About this data

Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), time series of selected estimates, 1997 to 2026; ONS, Consumer price inflation (CPIH)

• The median is the middle: half of full-time employees earn more, and half earn less. Pay is before tax and other deductions, and includes overtime.
• Full-time employees on adult rates whose pay was not affected by absence. Full-time means more than 30 paid hours a week (25 for teachers).
• Adjusted for inflation with the CPIH index for April each year, as ONS does.
• ASHE's methods changed in 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2021; in those years, the figure on the new basis is shown. The differences are small (under 1%).

This chart appears in Economic growth and productivity.