What are the highest-paying jobs in East Midlands?

Of the 227 occupations ONS publishes a East Midlands median for, the highest median gross annual pay is £78,202 for Head teachers and principals (SOC 2321). These are real ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings figures for full-time employees (ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025 reference period, ONS, OGL v3).

Is this East Midlands salary data real or estimated?

Real. Every figure is a published ONS regional median gross annual pay for full-time employees in the April 2025 ASHE reference period. ONS suppresses small or unreliable regional cells for disclosure control — those occupations are simply not listed for East Midlands, never estimated.

How many occupations have East Midlands salary data?

ONS published an unsuppressed East Midlands median for 227 occupations this period. They range from £20,038 (Educational support assistants) up to £78,202 (Head teachers and principals).

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Highest-Paying Jobs in East Midlands

In East Midlands, the best-paid occupation ONS publishes is Head teachers and principals at a median of £78,202 gross per year. This page ranks all 227 East Midlands occupations with real ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data (ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025 reference period, ONS, OGL v3).

Quick answer

The highest-paying job in East Midlands (of the 227 occupations with published data) is Head teachers and principals at £78,202 median gross annual pay. The lowest published is Educational support assistants at £20,038. Real ONS figures for full-time employees, April 2025 — ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025 reference period, ONS, OGL v3. For the all-occupations average, see the average salary in East Midlands page.

Top 25 highest-paying jobs in East Midlands

#	Occupation	Median (annual)	vs UK median
1	Head teachers and principals	£78,202	+£6,010 (+8.3%)
2	Marketing, sales and advertising directors	£77,868	−£16,267 (−17.3%)
3	Information technology directors	£73,305	−£18,366 (−20.0%)
4	Functional managers and directors n.e.c.	£63,212	−£12,499 (−16.5%)
5	Engineering project managers and project engineers	£58,303	+£5,239 (+9.9%)
6	Production managers and directors in manufacturing	£57,713	−£927 (−1.6%)
7	Generalist medical practitioners	£56,887	+£1,393 (+2.5%)
8	Pharmacists	£52,145	−£1,627 (−3.0%)
9	Special needs education teaching professionals	£51,800	+£4,368 (+9.2%)
10	Paramedics	£51,670	−£2,148 (−4.0%)
11	Business and financial project management professionals	£51,371	−£8,463 (−14.1%)
12	Nurse practitioners	£51,098	+£5,029 (+10.9%)
13	Production managers and directors in construction	£50,837	−£5,184 (−9.3%)
14	Sales accounts and business development managers	£50,746	−£6,879 (−11.9%)
15	Higher education teaching professionals	£50,105	−£2,730 (−5.2%)
16	IT business analysts, architects and systems designers	£50,084	−£10,204 (−16.9%)
17	Production managers and directors in mining and energy	£50,015	−£13,226 (−20.9%)
18	IT network professionals	£49,974	+£1,067 (+2.2%)
19	Programmers and software development professionals	£49,685	−£7,229 (−12.7%)
20	Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors	£49,550	+£6,850 (+16.0%)
21	Physiotherapists	£49,292	+£5,760 (+13.2%)
22	Taxation experts	£49,267	−£583 (−1.2%)
23	IT managers	£49,160	−£7,278 (−12.9%)
24	Managers in transport and distribution	£48,184	+£680 (+1.4%)
25	Protective service associate professionals n.e.c.	£48,099	+£4,092 (+9.3%)

“vs UK median” compares each occupation’s East Midlands median with the same occupation’s UK-wide median — both are real ONS published figures; the difference is simple arithmetic, never a model.

Lowest-paid published occupations in East Midlands

Occupation	Median (annual)	vs UK median
Educational support assistants	£20,038	−£1,410 (−6.6%)
Teaching assistants	£21,060	−£179 (−0.8%)
Retail cashiers and check-out operators	£21,220	−£3,402 (−13.8%)
Kitchen and catering assistants	£21,536	−£1,350 (−5.9%)
Sewing machinists	£21,779	−£3,034 (−12.2%)

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East Midlands salary by job — full ranked list (227)

