Verified facts
Median gross weekly earnings for full-time employee jobs were £811.20 in April 2026, according to the ONS's annual earnings survey published on Thursday.
That was 5.8% above April 2025 in cash terms. After adjustment for CPIH inflation, the increase was 2.7%. The figures are provisional.
The median is the midpoint of the distribution, not the arithmetic average. Gross pay is before deductions, so the weekly figure is not take-home income. The survey measures employee jobs and excludes self-employment.
These April observations are separate from this week's monthly labour-market and average-earnings figures. Publication in October does not make them a measure of October wages.
Apolifina analysis
For households, pay before tax and pay after inflation answer different questions. Neither percentage establishes how an individual employee's earnings changed. Changes in the mix of jobs can also affect the result.
Investors assessing consumer demand should look at employment, prices and household costs alongside earnings. A stronger median pay figure does not by itself establish stronger spending or a particular interest-rate decision.
Uncertainty and risk
ASHE is a sample-based survey; its latest estimates can be revised. National medians conceal differences between occupations, hours and regions. General information only, not a personal financial recommendation.
Primary sources
- ONS employee earnings bulletin
- ONS nominal and real earnings-growth chart data
- Official release announcement
Source released 22 October 2026; rechecked 28 October 2026. This is catch-up coverage of that release, not breaking news on 28 October.
Continue reading: latest monthly labour-market coverage; September inflation