Understanding pay data
What the numbers actually mean, and where they mislead.
Train Drivers Earn £76,327. Architects Earn £47,143.
A job requiring no degree outpays medicine, engineering and architecture. What the ONS figures say about the graduate premium, and where the comparison is unfair.
The 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in the UK, According to PAYE Records
Pilots, IT directors, marketing directors and consultants top the ONS table. Train drivers are the only non-managerial job in it. The ten best-paid occupations, ranked on precise official medians.
Software Engineer Salary UK: £55,587 Median, and a 3.3x Spread
ONS puts the median UK software engineer salary at £55,587, with the top 10% above £101,172 and London 34% ahead of the country. The full breakdown by region, gender and IT role.
London Pays 64% More. Unless You Work in Care.
The London premium runs from +64% to below zero depending on the job. For care workers — 54,000 of them in the capital — London pays less than the UK median.
A Retail Job Pays £14,491. Or £25,056. The Difference Is Hours.
ONS publishes two very different salaries for the same job, and both are correct. The gap is almost entirely hours worked, not the rate paid for them — and it distorts the figures for the largest occupations in the country.
The UK Gender Pay Gap Is 6.9%. And 27.6%. Both Are Right.
The same ONS survey produces four different gender pay gap figures, from 2.9% in women's favour to 27.6% against. Here is what each one measures, and which to use.