What are the highest-paying jobs in North West?

Of the 266 occupations ONS publishes a North West median for, the highest median gross annual pay is £90,699 for Chief executives and senior officials (SOC 1111). 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 North West 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 North West, never estimated.

How many occupations have North West salary data?

ONS published an unsuppressed North West median for 266 occupations this period. They range from £19,667 (Beauticians and related occupations) up to £90,699 (Chief executives and senior officials).

GeraJobs / Salary by region / North West

Highest-Paying Jobs in North West

In North West, the best-paid occupation ONS publishes is Chief executives and senior officials at a median of £90,699 gross per year. This page ranks all 266 North West 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 North West (of the 266 occupations with published data) is Chief executives and senior officials at £90,699 median gross annual pay. The lowest published is Beauticians and related occupations at £19,667. 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 North West page.

Top 25 highest-paying jobs in North West

#	Occupation	Median (annual)	vs UK median
1	Chief executives and senior officials	£90,699	−£9,245 (−9.3%)
2	Specialist medical practitioners	£87,119	−£5,728 (−6.2%)
3	Information technology directors	£82,461	−£9,210 (−10.0%)
4	Marketing, sales and advertising directors	£81,390	−£12,745 (−13.5%)
5	Purchasing managers and directors	£78,372	+£20,367 (+35.1%)
6	Head teachers and principals	£73,613	+£1,421 (+2.0%)
7	Train and tram drivers	£70,919	−£5,408 (−7.1%)
8	Functional managers and directors n.e.c.	£69,819	−£5,892 (−7.8%)
9	Financial managers and directors	£68,376	−£8,071 (−10.6%)
10	Senior police officers	£63,614	−£3,076 (−4.6%)
11	Electrical engineers	£61,782	+£1,479 (+2.5%)
12	Business and financial project management professionals	£59,844	+£10 (+0.0%)
13	IT project managers	£59,119	+£746 (+1.3%)
14	Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out	£58,131	+£18,229 (+45.7%)
15	IT managers	£57,490	+£1,052 (+1.9%)
16	Health services and public health managers and directors	£55,936	−£5,637 (−9.2%)
17	Production managers and directors in mining and energy	£55,896	−£7,345 (−11.6%)
18	Engineering project managers and project engineers	£55,767	+£2,703 (+5.1%)
19	Production managers and directors in manufacturing	£55,134	−£3,506 (−6.0%)
20	Sales accounts and business development managers	£54,956	−£2,669 (−4.6%)
21	Pharmacists	£54,178	+£406 (+0.8%)
22	Crane drivers	£53,511	+£7,048 (+15.2%)
23	Generalist medical practitioners	£53,502	−£1,992 (−3.6%)
24	Chartered and certified accountants	£53,338	+£3,276 (+6.5%)
25	Rail transport operatives	£53,103	−£3,985 (−7.0%)

“vs UK median” compares each occupation’s North West 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 North West

Occupation	Median (annual)	vs UK median
Beauticians and related occupations	£19,667	−£4,457 (−18.5%)
Coffee shop workers	£20,505	−£1,093 (−5.1%)
Waiters and waitresses	£20,976	−£1,960 (−8.5%)
Teaching assistants	£21,247	+£8 (+0.0%)
Kitchen and catering assistants	£21,345	−£1,541 (−6.7%)

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North West salary by job — full ranked list (266)

