Receptionist Salary in South West
Official ONS earnings for South West, covering 15,000 jobs.
Median salary — South West
£17,482
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 7% change on the previous year
Mean
£17,833
Jobs measured
15,000
What a typical receptionist takes home
On the median of £17,482, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,342
Take-home a year
£16,107
Income Tax
£982
National Insurance
£393
What most receptionists actually earn
Half of receptionists in South West earn between £12,000 and £26,516. Earning above £26,516 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 “Secretarial and Related Occupations” group in South West.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of receptionists earn less than this.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Receptionists
- SOC 2020 code
- 4216
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
ONS publishes a sampling error of 13.0% for this figure and asks that anything above 10% is treated as imprecise — too few people in this region answered the survey for this occupation. The figure is shown because it is the one ONS published, but it is not firm enough to rank South West against anywhere else, so this page doesn't.
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.
Receptionist salary FAQs
What is the average Receptionist salary in South West?
The median is £17,482 a year and the mean is £17,833, 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 receptionist earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £12.94 excluding overtime, or £13.18 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 Receptionist salary?
Half of receptionists earn between £12,000 and £26,516. Anything above £26,516 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a receptionist?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of receptionists earn under £6,863 and the lowest quarter under £12,000 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do receptionists in South West earn more than the UK average?
The median in South West is £17,482 against £18,152 across the UK, 3.7% lower. ONS marks the South West figure as imprecise, so treat the gap as indicative.
Has receptionist pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +7.0% for this occupation in South West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many receptionists are there in South West?
ASHE counts around 15,000 employee jobs in “Receptionists” (SOC 4216) 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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