Median weekly earnings for full-time employees stood at £766.60 in April 2025, a 5.3% increase on the year in nominal terms and a 1.1% rise in real terms, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The largest growth in median weekly earnings for full-time employee jobs was in caring, leisure and other service occupations, with a 7.1% increase between April 2024 and April 2025. Many low-paid roles had hourly pay increases, excluding overtime, above or close to the national living wage increase in April 2025.
Median gross annual earnings for full-time employees rose to £39,039 in April 2025, a 4.3% increase compared to £37,439 in April 2024. Across the UK, Northern Ireland saw the highest growth in median weekly earnings for full-time employees of 7.4% in April 2025, compared with April 2024.
Meanwhile, the gender pay gap has decreased over time, falling by more than a quarter among full-time employees over the last decade. In April 2025, this stood at 6.9%, down from 7.1% in April 2024.
Men in full-time employment earned more than women in full-time employment as at April 2025, and the gender pay gap is larger for employees aged 40 years and over.
The gender pay gap is larger among high-paid employees than lower-paid staff, while female employees’ share in high-paying occupations decreases with age. In addition, the gender pay gap among full-time employees was higher in England than it was in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland in April 2025.
Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at ONS, said: “This year’s estimates are derived from some 174,000 employee returns sent from businesses of every shape and size from right across the country.
“At a headline level, this year’s results show the proportion of low-paid employee jobs falling to the lowest level since the series began in 1997, while the gender pay gap continued to narrow. Beneath these headlines, we can explore the annual survey of hours and earnings data in detail to see how these, and other trends, differ for different groups.”
