The best and worst paid jobs in the UK

We all have days where we'd rather do almost anything other than our own jobs. Business owner, pilot, cleaner, bar staff... they all sound much more enticing than another miserable day at the coal face.

However, when you're considering another life, it pays to know what jobs are the best paid, and which are the worst. You're also going to need to know where the biggest pay rises and cuts are going on.

Best-paid jobs

Sadly if you want the life of Riley you're going to have to make it to the top of the tree. The best paid jobs go to directors and chief executives of major organisations - who are making £112,157 a year, followed by managers who are making £77,679. The chief executives are among those getting the biggest pay rises too - at 15%.

However, all is not yet lost. There are other ways to make your fortune. A love of planes would help as pilots and flight engineers make £71,555.



You can even start a career ostensibly helping people, while also helping yourself to a nice chunky salary. Medical practitioners and police officers make £69,952 and £58,746 - although again you'll need to make it to the top jobs in order to pull in this sort of cash.

Worst-paid

Sadly, if you're struggling for qualifications and you're starting out, then you're far more likely to feature on the lowest-paid list. Dinner ladies take the bottom spot at £2,189 and lollipop men and ladies are next on £3,625 (which is presumably why so many take both jobs).

Next on the list are playgroup workers on £5,528. And don't even think about carting food and drink about for a living, because waiters are next on £5,660 followed by bar staff on £6,058.

And life at the bottom isn't set to get more comfortable any time soon, as many of those on lower wages are also facing some of the biggest pay cuts. Those in the leather trade do worst with a 14.4% cut (to £15,594). They are followed by credit agents on a 13.8% cut, waiters on a 11.2% cut, traffic wardens on 11% and energy plant operatives on 10.6%.

Your heart goes out to them (maybe except the traffic wardens) when relatively low wages are getting lower every year.

Pay rises

Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the pay rises are often going to the best-paid professions. The top pay rise of 17.9% went to screen printers (who earn well below average on £18,198). However, next on the list are rises of 17.3% for brokers and 15% for directors and chief executives.

Sadly this glimpse into how the other half lives isn't tremendously helpful unless you can somehow wing your way onto the fast track. For the rest of us, perhaps we can just aspire to the average full time salary of £26,200 with an average annual pay rise of 1.4% (which is actually a 3.5% cut in real terms). Or maybe we can hang on in there until our job turns a corner and we wake up in a more positive frame of mind.

But what do you think? Is this enough to inspire you to retrain? Let us know in the comments.

Top 10 pay cuts

Leather trades 14.4%
Credit agents 13.8%
Waiters/waitresses 11.2%
Traffic wardens 11%
Energy plant workers 10.6%
Sports and leisure assistants 9.9%
Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) 9.7%
Company secretaries 9%
Authors/writers 7.3%
Residential wardens 6.9%

Top 10 pay rises

Screen printers 17.9%
Brokers 17.3%
Directors and chief executives of major organisations 15%
Assemblers 14.7%
Robber process operatives 13.8%
Agricultural machinery drivers 13.5%
Vehicle spray painters 12.2%
Forestry workers 11.5%
Steel erectors 11.1%
Window dressers 11%