ONS · 18 periods · 348 of 348 areas in the latest
How far apart are local authorities on median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence?
The distribution of median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence across councils in every period held, from the 10th to the 90th percentile. The gap is a description of dispersion, not a verdict on it.
The gap between the 90th and 10th percentile of local authorities on median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence increased from £10,270 in 2008 to £12,328 in 2025. Relative to the average, the spread (coefficient of variation) decreased from 16.2% to 12.7%.
Money in cash terms: a gap in pounds grows with prices as well as with dispersion. The coefficient of variation column is unaffected by that.
| Period | p10 | p25 | Median | p75 | p90 | p90 − p10 | p90 ÷ p10 | CV | Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | £34,181 | £35,773 | £38,490 | £42,998 | £46,510 | £12,328 | 1.36 | 12.7% | 348 |
| 2024 | £32,683 | £34,682 | £37,061 | £40,477 | £44,703 | £12,019 | 1.37 | 12.6% | 348 |
| 2023 | £30,609 | £32,242 | £34,491 | £38,036 | £41,779 | £11,171 | 1.36 | 12.9% | 318 |
| 2022 | £28,784 | £30,254 | £32,586 | £35,884 | £39,099 | £10,316 | 1.36 | 12.8% | 318 |
| 2021 | £26,945 | £28,457 | £30,595 | £34,399 | £37,088 | £10,143 | 1.38 | 13.6% | 337 |
| 2020 | £26,734 | £28,485 | £30,893 | £34,600 | £37,692 | £10,958 | 1.41 | 14.2% | 335 |
| 2019 | £25,887 | £27,409 | £29,748 | £32,797 | £36,947 | £11,060 | 1.43 | 14.1% | 327 |
| 2018 | £24,991 | £26,891 | £29,300 | £31,989 | £35,821 | £10,831 | 1.43 | 14.4% | 330 |
| 2017 | £24,400 | £26,129 | £28,138 | £31,770 | £35,053 | £10,653 | 1.44 | 14.4% | 328 |
| 2016 | £24,216 | £25,401 | £27,824 | £31,025 | £34,035 | £9,820 | 1.41 | 14.1% | 328 |
| 2015 | £23,545 | £25,037 | £27,139 | £30,170 | £33,026 | £9,480 | 1.40 | 14.1% | 319 |
| 2014 | £23,251 | £24,677 | £26,525 | £30,010 | £32,560 | £9,309 | 1.40 | 14.7% | 326 |
| 2013 | £22,920 | £24,339 | £26,525 | £29,705 | £33,146 | £10,226 | 1.45 | 15.0% | 332 |
| 2012 | £22,496 | £23,878 | £25,979 | £29,165 | £32,653 | £10,157 | 1.45 | 15.7% | 329 |
| 2011 | £22,118 | £23,536 | £25,681 | £28,859 | £32,560 | £10,442 | 1.47 | 15.5% | 330 |
| 2010 | £22,080 | £23,441 | £25,461 | £28,793 | £32,504 | £10,423 | 1.47 | 16.1% | 330 |
| 2009 | £21,854 | £23,197 | £25,282 | £28,609 | £31,765 | £9,910 | 1.45 | 14.9% | 325 |
| 2008 | £21,170 | £22,513 | £24,936 | £27,869 | £31,440 | £10,270 | 1.49 | 16.2% | 321 |
Between 2008 and 2025 the median moved +13,553.5, the 10th percentile +13,011.2 and the 90th +15,069.5, in the measure’s own unit.
What this establishes, and what it does not
It establishes how dispersed the published figures for councils were in each period, and whether that dispersion is larger or smaller than it was. It does not establish why, whether any council’s figure is high or low for a good reason, or whether a narrower spread would be better: the site does not hold a view on that. Earlier periods come from the annual_pay_median_fulltime_2002_2023 series the registry declares as this series' history.
Percentiles are taken over councils with a published figure for the period, by linear interpolation between sorted values. A period is shown only when at least six in ten councils have a figure for it.
The gap between the 90th and 10th percentile of local authorities on median annual pay, full-time employees, by area of residence increased from £10,270 in 2008 to £12,328 in 2025.
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