Average earnings growth forecast UK 2008-2029

In 2024, it is predicted that average earnings in the United Kingdom will increase by 4.7 percent, compared with a growth rate of 7.6 percent in 2023, the fastest average earnings growth in this time period. By contrast, average earnings did not grow at all in 2020, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earnings also grew at the relatively slow rate of 0.2 percent in 2009, shortly after the economic crisis of 2008. 

Earnings vs inflation

Although earnings grew at their fastest pace between 2021 and 2023 in this provided time period, this was offset by the period of very high inflation that occurred alongside it. This reached a peak of 11.1 percent in October 2022, falling to 3.2 percent by March 2024. Despite strong wage growth, the average UK worker saw their earnings fall relative to inflation between November 2021 and May 2023. As of March 2024, weekly wages in the UK were still growing faster than inflation, at two percent for regular pay and 1.7 percent for pay including bonuses. 

Average annual earnings reach 35,000 pounds in 2023

Full-time employees in the United Kingdom earned an average annual salary of 34,963 British pounds in 2023, compared with just over 33,000 in the previous year. As of this year, men reported higher earnings than women did, with the UK reporting a gender pay gap of 14.3 percent for 2023, compared with 27.5 percent in 1997. Workers in their 40s had the highest average earnings by age group, at approximately 42,260 for men, and 35,250 for women. Although men earned more than women in all age groups, this gap was smallest among workers aged 18 to 21.