#	Occupation	Median (annual)	vs UK
1	Head teachers and principals	£78,202	+8.3%
2	Marketing, sales and advertising directors	£77,868	−17.3%
3	Information technology directors	£73,305	−20.0%
4	Functional managers and directors n.e.c.	£63,212	−16.5%
5	Engineering project managers and project engineers	£58,303	+9.9%
6	Production managers and directors in manufacturing	£57,713	−1.6%
7	Generalist medical practitioners	£56,887	+2.5%
8	Pharmacists	£52,145	−3.0%
9	Special needs education teaching professionals	£51,800	+9.2%
10	Paramedics	£51,670	−4.0%
11	Business and financial project management professionals	£51,371	−14.1%
12	Nurse practitioners	£51,098	+10.9%
13	Production managers and directors in construction	£50,837	−9.3%
14	Sales accounts and business development managers	£50,746	−11.9%
15	Higher education teaching professionals	£50,105	−5.2%
16	IT business analysts, architects and systems designers	£50,084	−16.9%
17	Production managers and directors in mining and energy	£50,015	−20.9%
18	IT network professionals	£49,974	+2.2%
19	Programmers and software development professionals	£49,685	−12.7%
20	Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors	£49,550	+16.0%
21	Physiotherapists	£49,292	+13.2%
22	Taxation experts	£49,267	−1.2%
23	IT managers	£49,160	−12.9%
24	Managers in transport and distribution	£48,184	+1.4%
25	Protective service associate professionals n.e.c.	£48,099	+9.3%
26	Social services managers and directors	£47,940	−1.3%
27	Construction and building trades supervisors	£47,592	+5.7%
28	Scaffolders, stagers and riggers	£46,265	+11.4%
29	Solicitors and lawyers	£46,184	−18.9%
30	Human resource managers and directors	£46,110	−19.8%
31	Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c.	£45,966	−5.4%
32	Secondary education teaching professionals	£45,828	−3.8%
33	Engineering professionals n.e.c.	£45,665	−6.4%
34	Information technology professionals n.e.c.	£45,428	−16.0%
35	Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers	£45,138	+8.3%
36	Mental health nurses	£44,323	+3.8%
37	Managers in logistics	£44,256	−4.1%
38	Management consultants and business analysts	£43,468	−18.4%
39	Quality control and planning engineers	£43,034	−1.3%
40	Quality assurance and regulatory professionals	£42,887	−14.4%
41	Chartered and certified accountants	£42,679	−14.7%
42	Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors	£42,605	−5.6%
43	Biochemists and biomedical scientists	£42,502	−11.3%
44	Social workers	£42,390	−4.8%
45	Vehicle paint technicians	£42,323	+22.6%
46	Water and sewerage plant operatives	£42,262	+6.5%
47	Advertising accounts managers and creative directors	£42,254	−13.7%
48	Rail construction and maintenance operatives	£42,059	−9.4%
49	Health and safety managers and officers	£42,036	−9.5%
50	Engineering technicians	£41,923	−6.5%
51	Buyers and procurement officers	£41,659	+11.7%
52	Metal working production and maintenance fitters	£41,624	+2.1%
53	Primary education teaching professionals	£41,476	−9.7%
54	Financial accounts managers	£41,421	−15.4%
55	Medical radiographers	£41,204	−14.9%
56	Specialist nurses	£41,152	−8.8%
57	Community nurses	£41,049	+0.4%
58	Large goods vehicle drivers	£41,045	+2.9%
59	Education advisers and school inspectors	£41,041	−7.9%
60	Occupational therapists	£40,896	−7.1%
61	Chartered surveyors	£39,880	−13.6%
62	Construction project managers and related professionals	£39,868	−16.4%
63	Electricians and electrical fitters	£39,842	+0.5%
64	Production, factory and assembly supervisors	£39,777	+8.2%
65	Fire service officers (watch manager and below)	£39,571	−10.1%
66	Inspectors of standards and regulations	£39,566	+1.5%
67	Other nursing professionals	£39,216	−7.3%
68	Business and related research professionals	£39,211	−4.7%
69	Production and process engineers	£39,073	−18.5%
70	Managers and directors in retail and wholesale	£39,069	+1.6%
71	Nursery education teaching professionals	£38,661	+2.8%
72	Other health professionals n.e.c.	£38,412	−8.7%
73	Property, housing and estate managers	£38,379	−11.5%
74	Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers	£38,322	+1.2%
75	Education managers	£38,191	−18.0%
76	IT quality and testing professionals	£38,181	−19.0%
77	Business sales executives	£38,045	+0.3%
78	Groundworkers	£37,664	−0.7%
79	Crane drivers	£37,514	−19.3%
80	Managers in storage and warehousing	£37,495	+0.1%
81	Other vocational and industrial trainers	£37,486	+3.1%
82	Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers	£37,111	−9.9%
83	Travel agents	£36,802	+28.0%
84	Public services associate professionals	£36,200	−8.4%
85	Project support officers	£36,033	+0.8%
86	Estimators, valuers and assessors	£35,606	−10.2%
87	Customer service supervisors	£35,339	−1.1%
88	Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers	£35,084	+10.2%
89	Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c.	£35,067	−2.9%
90	Road transport drivers n.e.c.	£35,032	+6.5%
91	Construction and building trades n.e.c.	£35,013	+0.5%
92	Environment professionals	£34,983	−19.3%
93	Human resources and industrial relations officers	£34,827	−1.0%
94	Tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters	£34,820	+14.2%
95	Metal machining setters and setter-operators	£34,808	−2.5%
96	Welding trades	£34,771	−1.6%
97	CAD, drawing and architectural technicians	£34,749	−1.3%
98	Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians	£34,745	−7.2%
99	Communication operators	£34,494	−5.3%
100	Early education and childcare services managers	£34,410	+14.2%
101	Office managers	£34,390	−11.0%
102	Housing officers	£34,061	−1.8%
103	Legal associate professionals	£34,028	−1.8%
104	Marketing associate professionals	£33,938	+1.6%
105	Managers and directors in the creative industries	£33,914	−38.1%
106	Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)	£33,856	+1.2%
107	Interior designers	£33,849	−7.2%
108	Police community support officers	£33,780	−5.5%
109	Printers	£33,510	+1.5%
110	Office supervisors	£33,509	+1.0%
