Care Worker Salary in South West
Official ONS earnings for South West, covering 55,000 jobs.
Median salary — South West
£23,726
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 9.1% change on the previous year
Mean
£23,398
Jobs measured
55,000
What a typical care worker takes home
On the median of £23,726, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,717
Take-home a year
£20,602
Income Tax
£2,231
National Insurance
£892
What most care workers actually earn
Half of care workers in South West earn between £16,135 and £30,728. Earning above £30,728 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Caring Personal Services” group in South West.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of care workers earn less than this.
How South West ranks for care worker pay
3rd
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
Wales tops the table on £25,201 and West Midlands sits at the bottom on £21,910. South West is £1,475 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Care workers and home carers
- SOC 2020 code
- 6135
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Care Worker salary FAQs
What is the average Care Worker salary in South West?
The median is £23,726 a year and the mean is £23,398, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a care worker earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £14.04 excluding overtime, or £13.98 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for South West.
What is a good Care Worker salary?
Half of care workers earn between £16,135 and £30,728. Anything above £30,728 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a care worker?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of care workers earn under £8,944 and the lowest quarter under £16,135 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid care workers earn?
The top 10% of care workers earn more than £37,220 a year, and the top quarter more than £30,728. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do care workers in South West earn more than the UK average?
The median in South West is £23,726 against £23,045 across the UK, 3.0% higher, which places it 3rd highest of the 11 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has care worker pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +9.1% for this occupation in South West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many care workers are there in South West?
ASHE counts around 55,000 employee jobs in “Care workers and home carers” (SOC 6135) in South West. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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