Average UK salary: study shows 'stark' pay gap between regions - with southern cities outpacing the north
- A new study has highlighted significant pay disparities between the north and south of the UK
- Southern cities like London and Cambridge have much higher wages than northern areas like Burnley and Huddersfield
- The report attributes this gap to the concentration of high-tech industries in southern cities
- Despite the divide, some northern cities like Leeds, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen have wages above the UK average
- The Centre for Cities calls for bold government action to address these regional economic imbalances
A new study has highlighted the “stark” pay disparities between the north and south of the UK.
In the South East, average annual salaries are £12,800 higher than in the country's lowest-paying areas, such as Burnley, Huddersfield, and Middlesbrough, while, workers in London earn nearly £20,000 more on average.
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Hide AdAccording to research from the Centre for Cities, by August, the typical Londoner will have earned the equivalent of an entire year's salary for a worker in Burnley.
The report attributes the pay divide to the concentration of more "cutting edge" private sector jobs and businesses in certain cities.


London and Cambridge, which boast the highest salaries, were found to have more than twice as many innovative firms and three times as many advanced jobs in fields like biotech and AI compared to lower-paying areas such as Burnley, Huddersfield, and Middlesbrough.
Centre for Cities described the findings as stark, saying they highlighted the importance of the Government delivering on its ambitions to raise economic growth this year.
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Hide AdOf the 63 largest towns and cities, most with above-average salaries are located in the South East, including Reading and Milton Keynes, but the pay divide isn’t entirely clear cut, as several northern cities are also performing well.
Leeds, along with Warrington, Derby, Swindon, Bristol, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh, are among the seven places outside the South East where salaries exceed the UK average, according to the report.
The 10 UK cities with the highest wages
City or town | Average workplace wages, 2024 |
1. London | £49,455 |
2. Slough | £48,110 |
3. Crawley | £45,204 |
4. Reading | £44,586 |
5. Cambridge | £44,075 |
6 Aldershot | £41,723 |
7. Edinburgh | £40,846 |
8. Milton Keynes | £40,596 |
9. Oxford | £40,404 |
10. Aberdeen | £39,822 |
The 10 UK cities with the lowest wages
City or town | Average workplace wages, 2024 |
54. Swansea | £31,573 |
55. Bournemouth | £31,569 |
56. Bradford | £31,554 |
57. Leicester | £31,502 |
58. Mansfield | £31,448 |
59. Doncaster | £31,418 |
60. Middlesbrough | £31,115 |
61. Exeter | £31,044 |
62. Huddersfield | £30,332 |
63. Burnley | £29,508 |
Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “The Government is right to identify boosting economic growth for every part of the country as a top priority.
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Hide Ad“The stark nature of our findings shows an incremental approach is not going to be enough.
“Boldness, urgency and scale are crucial. 2025 needs to be a year for delivery, particularly on the Government’s Industrial Strategy, framework for English devolution and its reforms to planning.
“Bold changes to planning rules can deliver more housing in the most expensive places and in our big cities, where it’s needed most. This government has promised more money in people’s pockets.
“If people across the country are going to earn more by the end of the parliamentary term, then 2025 is the year we need to see action and progress on the Government’s growth ambition.”
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