111	Design occupations n.e.c.	£33,475	−15.8%
112	Youth and community workers	£33,454	+2.4%
113	IT operations technicians	£33,444	−5.1%
114	Shelf fillers	£33,387	+34.1%
115	Midwifery nurses	£33,329	−29.1%
116	Sheet metal workers	£33,048	+2.6%
117	IT user support technicians	£32,804	−6.6%
118	Bricklayers	£32,736	−0.9%
119	Database administrators and web content technicians	£32,352	−14.9%
120	Quality assurance technicians	£32,307	−4.9%
121	Data analysts	£32,154	−16.6%
122	Chemical scientists	£31,870	−20.3%
123	Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.	£31,857	−26.6%
124	Planning, process and production technicians	£31,711	−14.1%
125	Telephone salespersons	£31,685	+3.9%
126	Bus and coach drivers	£31,557	−13.2%
127	Clergy	£31,494	+1.0%
128	Postal workers, mail sorters and messengers	£31,345	−1.0%
129	Construction operatives n.e.c.	£31,133	−4.0%
130	Chemical and related process operatives	£31,113	−8.4%
131	Hire services managers and proprietors	£31,020	−1.9%
132	Painters and decorators	£30,800	−6.0%
133	Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c.	£30,711	+2.1%
134	National government administrative occupations	£30,611	−7.2%
135	Finance officers	£30,535	−4.4%
136	Transport and distribution clerks and assistants	£30,424	−9.2%
137	Catering and bar managers	£30,300	+1.7%
138	Elementary storage supervisors	£30,225	−2.5%
139	Elementary construction occupations n.e.c.	£29,999	+4.9%
140	Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c.	£29,981	+1.2%
141	Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants	£29,974	−1.0%
142	Vehicle body builders and repairers	£29,973	−14.4%
143	Stock control clerks and assistants	£29,963	−0.1%
144	Bank and post office clerks	£29,922	−1.1%
145	Public relations professionals	£29,802	−20.7%
146	Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks	£29,776	−5.7%
147	Security guards and related occupations	£29,563	−12.6%
148	Nursing auxiliaries and assistants	£29,405	+1.1%
149	Carpenters and joiners	£29,395	−13.6%
150	Other skilled trades n.e.c.	£29,391	+0.2%
151	Metal working machine operatives	£29,370	−6.8%
152	Agricultural and fishing trades n.e.c.	£29,150	−3.0%
153	Glaziers, window fabricators and fitters	£29,109	−1.1%
154	Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c.	£29,021	+3.8%
155	Routine inspectors and testers	£28,864	−16.0%
156	Industrial cleaning process occupations	£28,847	+5.6%
157	Food, drink and tobacco process operatives	£28,812	+2.0%
158	Call and contact centre occupations	£28,804	+6.5%
159	Events managers and organisers	£28,176	−12.4%
160	Sales supervisors - retail and wholesale	£28,048	−3.9%
161	Chefs	£28,019	−6.6%
162	Senior care workers	£27,979	−4.8%
163	Delivery drivers and couriers	£27,663	−0.7%
164	Street cleaners	£27,623	+0.0%
165	Vehicle valeters and cleaners	£27,578	+3.7%
166	Paper and wood machine operatives	£27,498	−9.4%
167	Graphic and multimedia designers	£27,475	−15.5%
168	Pharmaceutical technicians	£27,350	−11.9%
169	Caretakers	£27,236	−5.9%
170	Warehouse operatives	£27,196	−2.3%
171	Metal making and treating process operatives	£27,190	−17.3%
172	Debt, rent and other cash collectors	£27,162	−6.7%
173	Personal assistants and other secretaries	£27,124	−22.4%
174	Delivery operatives	£27,080	−5.8%
175	Local government administrative occupations	£27,055	−12.4%
176	Sports and leisure assistants	£26,958	+0.1%
177	Assemblers (electrical and electronic products)	£26,947	−5.8%
178	Butchers	£26,927	−6.7%
179	Care workers and home carers	£26,864	−2.2%
180	Elementary administration occupations n.e.c.	£26,760	+0.5%
181	Customer service occupations n.e.c.	£26,709	−4.1%
182	Credit controllers	£26,625	−6.7%
183	Textile process operatives	£26,605	−4.7%
184	Legal professionals n.e.c.	£26,529	−25.3%
185	Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers	£26,511	−19.9%
186	Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers	£26,459	+1.2%
187	Financial administrative occupations n.e.c.	£26,394	−9.0%
188	Other administrative occupations n.e.c.	£26,341	−6.9%
189	Child and early years officers	£26,226	−15.4%
190	Human resources administrative occupations	£26,131	−2.7%
191	Houseparents and residential wardens	£25,907	−18.7%
192	Cleaning and housekeeping managers and supervisors	£25,871	−9.6%
193	Arts officers, producers and directors	£25,845	−43.2%
194	Fork-lift truck drivers	£25,685	−17.9%
195	Print finishing and binding workers	£25,676	−6.0%
196	Medical secretaries	£25,619	−5.0%
197	Sales administrators	£25,492	−11.3%
198	Laboratory technicians	£25,466	−9.7%
199	Early education and childcare practitioners	£25,303	+6.7%
200	Dental nurses	£25,136	−2.4%
201	Early education and childcare assistants	£25,096	+1.4%
202	Medical and dental technicians	£24,969	−16.6%
203	Records clerks and assistants	£24,906	−13.1%
204	Refuse and salvage occupations	£24,903	−10.6%
205	Gardeners and landscape gardeners	£24,893	−12.8%
206	Upholsterers	£24,676	−11.6%
207	Sports coaches, instructors and officials	£24,447	−18.8%
208	Bar and catering supervisors	£24,180	−7.1%
209	School secretaries	£24,105	−8.9%
210	Sales and retail assistants	£23,940	−4.5%
211	Data entry administrators	£23,839	−15.8%
212	Receptionists	£23,776	−3.7%
213	Estate agents and auctioneers	£23,685	−22.7%
214	Waiters and waitresses	£23,185	+1.1%
215	Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants	£23,059	−3.0%
216	Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists	£22,824	−29.6%
217	Cooks	£22,698	−6.3%
218	Housekeepers and related occupations	£22,646	−10.6%
219	Beauticians and related occupations	£22,628	−6.2%
220	Cleaners and domestics	£22,473	−6.9%
221	Footwear and leather working trades	£22,023	−13.1%
222	Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers	£21,884	−6.2%
223	Sewing machinists	£21,779	−12.2%
224	Kitchen and catering assistants	£21,536	−5.9%
225	Retail cashiers and check-out operators	£21,220	−13.8%
226	Teaching assistants	£21,060	−0.8%
227	Educational support assistants	£20,038	−6.6%