#	Occupation	Median (annual)	vs UK
1	Chief executives and senior officials	£90,699	−9.3%
2	Specialist medical practitioners	£87,119	−6.2%
3	Information technology directors	£82,461	−10.0%
4	Marketing, sales and advertising directors	£81,390	−13.5%
5	Purchasing managers and directors	£78,372	+35.1%
6	Head teachers and principals	£73,613	+2.0%
7	Train and tram drivers	£70,919	−7.1%
8	Functional managers and directors n.e.c.	£69,819	−7.8%
9	Financial managers and directors	£68,376	−10.6%
10	Senior police officers	£63,614	−4.6%
11	Electrical engineers	£61,782	+2.5%
12	Business and financial project management professionals	£59,844	+0.0%
13	IT project managers	£59,119	+1.3%
14	Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out	£58,131	+45.7%
15	IT managers	£57,490	+1.9%
16	Health services and public health managers and directors	£55,936	−9.2%
17	Production managers and directors in mining and energy	£55,896	−11.6%
18	Engineering project managers and project engineers	£55,767	+5.1%
19	Production managers and directors in manufacturing	£55,134	−6.0%
20	Sales accounts and business development managers	£54,956	−4.6%
21	Pharmacists	£54,178	+0.8%
22	Crane drivers	£53,511	+15.2%
23	Generalist medical practitioners	£53,502	−3.6%
24	Chartered and certified accountants	£53,338	+6.5%
25	Rail transport operatives	£53,103	−7.0%
26	Higher education teaching professionals	£52,836	+0.0%
27	IT quality and testing professionals	£52,528	+11.5%
28	Quality assurance and regulatory professionals	£52,497	+4.8%
29	Cyber security professionals	£51,954	−4.9%
30	Research and development (R&D) managers	£51,758	−6.8%
31	Fire service officers (watch manager and below)	£51,449	+16.8%
32	Financial and accounting technicians	£51,432	−15.1%
33	Production managers and directors in construction	£51,394	−8.3%
34	Production and process engineers	£50,711	+5.8%
35	IT business analysts, architects and systems designers	£50,685	−15.9%
36	Programmers and software development professionals	£50,336	−11.6%
37	Management consultants and business analysts	£50,278	−5.7%
38	Newspaper and periodical journalists and reporters	£49,824	+11.9%
39	Human resource managers and directors	£49,553	−13.9%
40	Construction project managers and related professionals	£49,027	+2.9%
41	Medical radiographers	£48,985	+1.1%
42	Solicitors and lawyers	£48,882	−14.2%
43	Marketing and commercial managers	£48,865	−9.0%
44	Specialist nurses	£48,614	+7.7%
45	Engineering professionals n.e.c.	£48,385	−0.8%
46	Civil engineers	£48,087	−6.4%
47	Biochemists and biomedical scientists	£47,640	−0.5%
48	Actuaries, economists and statisticians	£47,170	−11.6%
49	Education managers	£46,856	+0.6%
50	Secondary education teaching professionals	£46,298	−2.8%
51	Midwifery nurses	£46,151	−1.8%
52	Rail travel assistants	£46,149	+0.2%
53	Arts officers, producers and directors	£46,031	+1.1%
54	Managers in transport and distribution	£45,969	−3.2%
55	Finance and investment analysts and advisers	£45,060	−10.5%
56	Occupational therapists	£45,011	+2.2%
57	Primary education teaching professionals	£44,989	−2.1%
58	Nurse practitioners	£44,936	−2.5%
59	Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors	£44,918	−0.5%
60	Chartered surveyors	£44,693	−3.2%
61	Veterinarians	£44,232	−13.4%
62	Engineering technicians	£44,159	−1.5%
63	Health and safety managers and officers	£44,022	−5.2%
64	Financial accounts managers	£43,485	−11.2%
65	Property, housing and estate managers	£43,443	+0.2%
66	Special needs education teaching professionals	£43,237	−8.8%
67	Newspaper and periodical editors	£43,065	+1.4%
68	Protective service associate professionals n.e.c.	£43,048	−2.2%
69	Business, research and administrative professionals n.e.c.	£43,046	−26.2%
70	Architects	£43,003	−8.8%
71	Social workers	£42,969	−3.5%
72	IT network professionals	£42,505	−13.1%
73	Electricians and electrical fitters	£42,372	+6.9%
74	Estimators, valuers and assessors	£42,158	+6.4%
75	Quality control and planning engineers	£42,009	−3.6%
76	Aircraft maintenance and related trades	£41,981	−8.3%
77	Construction and building trades supervisors	£41,761	−7.2%
78	Security system installers and repairers	£41,597	+6.7%
79	Managers and directors in the creative industries	£41,554	−24.1%
80	Authors, writers and translators	£41,415	+5.0%
81	Further education teaching professionals	£41,257	−2.3%
82	Other health professionals n.e.c.	£41,062	−2.4%
83	Metal working production and maintenance fitters	£40,920	+0.4%
84	Rail construction and maintenance operatives	£40,881	−11.9%
85	Shopkeepers and owners - retail and wholesale	£40,774	+12.3%
86	Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers	£40,314	−3.2%
87	Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers	£40,063	−2.7%
88	Community nurses	£40,022	−2.1%
89	Welding trades	£39,848	+12.7%
90	Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers	£39,798	−38.1%
91	Inspectors of standards and regulations	£39,774	+2.1%
92	Leisure and sports managers	£39,758	+10.4%
