Official ONS earnings · 145 occupations compared
South West vs West Midlands
Typical pay is about 2% higher in West Midlands, but that headline hides a lot: South West pays more for 60 of the 145 occupations measured in both.
South West
£32,163
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 195
- Highest paid
- £74,712
- Lowest paid
- £4,111
West Midlands
£32,969
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 206
- Highest paid
- £79,812
- Lowest paid
- £3,823
Where South West pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in South West's favour.
£40,846 in South West · £26,624 in West Midlands
Printers
+39.5%£32,258 in South West · £23,127 in West Midlands
Houseparents and residential wardens
+33.7%£30,317 in South West · £22,683 in West Midlands
Engineering technicians
+33.4%£48,621 in South West · £36,453 in West Midlands
£43,701 in South West · £34,710 in West Midlands
Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants
+25.9%£20,569 in South West · £16,341 in West Midlands
Bar and catering supervisors
+24%£24,588 in South West · £19,826 in West Midlands
Cleaners and domestics
+21%£11,791 in South West · £9,744 in West Midlands
Where West Midlands pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in West Midlands's favour.
£51,685 in West Midlands · £38,565 in South West
£44,172 in West Midlands · £33,928 in South West
£51,700 in West Midlands · £41,418 in South West
£41,746 in West Midlands · £33,471 in South West
Environmental health professionals
+19.5%£40,134 in West Midlands · £32,301 in South West
£18,939 in West Midlands · £15,458 in South West
Sheet metal workers
+15.8%£31,994 in West Midlands · £26,949 in South West
Local government administrative occupations
+15.6%£28,538 in West Midlands · £24,092 in South West
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | South West | West Midlands | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical secretaries | £22,045 | £22,021 | +0.1% |
| Senior care workers | £25,753 | £25,737 | +0.1% |
| Other nursing professionals | £36,503 | £36,551 | -0.1% |
| Community nurses | £30,643 | £30,574 | +0.2% |
| Production managers and directors in manufacturing | £48,113 | £48,224 | -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 145 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.