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Highest-Paying Jobs in South East

In South East, the best-paid occupation ONS publishes is Information technology directors at a median of £96,796 gross per year. This page ranks all 260 South East 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 South East (of the 260 occupations with published data) is Information technology directors at £96,796 median gross annual pay. The lowest published is Teaching assistants at £19,930. Real ONS figures for full-time employees, April 2025ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025 reference period, ONS, OGL v3. For the all-occupations average, see the average salary in South East page.

Top 25 highest-paying jobs in South East

#OccupationMedian (annual)vs UK median
1Information technology directors£96,796+£5,125 (+5.6%)
2Marketing, sales and advertising directors£87,567−£6,568 (−7.0%)
3Functional managers and directors n.e.c.£86,052+£10,341 (+13.7%)
4Specialist medical practitioners£80,165−£12,682 (−13.7%)
5Train and tram drivers£78,345+£2,018 (+2.6%)
6Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport£72,473−£10,974 (−13.2%)
7Head teachers and principals£70,381−£1,811 (−2.5%)
8Rail transport operatives£69,191+£12,103 (+21.2%)
9Financial managers and directors£68,796−£7,651 (−10.0%)
10IT business analysts, architects and systems designers£68,065+£7,777 (+12.9%)
11Health services and public health managers and directors£66,280+£4,707 (+7.6%)
12Senior police officers£64,905−£1,785 (−2.7%)
13Human resource managers and directors£64,623+£7,094 (+12.3%)
14Sales accounts and business development managers£61,644+£4,019 (+7.0%)
15IT project managers£61,483+£3,110 (+5.3%)
16Electrical engineers£59,829−£474 (−0.8%)
17Business and financial project management professionals£59,806−£28 (+0.0%)
18IT managers£59,416+£2,978 (+5.3%)
19Production managers and directors in construction£58,514+£2,493 (+4.5%)
20Marketing and commercial managers£57,105+£3,402 (+6.3%)
21Production managers and directors in manufacturing£56,644−£1,996 (−3.4%)
22Chartered and certified accountants£56,502+£6,440 (+12.9%)
23Purchasing managers and directors£56,005−£2,000 (−3.4%)
24Research and development (R&D) managers£55,585+£66 (+0.1%)
25Civil engineers£55,451+£4,085 (+8.0%)

“vs UK median” compares each occupation’s South East 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 South East

OccupationMedian (annual)vs UK median
Teaching assistants£19,930−£1,309 (−6.2%)
Educational support assistants£20,393−£1,055 (−4.9%)
Waiters and waitresses£20,552−£2,384 (−10.4%)
Sewing machinists£22,139−£2,674 (−10.8%)
Early education and childcare practitioners£22,501−£1,216 (−5.1%)

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South East salary by job — full ranked list (260)