Only occupations ONS published an unsuppressed East Midlands median for are listed. Suppressed cells (small or unreliable samples) are omitted, never estimated.

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Salaries in East Midlands — frequently asked questions

What are the highest-paying jobs in East Midlands?: Of the 227 occupations ONS publishes a East Midlands median for, the highest median gross annual pay is £78,202 for Head teachers and principals (SOC 2321). These are real ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings figures for full-time employees (ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025 reference period, ONS, OGL v3).
Is this East Midlands salary data real or estimated?: Real. Every figure is a published ONS regional median gross annual pay for full-time employees in the April 2025 ASHE reference period. ONS suppresses small or unreliable regional cells for disclosure control — those occupations are simply not listed for East Midlands, never estimated.
How many occupations have East Midlands salary data?: ONS published an unsuppressed East Midlands median for 227 occupations this period. They range from £20,038 (Educational support assistants) up to £78,202 (Head teachers and principals).

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Source: Office for National Statistics — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Table 14.7a (occupation 4-digit SOC) + Table 15 (4).7a (region by occupation), Full-Time sheet. Figures are Median gross annual pay (GBP), full-time employees, April 2025 reference period (ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025 reference period, ONS, OGL v3). Released 2025-10-23, corrected 2025-12-19. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3). No figure is modelled or interpolated.