GeraJobs / Salary by sector / Public Administration & Defence
Public Administration and Defence — UK Salary 2025
SIC 2007 Section O
Real ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) full-time median pay for the UK and 11 regions, with the Gera Sector Pay Gap Index showing how Public Administration & Defence compares to the UK all-industry benchmark.
What is the median salary in UK Public Administration & Defence?
As of April 2025 (ONS ASHE), the UK full-time median salary in the Public Administration and Defence sector (SIC O) is £40,879 — +4.7% the UK all-industry median of £39,039 (Gera Sector Pay Gap Index: +4.7%). Among regions with unsuppressed data, London pays most at £47,604. GeraJobs re-dates annually.
Gera Sector Pay Gap Index
Public Administration & Defence full-time median (£40,879) vs UK all-industry median (£39,039). Ranked #7 of 19 UK sectors.
How this is calculatedUK median (full-time)
£40,879
ONS ASHE Table 4.7a · April 2025
25th–75th percentile
£31,880 – £49,512
Middle 50% of full-time employees
Gera GSPGI
+4.7%
vs UK all-industry median £39,039
UK pay distribution — Public Administration & Defence
| Percentile | Annual pay (full-time) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | £25,801 | Bottom 10% |
| 25th | £31,880 | Lower quartile |
| 50th (median) | £40,879 | UK benchmark |
| 75th | £49,512 | Upper quartile |
| 90th | £55,333 | Top 10% |
Source: ONS ASHE Table 4.7a, full-time employees, April 2025 (OGL v3.0).
Public Administration & Defence salary by UK region
| Rank | Region | Median (full-time) | vs UK sector median |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | London | £47,604 | +16.5% |
| #2 | Scotland | £44,416 | +8.7% |
| #3 | South West | £40,656 | −0.5% |
| #4 | Wales | £40,517 | −0.9% |
| #5 | East of England | £39,828 | −2.6% |
| #6 | North West | £39,653 | −3.0% |
| #7 | South East | £39,537 | −3.3% |
| #8 | West Midlands | £39,071 | −4.4% |
| #9 | Yorkshire and The Humber | £37,981 | −7.1% |
| #10 | East Midlands | £37,944 | −7.2% |
| #11 | North East | £34,948 | −14.5% |
Source: ONS ASHE Table 5.7a, full-time employees, April 2025 (OGL v3.0). Regions with ONS CV > 20% are suppressed and not shown.
Public Administration & Defence salary — FAQ
- What is the median salary for a Public Administration & Defence worker in the UK?
- The UK median gross annual salary for a full-time employee in the Public Administration and Defence sector (SIC O) was £40,879 in April 2025, according to ONS ASHE Table 4.7a (OGL v3.0). This is above the UK all-industry full-time median of £39,039 by 4.7% (Gera Sector Pay Gap Index: +4.7%).
- What is the pay range (25th–75th percentile) in UK Public Administration & Defence?
- For full-time employees in Public Administration and Defence in the UK, the middle 50% earn between £31,880 (25th percentile) and £49,512 (75th percentile) per year, with a median of £40,879. These are real ONS ASHE Table 4.7a figures for April 2025 (OGL v3.0).
- Which UK region pays the most in Public Administration & Defence?
- Among the 11 UK regions for which ONS publishes unsuppressed Public Administration & Defence sector pay data, London has the highest full-time median at £47,604 (+16.5% the UK sector median). North East is the lowest at £34,948 (−14.5%). Source: ONS ASHE Table 5.7a, April 2025.
- How does Public Administration & Defence pay compare to other UK sectors?
- Public Administration and Defence (SIC O) ranks 7 out of 19 UK industry sections by full-time median pay. The Gera Sector Pay Gap Index is +4.7% — meaning this sector pays above the UK all-industry benchmark of £39,039 by that margin. The highest-paying sector is Finance & Insurance at £58,488 (GSPGI +49.8%).
Public Administration & Defence salary by region
- Public Administration & Defence salary in London — £47,604
- Public Administration & Defence salary in Scotland — £44,416
- Public Administration & Defence salary in South West — £40,656
- Public Administration & Defence salary in Wales — £40,517
- Public Administration & Defence salary in East of England — £39,828
- Public Administration & Defence salary in North West — £39,653
- Public Administration & Defence salary in South East — £39,537
- Public Administration & Defence salary in West Midlands — £39,071
- Public Administration & Defence salary in Yorkshire and The Humber — £37,981
- Public Administration & Defence salary in East Midlands — £37,944
- Public Administration & Defence salary in North East — £34,948
Get Public Administration & Defence salary data when ONS refreshes ASHE
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Related on GeraJobs
- All UK sectors ranked by pay — Gera Sector Pay Gap Index across all 19 sections.
- UK Salary by Occupation (SOC 2020) — pay by specific job title.
- UK job vacancies by sector — is the Public Administration & Defence labour market tight?
- Browse Public Administration & Defence jobs — roles hiring now with salary ranges.
Sources: Office for National Statistics — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), ASHE Table 4.7a (annual pay gross, 2-digit SIC, Full-Time) + ASHE Table 5.7a (annual pay gross, region × 2-digit SIC, Full-Time). April 2025 (provisional) reference period. Released 2025-10-23. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Gera Sector Pay Gap Index computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure modelled or interpolated.