#OccupationMedian (annual)vs UK
1Information technology directors£96,796+5.6%
2Marketing, sales and advertising directors£87,567−7.0%
3Functional managers and directors n.e.c.£86,052+13.7%
4Specialist medical practitioners£80,165−13.7%
5Train and tram drivers£78,345+2.6%
6Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport£72,473−13.2%
7Head teachers and principals£70,381−2.5%
8Rail transport operatives£69,191+21.2%
9Financial managers and directors£68,796−10.0%
10IT business analysts, architects and systems designers£68,065+12.9%
11Health services and public health managers and directors£66,280+7.6%
12Senior police officers£64,905−2.7%
13Human resource managers and directors£64,623+12.3%
14Sales accounts and business development managers£61,644+7.0%
15IT project managers£61,483+5.3%
16Electrical engineers£59,829−0.8%
17Business and financial project management professionals£59,806+0.0%
18IT managers£59,416+5.3%
19Production managers and directors in construction£58,514+4.5%
20Marketing and commercial managers£57,105+6.3%
21Production managers and directors in manufacturing£56,644−3.4%
22Chartered and certified accountants£56,502+12.9%
23Purchasing managers and directors£56,005−3.4%
24Research and development (R&D) managers£55,585+0.1%
25Civil engineers£55,451+8.0%
26IT quality and testing professionals£55,001+16.7%
27Engineering professionals n.e.c.£54,256+11.2%
28Management consultants and business analysts£53,663+0.7%
29Solicitors and lawyers£53,276−6.5%
30Programmers and software development professionals£52,798−7.2%
31Taxation experts£52,659+5.6%
32Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c.£52,308+7.7%
33Health and safety managers and officers£51,871+11.7%
34Quality control and planning engineers£51,647+18.5%
35Chartered surveyors£51,448+11.4%
36Engineering project managers and project engineers£51,353−3.2%
37Electronics engineers£51,078−2.7%
38Managers in logistics£51,024+10.6%
39Advertising accounts managers and creative directors£50,894+3.9%
40Social services managers and directors£50,286+3.6%
41Rail construction and maintenance operatives£50,016+7.8%
42Mechanical engineers£49,114−3.9%
43Higher education teaching professionals£49,042−7.2%
44Road construction operatives£48,930+26.0%
45Biochemists and biomedical scientists£48,912+2.1%
46Financial accounts managers£48,839−0.3%
47Quality assurance and regulatory professionals£48,188−3.8%
48Environment professionals£48,158+11.1%
49Special needs education teaching professionals£47,807+0.8%
50Paramedics£47,734−11.3%
51Nurse practitioners£47,158+2.4%
52Architects£47,056−0.2%
53Property, housing and estate managers£46,887+8.1%
54Production and process engineers£46,884−2.2%
55Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.£45,878+5.7%
56Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c.£45,823−1.0%
57Pharmacists£45,801−14.8%
58Rail travel assistants£45,727−0.7%
59Secondary education teaching professionals£45,566−4.3%
60Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers£45,436+10.4%
61Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors£45,252+6.0%
62Medical radiographers£45,247−6.6%
63Web design professionals£45,245−7.0%
64Customer service managers£45,030+20.0%
65Steel erectors£44,819+25.1%
66Construction and building trades supervisors£44,774−0.5%
67Crane drivers£44,745−3.7%
68Estimators, valuers and assessors£44,608+12.5%
69IT network professionals£44,205−9.6%
70Business and related research professionals£44,084+7.2%
71Education advisers and school inspectors£43,910−1.4%
72Social workers£43,861−1.5%
73Primary education teaching professionals£43,674−4.9%
74Midwifery nurses£43,667−7.1%
75Managers in transport and distribution£43,393−8.7%
76Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors£43,318−4.1%
77Physiotherapists£43,150−0.9%
78Electricians and electrical fitters£42,726+7.8%
79Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out£42,398+6.3%
80Specialist nurses£42,306−6.3%
81Other nursing professionals£42,038−0.6%
82Education managers£41,904−10.0%
83Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers£41,643+0.0%
84Finance and investment analysts and advisers£41,448−17.6%
85Information technology trainers£41,302+6.0%
86Further education teaching professionals£41,286−2.2%
87Environmental health professionals£41,283−1.1%
88Welding trades£41,104+16.3%
89Metal working production and maintenance fitters£41,033+0.7%
90Office managers£40,903+5.9%
91Public relations professionals£40,680+8.3%
92Managers and directors in retail and wholesale£40,299+4.8%
