Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks roles in the UK earn a median of £32,500 per year, equivalent to £17.11 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 8.7% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £30,000 in East Midlands to £36,500 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £31,560/yr (3% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£32,500
as of 2025
Modelled estimateMedian Hourly Pay
£17.11
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+8.7%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£28,500 – £40,000
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~630,000
estimated employees
51 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~839,000 → 2024: ~630,000
Market Signal
Specialist demandPay is rising while employment is falling — specialist skills are in high demand.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Annual pay for Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
Annual pay grew by +8.7% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks maintain and balance records of financial transactions, oversee the operation of payroll functions and calculate hours worked, wages due and other relevant contributions and deductions.
There are no minimum academic requirements, although entrants typically possess GCSEs/S grades or equivalent qualifications, and maths may be required. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/SVQs in relevant areas are available, and apprenticeships may be available in some areas.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.