Which UK Careers Have Seen the Biggest Salary Growth? 2015-2025 Data

Inflation has dominated headlines for the past few years. But not all careers have kept pace — and some have dramatically outrun it. We analysed a decade of ONS ASHE data to find out which UK careers have seen the biggest salary growth between 2015 and 2025, and which have fallen behind.

The UK median salary grew from £27,615 in 2015 to £39,298 in 2025 — a 42.3% increase over the decade. But individual occupations tell wildly different stories.

The Biggest Winners

Rail and Rolling Stock Builders and Repairers: +140.3%

From £26,762 in 2015 to £64,322 in 2025. This is the single largest salary increase we found across all four-digit SOC occupations. Heavy investment in UK rail infrastructure — including HS2, the Elizabeth Line, and national rolling stock renewals — has created fierce competition for these specialist skills.

Specialist Medical Practitioners: +136.3%

Full-time median pay went from £39,292 in 2015 to £92,847 in 2025. Much of this growth occurred between 2018 and 2021, driven by NHS pay reforms, COVID-era supplements, and a growing reliance on locum and agency work that pushed overall compensation higher. The all-workers median is £88,997 with 187,000 jobs in this category.

Senior Police Officers: +126.9%

From £29,390 to £66,690 over the decade. Police officer pay was restructured significantly during this period, with senior ranks seeing the largest adjustments. There are approximately 14,000 senior police officer positions in the UK.

Rail Travel Assistants: +100.1%

From £23,021 to £46,062. Another rail sector winner, driven by the same infrastructure investment and union-negotiated pay deals that benefited train drivers and rolling stock workers.

Aircraft Maintenance and Related Trades: +93.8%

From £23,626 to £45,779. Post-pandemic aviation recovery combined with a skills shortage in certified aircraft engineers has pushed salaries sharply higher.

Bus and Coach Drivers: +78.9%

From £20,314 to £36,340. Driver shortages — made worse by post-Brexit workforce changes — have given bus and coach drivers significant bargaining power. This is one of the largest percentage increases among non-specialist roles.

Brokers: +87.4%

From £30,253 to £56,689 (full-time). Insurance and commodity brokers have benefited from market volatility and increasing demand for specialised risk products.

Architects: +80.7%

From £26,084 to £47,143. After years of relatively flat pay, architects have seen strong growth driven by the UK housing crisis and large-scale infrastructure projects.

Solid Performers

Several mainstream careers have delivered above-average growth:

• Electrical engineers: £43,194 → £60,303 (+39.6%)
• IT business analysts and systems architects: £45,516 → £60,288 (+32.5%)
• Financial managers and directors: £62,777 → £76,447 (+21.8%)

These are all well above the national median but their growth rates are more modest — suggesting they were already well-compensated a decade ago.

The Surprises: Careers That Went Backwards

Not every career kept up with inflation. Some actually saw median pay decline over the decade.

Managers and Directors in Retail and Wholesale: -33.6%

From £57,859 to £38,447. The most dramatic decline in the dataset. The shift to e-commerce, margin pressure from discounters, and restructuring across the retail sector have fundamentally changed what these roles look like — and what they pay.

Generalist Medical Practitioners (GPs): -27.1%

From £76,078 to £55,494 (full-time median). This reflects a structural shift: more GPs working part-time, salaried positions replacing partnership models, and changes to how GP income is captured in ASHE data. It does not necessarily mean individual GPs earn less — but the median full-time figure has fallen significantly.

Teachers of English as a Foreign Language: -26.3%

From £50,932 to £37,514. Online competition and changing demand for in-person TEFL instruction have compressed pay in this field.

Social Services Managers and Directors: -21.4%

From £61,747 to £48,549. Local authority budget pressures have directly impacted senior social services pay over the decade.

Human Resource Managers and Directors: -12.0%

From £65,344 to £57,529. Despite the growth of “people operations” as a function, senior HR pay has declined — possibly reflecting a broadening of the role to include less senior positions in the ASHE sample.

Clergy: -10.5%

From £34,844 to £31,183. Church attendance and institutional funding have declined steadily, with direct impact on clergy compensation.

The Stagnant Middle

Some careers have barely moved:

• Graphic and multimedia designers: +3.0% (£31,557 → £32,510)
• Higher level teaching assistants: +0.2% (£25,395 → £25,434)
• Routine inspectors and testers: +3.9% (£33,081 → £34,360)

Against cumulative inflation of roughly 30-35% over this period, these roles have seen significant real-terms pay cuts despite nominal figures staying flat.

What This Means for Career Planning

Three clear patterns emerge:

1. Shortage-driven roles win. The biggest salary increases went to careers facing genuine labour shortages — rail workers, aircraft engineers, bus drivers. When supply cannot meet demand, wages rise regardless of prestige.

2. Public sector restructuring creates volatility. Roles tied to government funding — social services, education, policing — have seen unpredictable swings based on policy changes rather than market forces.

3. “Prestigious” does not mean “growing.” Retail management, HR leadership, and general practice medicine are all established, respected careers — but their salary trajectories have underperformed over the past decade.

The best career bet is not the one that pays the most today, but the one with structural demand behind it. Track salary trajectories for any career on CareerMetrics.

All salary data from ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2015-2025, full-time workplace analysis where available.