93Fire service officers (watch manager and below)£40,161−8.8%
94Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers£40,018+5.6%
95Large goods vehicle drivers£39,864−0.1%
96Business sales executives£39,731+4.8%
97CAD, drawing and architectural technicians£39,707+12.7%
98Water and sewerage plant operatives£39,562−0.3%
99Occupational therapists£39,534−10.2%
100Mental health nurses£39,509−7.5%
101Public services associate professionals£39,438−0.3%
102Elementary storage occupations n.e.c.£39,380+9.8%
103Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians£39,265+4.8%
104Bricklayers£39,171+18.6%
105Engineering technicians£39,096−12.8%
106Plasterers£38,992+14.6%
107Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists£38,969+20.2%
108Brokers£38,903−31.4%
109Other vocational and industrial trainers£38,869+6.9%
110Managers in storage and warehousing£38,849+3.7%
111Metal making and treating process operatives£38,818+18.1%
112Leisure and sports managers£38,811+7.7%
113Newspaper and periodical editors£38,796−8.6%
114Inspectors of standards and regulations£38,703−0.7%
115Community nurses£38,534−5.8%
116Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c.£38,419+1.5%
117Authors, writers and translators£38,219−3.1%
118National government administrative occupations£38,099+15.5%
119Housing officers£37,938+9.4%
120Shopkeepers and owners - retail and wholesale£37,683+3.8%
121Air transport operatives£37,557+8.2%
122Construction project managers and related professionals£37,462−21.4%
123Metal machining setters and setter-operators£37,373+4.6%
124Design occupations n.e.c.£37,366−6.1%
125Groundworkers£37,276−1.7%
126Bus and coach drivers£37,106+2.1%
127Customer service supervisors£36,865+3.2%
128Therapy professionals n.e.c.£36,783−2.2%
129Road transport drivers n.e.c.£36,680+11.5%
130Protective service associate professionals n.e.c.£36,625−16.8%
131Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c.£36,157+0.2%
132Police community support officers£36,116+1.0%
133Other health professionals n.e.c.£35,985−14.5%
134Office supervisors£35,937+8.3%
135Transport and distribution clerks and assistants£35,760+6.7%
136Marine and waterways transport operatives£35,618−9.5%
137IT user support technicians£35,290+0.5%
138Personal assistants and other secretaries£35,273+0.9%
139Human resources and industrial relations officers£35,149−0.1%
140Carpenters and joiners£35,017+2.9%
141Routine inspectors and testers£34,872+1.5%
142Construction operatives n.e.c.£34,854+7.4%
143Business associate professionals n.e.c.£34,820−1.1%
144Conservation professionals£34,801−13.2%
145Planning, process and production technicians£34,600−6.2%
146Data analysts£34,563−10.4%
147Security guards and related occupations£34,523+2.0%
148IT operations technicians£34,338−2.6%
149Youth and community workers£34,124+4.5%
150Fork-lift truck drivers£33,998+8.7%
151Buyers and procurement officers£33,870−9.2%
152Plastics process operatives£33,753+3.4%
153Printing machine assistants£33,648+12.4%
154Vehicle body builders and repairers£33,533−4.2%
155Marketing associate professionals£33,470+0.2%
156Estate agents and auctioneers£33,366+8.9%
157Finance officers£33,238+4.1%
158Early education and childcare services managers£33,011+9.5%
159Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants£32,880+6.4%
160Communication operators£32,785−10.0%
161Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks£32,665+3.5%
162Project support officers£32,547−9.0%
163Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators£32,538−0.3%
164Postal workers, mail sorters and messengers£32,418+2.3%
165Counsellors£32,248+3.6%
166Nannies and au pairs£32,110−16.5%
167Construction and building trades n.e.c.£32,093−7.8%
168Quality assurance technicians£31,975−5.9%
169Painters and decorators£31,966−2.4%
170Graphic and multimedia designers£31,798−2.2%
171Library clerks and assistants£31,747+12.8%
172Electrical and electronics technicians£31,695−9.8%
173Interior designers£31,302−14.2%
174Pharmaceutical technicians£31,225+0.6%
175Clergy£31,164−0.1%
176Elementary storage supervisors£31,131+0.4%
177Weighers, graders and sorters£31,077+0.5%
178Local government administrative occupations£31,005+0.4%
179Legal secretaries£31,003+15.0%
180Production, factory and assembly supervisors£30,664−16.6%
181Senior care workers£30,542+4.0%
182Other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c.£30,348−14.9%
183Chefs£30,304+1.0%
184Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors£30,290−4.4%
185Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c.£30,286+2.3%