93	Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors	£39,659	−7.1%
94	Other nursing professionals	£39,501	−6.6%
95	Other vocational and industrial trainers	£39,376	+8.3%
96	Metal working machine operatives	£39,104	+24.1%
97	IT operations technicians	£39,099	+10.9%
98	Public services associate professionals	£39,014	−1.3%
99	Database administrators and web content technicians	£38,966	+2.6%
100	Design occupations n.e.c.	£38,811	−2.4%
101	Physiotherapists	£38,753	−11.0%
102	Large goods vehicle drivers	£38,671	−3.1%
103	Business and related research professionals	£38,540	−6.3%
104	Office managers	£38,101	−1.4%
105	Water and sewerage plant operatives	£38,044	−4.1%
106	Interior designers	£37,803	+3.6%
107	Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c.	£37,773	−0.2%
108	Buyers and procurement officers	£37,453	+0.4%
109	Health care practice managers	£37,157	−12.7%
110	Therapy professionals n.e.c.	£37,111	−1.3%
111	Conservation professionals	£37,082	−7.5%
112	Telecoms and related network installers and repairers	£36,935	−7.7%
113	Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers	£36,721	−3.1%
114	Planning, process and production technicians	£36,554	−0.9%
115	Managers in storage and warehousing	£36,327	−3.1%
116	Communication operators	£36,217	−0.5%
117	Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians	£36,213	−3.3%
118	Managers and directors in retail and wholesale	£36,060	−6.2%
119	Quality assurance technicians	£35,973	+5.9%
120	Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c.	£35,465	−1.8%
121	Business sales executives	£35,406	−6.6%
122	Child and early years officers	£35,366	+14.1%
123	Speech and language therapists	£35,168	−22.7%
124	Chemical and related process operatives	£35,167	+3.6%
125	Metal machining setters and setter-operators	£35,077	−1.8%
126	Production, factory and assembly supervisors	£34,907	−5.1%
127	Publicans and managers of licensed premises	£34,753	−8.6%
128	Project support officers	£34,738	−2.8%
129	Travel agency managers and proprietors	£34,581	−1.5%
130	Police community support officers	£34,480	−3.5%
131	Data analysts	£34,421	−10.8%
132	Counsellors	£34,279	+10.1%
133	IT user support technicians	£34,182	−2.7%
134	Mining and quarry workers and related operatives	£34,080	−11.0%
135	CAD, drawing and architectural technicians	£33,855	−3.9%
136	Public relations professionals	£33,638	−10.4%
137	Insurance underwriters	£33,426	−19.7%
138	Carpenters and joiners	£33,362	−1.9%
139	Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers	£33,355	+4.7%
140	Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors	£33,336	+5.2%
141	Youth and community workers	£33,208	+1.7%
142	Customer service managers	£32,891	−12.4%
143	Bank and post office clerks	£32,742	+8.2%
144	Housing officers	£32,619	−6.0%
145	Houseparents and residential wardens	£32,536	+2.1%
146	Bus and coach drivers	£32,511	−10.5%
147	National government administrative occupations	£32,143	−2.6%
148	Graphic and multimedia designers	£32,061	−1.4%
149	Construction operatives n.e.c.	£31,598	−2.6%
150	Office supervisors	£31,517	−5.0%
151	Textile process operatives	£31,499	+12.8%
152	Road construction operatives	£31,450	−19.0%
153	Vehicle body builders and repairers	£31,394	−10.3%
154	Mental health nurses	£31,228	−26.9%
155	Finance officers	£31,209	−2.3%
156	Construction and building trades n.e.c.	£31,081	−10.7%
157	Security guards and related occupations	£31,003	−8.4%
158	Legal associate professionals	£30,966	−10.7%
159	Elementary storage supervisors	£30,874	−0.4%
160	Estate agents and auctioneers	£30,764	+0.4%
161	Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c.	£30,723	+3.7%
162	Clergy	£30,636	−1.8%
163	Transport and distribution clerks and assistants	£30,567	−8.8%
164	Sports coaches, instructors and officials	£30,364	+0.9%
165	Human resources and industrial relations officers	£30,325	−13.8%
166	Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks	£30,257	−4.1%
167	Personal assistants and other secretaries	£30,052	−14.0%
168	Road transport drivers n.e.c.	£30,011	−8.8%
169	Stock control clerks and assistants	£29,941	−0.2%
170	Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c.	£29,782	−1.0%
171	Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists	£29,740	−8.3%
172	Fork-lift truck drivers	£29,736	−4.9%
173	Debt, rent and other cash collectors	£29,733	+2.2%
174	Postal workers, mail sorters and messengers	£29,643	−6.4%
175	Agricultural and fishing trades n.e.c.	£29,591	−1.6%
176	Catering and bar managers	£29,497	−1.0%
177	Air transport operatives	£29,435	−15.2%
178	Early education and childcare services managers	£29,410	−2.4%
179	Marketing associate professionals	£29,291	−12.3%
180	Routine inspectors and testers	£29,252	−14.9%
181	Floorers and wall tilers	£29,163	−11.3%
182	Sales supervisors - retail and wholesale	£29,140	−0.1%
183	Chefs	£29,126	−2.9%
184	Business associate professionals n.e.c.	£29,090	−17.4%
185	Legal professionals n.e.c.	£28,972	−18.4%
