's favour.
£44,600 in South West · £30,404 in Wales
Research and development (R&D) managers
+34.7%£59,333 in South West · £44,036 in Wales
Nurse practitioners
+34.7%£42,091 in South West · £31,244 in Wales
Water and sewerage plant operatives
+34.7%£40,975 in South West · £30,413 in Wales
£55,472 in South West · £41,581 in Wales
£66,327 in South West · £49,827 in Wales
Metal machining setters and setter-operators
+29.6%£36,938 in South West · £28,496 in Wales
Routine inspectors and testers
+29%£38,119 in South West · £29,550 in Wales
Where Wales pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Wales's favour.
Advertising accounts managers and creative directors
+31%£43,144 in Wales · £29,762 in South West
Sales related occupations n.e.c.
+26.3%£40,049 in Wales · £29,516 in South West
Production, factory and assembly supervisors
+21.8%£38,701 in Wales · £30,281 in South West
£45,462 in Wales · £35,787 in South West
Welding trades
+19.8%£36,339 in Wales · £29,134 in South West
Youth and community workers
+19.3%£30,564 in Wales · £24,657 in South West
Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers
+18.9%£30,254 in Wales · £24,538 in South West
Primary education teaching professionals
+18.3%£46,291 in Wales · £37,841 in South West
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | South West | Wales | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist nurses | £39,217 | £39,155 | +0.2% |
| Engineering professionals n.e.c. | £42,883 | £42,989 | -0.2% |
| Business and financial project management professionals | £53,765 | £53,924 | -0.3% |
| Transport and distribution clerks and assistants | £34,648 | £34,762 | -0.3% |
| Production managers and directors in manufacturing | £48,113 | £47,944 | +0.4% |
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 121 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.