186Glaziers, window fabricators and fitters£30,256+2.8%
187Agricultural and fishing trades n.e.c.£30,105+0.1%
188Catering and bar managers£30,000+0.7%
189Parking and civil enforcement occupations£29,964+1.4%
190Stock control clerks and assistants£29,838−0.5%
191Metal working machine operatives£29,822−5.3%
192Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants£29,698−1.9%
193Credit controllers£29,580+3.7%
194Assemblers (electrical and electronic products)£29,577+3.3%
195Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers£29,556−7.2%
196Veterinary nurses£29,542+2.2%
197Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods)£29,476−7.7%
198Bank and post office clerks£29,358−3.0%
199Sales related occupations n.e.c.£29,182−7.3%
200Tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters£29,166−4.4%
201Sales supervisors - retail and wholesale£29,133−0.1%
202Data entry administrators£29,065+2.6%
203Butchers£28,963+0.4%
204Child and early years officers£28,857−6.9%
205Financial administrative occupations n.e.c.£28,856−0.5%
206Laboratory technicians£28,839+2.2%
207Warehouse operatives£28,701+3.1%
208Caretakers£28,630−1.1%
209Sales administrators£28,555−0.7%
210Groundsmen and greenkeepers£28,488+0.7%
211Gardeners and landscape gardeners£28,487−0.2%
212Debt, rent and other cash collectors£28,397−2.4%
213Elementary administration occupations n.e.c.£28,386+6.6%
214Care workers and home carers£28,179+2.6%
215Records clerks and assistants£28,088−2.0%
216Nursing auxiliaries and assistants£28,083−3.4%
217Cleaning and housekeeping managers and supervisors£28,073−1.9%
218Food, drink and tobacco process operatives£28,027−0.8%
219Delivery drivers and couriers£27,929+0.3%
220Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c.£27,649−8.1%
221Other administrative occupations n.e.c.£27,600−2.5%
222Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c.£27,572−1.4%
223Air travel assistants£27,551−4.1%
224Customer service occupations n.e.c.£27,549−1.1%
225Process operatives n.e.c.£27,494−13.3%
226Medical secretaries£27,314+1.3%
227Horticultural trades£27,275+0.0%
228Elementary construction occupations n.e.c.£27,161−5.0%
229Paper and wood machine operatives£27,039−10.9%
230Call and contact centre occupations£26,959−0.3%
231Human resources administrative occupations£26,922+0.3%
232Vehicle valeters and cleaners£26,749+0.6%
233Dental nurses£26,707+3.7%
234Travel agents£26,588−7.5%
235Houseparents and residential wardens£26,588−16.6%
236Animal care services occupations n.e.c.£26,505+5.7%
237Refuse and salvage occupations£26,366−5.4%
238Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers£26,023−0.5%
239Telephone salespersons£25,429−16.6%
240Receptionists£25,376+2.8%
241Sales and retail assistants£25,250+0.8%
242Cooks£25,052+3.4%
243Higher level teaching assistants£25,009−1.7%
244Sports coaches, instructors and officials£24,831−17.5%
245Retail cashiers and check-out operators£24,626+0.0%
246Housekeepers and related occupations£24,311−4.0%
247Cleaners and domestics£24,028−0.4%
248Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants£23,919+0.6%
249Bar and catering supervisors£23,804−8.5%
250School secretaries£23,787−10.1%
251Early education and childcare assistants£23,628−4.5%
252Kitchen and catering assistants£23,438+2.4%
253Dispensing opticians£23,296−18.4%
254Beauticians and related occupations£23,229−3.7%
255Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers£22,517−3.5%
256Early education and childcare practitioners£22,501−5.1%
257Sewing machinists£22,139−10.8%
258Waiters and waitresses£20,552−10.4%
259Educational support assistants£20,393−4.9%
260Teaching assistants£19,930−6.2%

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

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Salaries in South East — frequently asked questions

What are the highest-paying jobs in South East?
Of the 260 occupations ONS publishes a South East median for, the highest median gross annual pay is £96,796 for Information technology directors (SOC 1137). 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 South East 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 South East, never estimated.
How many occupations have South East salary data?
ONS published an unsuppressed South East median for 260 occupations this period. They range from £19,930 (Teaching assistants) up to £96,796 (Information technology directors).

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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.

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