186	Plant and machine operatives n.e.c.	£28,896	−1.2%
187	Sales related occupations n.e.c.	£28,871	−8.3%
188	Local government administrative occupations	£28,851	−6.6%
189	Medical and dental technicians	£28,842	−3.6%
190	Metal making and treating process operatives	£28,685	−12.7%
191	Sales administrators	£28,645	−0.3%
192	Laboratory technicians	£28,552	+1.2%
193	Pharmaceutical technicians	£28,465	−8.3%
194	Groundworkers	£28,451	−25.0%
195	Delivery drivers and couriers	£28,409	+2.0%
196	Gardeners and landscape gardeners	£28,387	−0.5%
197	Senior care workers	£27,960	−4.8%
198	Health associate professionals n.e.c.	£27,940	−8.6%
199	Groundsmen and greenkeepers	£27,867	−1.5%
200	Data entry administrators	£27,775	−1.9%
201	Paper and wood machine operatives	£27,762	−8.6%
202	Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants	£27,673	−8.6%
203	Tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters	£27,545	−9.7%
204	Other administrative occupations n.e.c.	£27,534	−2.7%
205	Higher level teaching assistants	£27,357	+7.6%
206	Dispensing opticians	£27,275	−4.4%
207	Cooks	£27,262	+12.5%
208	Care workers and home carers	£27,245	−0.8%
209	Nursing auxiliaries and assistants	£27,224	−6.4%
210	Customer service occupations n.e.c.	£27,077	−2.8%
211	Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants	£27,020	−12.5%
212	Food, drink and tobacco process operatives	£27,017	−4.3%
213	Warehouse operatives	£27,014	−2.9%
214	Roundspersons and van salespersons	£27,011	−1.4%
215	Other educational professionals n.e.c	£26,998	−31.0%
216	Refuse and salvage occupations	£26,960	−3.2%
217	Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods)	£26,950	−15.6%
218	Roofers, roof tilers and slaters	£26,897	−15.7%
219	Sheet metal workers	£26,863	−16.6%
220	Library clerks and assistants	£26,810	−4.7%
221	Sewing machinists	£26,809	+8.0%
222	Parking and civil enforcement occupations	£26,791	−9.4%
223	Financial administrative occupations n.e.c.	£26,739	−7.8%
224	Medical secretaries	£26,533	−1.6%
225	Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c.	£26,508	−5.2%
226	Caretakers	£26,456	−8.6%
227	Call and contact centre occupations	£26,448	−2.2%
228	Textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c.	£26,295	−1.0%
229	Sports and leisure assistants	£26,136	−3.0%
230	Vehicle valeters and cleaners	£25,937	−2.5%
231	Elementary construction occupations n.e.c.	£25,883	−9.5%
232	Credit controllers	£25,748	−9.8%
233	Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers	£25,690	−1.8%
234	Shelf fillers	£25,624	+2.9%
235	Delivery operatives	£25,577	−11.0%
236	Travel agents	£25,262	−12.1%
237	Merchandisers	£25,020	−22.2%
238	Elementary administration occupations n.e.c.	£24,860	−6.7%
239	Legal secretaries	£24,849	−7.9%
240	Elementary cleaning occupations n.e.c.	£24,796	−3.8%
241	School secretaries	£24,754	−6.5%
242	Retail cashiers and check-out operators	£24,742	+0.5%
243	Print finishing and binding workers	£24,680	−9.6%
244	Human resources administrative occupations	£24,612	−8.3%
245	Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants	£24,522	+3.1%
246	Sales and retail assistants	£24,486	−2.3%
247	Early education and childcare assistants	£24,483	−1.0%
248	Animal care services occupations n.e.c.	£24,266	−3.2%
249	Vehicle paint technicians	£24,256	−29.8%
250	Street cleaners	£24,225	−12.3%
251	Dental nurses	£24,200	−6.0%
252	Receptionists	£24,068	−2.5%
253	Veterinary nurses	£23,847	−17.5%
254	Industrial cleaning process occupations	£23,822	−12.8%
255	Housekeepers and related occupations	£23,745	−6.3%
256	Bar staff	£23,500	+1.4%
257	Cleaners and domestics	£22,959	−4.9%
258	Educational support assistants	£22,884	+6.7%
259	Early education and childcare practitioners	£22,616	−4.6%
260	Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers	£22,565	−3.3%
261	Hairdressers and barbers	£21,403	−11.8%
262	Kitchen and catering assistants	£21,345	−6.7%
263	Teaching assistants	£21,247	+0.0%
264	Waiters and waitresses	£20,976	−8.5%
265	Coffee shop workers	£20,505	−5.1%
266	Beauticians and related occupations	£19,667	−18.5%

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

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Salaries in North West — frequently asked questions

What are the highest-paying jobs in North West?: Of the 266 occupations ONS publishes a North West median for, the highest median gross annual pay is £90,699 for Chief executives and senior officials (SOC 1111). 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 North West 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 North West, never estimated.
How many occupations have North West salary data?: ONS published an unsuppressed North West median for 266 occupations this period. They range from £19,667 (Beauticians and related occupations) up to £90,699 (Chief executives and senior officials).

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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.