Wales — Median Salary by Industry Sector
ONS ASHE Table 5.7a · Full-time employees · April 2025 (provisional)
as of April 2025updated annually (last: )Which industry sectors pay the most in Wales?
As of April 2025 (ONS ASHE), the highest-paying sector in Wales for full-time workers is Mining & Quarrying at £49,965 (−1.9% the UK sector median). Across all 19 sectors with unsuppressed data, Wales pays are compared to UK sector medians using real ONS ASHE Table 5.7a figures. GeraJobs re-dates annually.
Gera Sector Pay Gap Index
How far each sector's full-time median in Wales deviates from the UK sector median. GSPGI = (sectorMedian − ukAllMedian) / ukAllMedian × 100.
How this is calculatedHighest-paying sector in Wales
Mining & Quarrying
£49,965
−1.9% vs UK Mining & Quarrying median
Lowest-paying sector in Wales
Accommodation & Food Services
£26,000
−9.4% vs UK Accommodation & Food Services median
UK all-industry median
£39,039
All sectors · Full-time · April 2025 · ONS ASHE
All Industry Sectors in Wales
19 sectors have unsuppressed ONS data for Wales. Ranked by regional median pay descending.
| Rank | Sector | SIC | Wales Median | UK Sector Median | Regional Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mining & Quarrying | B | £49,965 | £50,943 | −1.9% |
| #2 | Electricity & Gas Supply | D | £46,224 | £55,469 | −16.7% |
| #3 | Information & Communication | J | £43,010 | £52,264 | −17.7% |
| #4 | Public Administration & Defence | O | £40,517 | £40,879 | −0.9% |
| #5 | Water & Waste Management | E | £39,281 | £40,738 | −3.6% |
| #6 | Education | P | £38,648 | £39,999 | −3.4% |
| #7 | Construction | F | £38,265 | £43,100 | −11.2% |
| #8 | Transport & Storage | H | £36,978 | £40,056 | −7.7% |
| #9 | Manufacturing | C | £36,773 | £38,956 | −5.6% |
| #10 | Professional & Scientific Services | M | £36,534 | £46,208 | −20.9% |
| #11 | Agriculture & Forestry | A | £36,402 | £32,784 | +11.0% |
| #12 | Finance & Insurance | K | £34,650 | £58,488 | −40.8% |
| #13 | Health & Social Work | Q | £34,243 | £35,744 | −4.2% |
| #14 | Admin & Support Services | N | £33,196 | £36,109 | −8.1% |
| #15 | Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | R | £31,330 | £32,871 | −4.7% |
| #16 | Real Estate | L | £30,096 | £36,565 | −17.7% |
| #17 | Wholesale & Retail Trade | G | £29,943 | £33,158 | −9.7% |
| #18 | Other Services | S | £27,166 | £33,537 | −19.0% |
| #19 | Accommodation & Food Services | I | £26,000 | £28,687 | −9.4% |
Only sectors with unsuppressed ONS data (CV ≤ 20%) are shown. Regional Gap = (regional median − UK sector median) ÷ UK sector median × 100.
Frequently asked questions
- Which sector has the highest salary in Wales?
- In Wales, the Mining and Quarrying sector (SIC B) has the highest full-time median salary at £49,965 per year — −1.9% the UK sector median of £50,943. Source: ONS ASHE Table 5.7a, April 2025 (OGL v3.0).
- How do Wales salaries compare to the UK average by sector?
- Of the 19 sectors for which ONS publishes unsuppressed data in Wales, 1 pay above their UK sector median and 18 pay below. The regional gap is computed as (Wales sector median − UK sector median) / UK sector median × 100, using real ONS ASHE Table 5.7a full-time employee figures.
- What is the lowest-paying sector in Wales?
- Accommodation and Food Service Activities (SIC I) has the lowest full-time median salary in Wales among sectors ONS publishes without suppression: £26,000 per year (−9.4% the UK sector median of £28,687). Real ONS ASHE Table 5.7a, April 2025.
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Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Table 5.7a (region × 2-digit SIC 2007 industry), full-time employees, April 2025 provisional (OGL v3.0). Gera Sector Pay Gap Index = (sectorMedian − ukAllMedian) / ukAllMedian × 100. Regional gap = (regionMedian − ukSectorMedian) / ukSectorMedian × 100. Only unsuppressed ONS estimates (CV ≤ 20%) shown.