About the data
In 2022 median[1] gross annual full-time earnings in Somerset was estimated to be £30,294, an increase of 5.66% on the previous year. This is lower than the figure both for the South West (£31,726) and the UK (£33,000). It is however higher than the figure for the Heart of the South West LEP area of £29,531.
If we include earnings from part-time work as well as full-time work, then the median wage in Somerset is just £25,303. This is lower than the South West average of £26,697, and significantly lower than the UK average of £27,756. This is due to a higher incidence of part-time-work in Somerset.
There is a significant difference in earnings between males and females. Including both full and part-time work, the median wage for males in Somerset in 2022 was £32,074, whereas for females it was just £27,017. This is partly accounted for by a higher incidence of part-time working among females (see ‘Employment & Gender’), but also significantly lower full-time earnings compared with males.
In 2022 roughly 11,000 jobs were accounted for by male part-time workers compared to 40,000 by females. Earnings are similar for both males and females in part-time work. In 2022, the median annual wage in part-time work was £12,246 for males and £11,613 for females.
However, the median wage for females in full-time work is lower than it is for males. In 2022, the median annual wage in full-time work was £32,074 for males, but just £27,017 for females.
[1] The median is the value below which 50% of employees fall. It is preferred over the mean for earnings data as it is influenced less by extreme values and because of the skewed distribution of earnings data.
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of hours and earnings, resident analysis. 2022