Estate agents’ and traffic wardens’ pay hit hardest since 2008
Estate agents and traffic wardens are among the workers to suffer the worst fall in wages over the past ten years — despite average UK pay growth accelerating to levels not seen since July 2008, analysis by income-streaming app Wagestream reveals today.
The Treasury yesterday (22/07/2019) announced a £2bn pay rise for public sector workers, with soldiers getting a 2.9% rise, while teachers and other school staff get 2.75%, police officers, dentists and consultants 2.5% and senior civil servants 2%.
It is more good news for workers after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed last Tuesday (16/07/2019) that UK wages rose 3.6% in the three months to May compared with a year earlier, beating inflation which is currently 2%.
But the real picture for UK wages over the past ten years is less positive, with many occupations seeing big falls in their salary in real terms since the 2008 financial crash.
Door-to-door salespeople saw their average salary fall by 30.2% in that period — plunging from £23,654 in 2008 to £16,505 in 2018, according to ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data. The drop is even worse when their 2008 salary is adjusted for inflation, equating to a 46.7% plunge in real terms.
Other occupations to see a dramatic drop in average wages included estate agents and auctioneers (down 12.6% from £34,787 in 2008 to £30,411 in 2018 — or down 33.3% in real terms); management consultants, actuaries, economists and statisticians (down 11.6% from £53,042 to £46,891 — or down 32.5% in real terms); and traffic wardens (down 7.6% from £21,908 to £20,243 — or down 29.5% in real terms).
Nurses’ salaries rose 16.9% (up from £28,242 in 2008 to £33,025 in 2018), but their 2008 salary is equal to £36,997 in 2018 money, meaning their wages have really fallen 10.7%. Police officers above the rank of inspector saw wages rise 11.4% (up from £54,720 in 2008 to £60,950 in 2018), which was a real-terms fall of 15% given their 2008 salary should be worth £71,683 by now.
Secondary school teachers’ pay rose 7.3% (from £35,850 in 2008 to £38,478) but fell 18% compared to what their 2008 salary would be when inflation was taken into account (£46,963).
The following table shows the 33 occupations that have seen average wages fall by more than a quarter in real terms over the past decade.
Occupation
Salary – 2008 (£)
2008 salary adjusted for inflation (£)
Salary – 2018 (£)
Change 2008 to 2018 (%)
Real terms fall 2008 to 2018 (%)
Collector salespersons and credit agents
23,654
30,987
16,505
-30.2
-46.7
Leisure and travel service occupations
25,561
33,485
20,849
-18.4
-37.7
Managers in mining and energy
69,739
91,358
58,711
-15.8
-35.7
Estate agents, auctioneers
34,787
45,571
30,411
-12.6
-33.3
Electronics engineers
48,023
62,910
42,221
-12.1
-32.9
Management consultants, actuaries, economists and statisticians
53,042
69,485
46,891
-11.6
-32.5
Construction operatives
28,568
37,424
25,517
-10.7
-31.8
Energy plant operatives
35,682
46,743
32,023
-10.3
-31.5
Health Professionals
70,257
92,037
64,753
-7.8
-29.6
Traffic wardens
21,908
28,699
20,243
-7.6
-29.5
Moulders, core makers, die casters
25,843
33,854
24,028
-7.0
-29.0
Chartered surveyors (not quantity surveyors)
44,432
58,206
41,460
-6.7
-28.8
Education officers, school inspectors
42,525
55,708
39,902
-6.2
-28.4
Product, clothing and related designers
36,763
48,160
34,623
-5.8
-28.1
Conservation Associate Professionals
26,546
34,775
25,015
-5.8
-28.1
Air travel assistants
24,486
32,077
23,346
-4.7
-27.2
Corporate Managers And Senior Officials
146,701
192,178
140,059
-4.5
-27.1
Chemists
40,595
53,179
38,934
-4.1
-26.8
Inspectors of factories, utilities and trading standards
35,889
47,015
34,502
-3.9
-26.6
Managers In Farming, Horticulture, Forestry And Fishing
31,733
41,570
30,524
-3.8
-26.6
Architects, Town Planners, Surveyors
44,995
58,943
43,668
-2.9
-25.9
Teaching professionals
28,688
37,581
27,866
-2.9
-25.9
Finance and investment analysts/advisers
51,738
67,777
50,333
-2.7
-25.7
Medical practitioners
84,012
110,056
81,943
-2.5
-25.5
Business And Finance Associate Professionals
46,425
60,817
45,349
-2.3
-25.4
Health and social welfare associate professionals
27,312
35,779
26,696
-2.3
-25.4
Printers
26,534
34,760
25,968
-2.1
-25.3
Journalists have seen their salaries rise by 13.8% on average, growing from £35,580 on average in 2008 to £40,490 in 2018. But when taking inflation into account, their average 2018 salary should be £46,610, meaning that their wages have fallen by 13.1% in real terms.
Only a few professions are better off than they were in 2008, when inflation is taken into account. Pub landlords, train drivers, tax experts, taxi drivers, air traffic controllers and legal professionals have all enjoyed above-inflation wage increases.
The following table shows how a selection of occupations have fared over the past ten years in terms of average wages.
Occupation
Salary – 2008 (£)
2008 salary adjusted for inflation (£)
Salary – 2018 (£)
Change 2008 to 2018 (%)
Real terms fall 2008 to 2018 (%)
Medical practitioners
84,012
110,056
81,943
-2.5
-25.5
Driving instructors
25,911
33,943
25,899
0.0
-23.7
Insurance underwriters
45,480
59,579
45,644
0.4
-23.4
Bricklayers, masons
25,078
32,852
26,022
3.8
-20.8
Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)
22,709
29,749
24,139
6.3
-18.9
Legal Professionals
56,666
74,232
62,913
11.0
-15.2
Chartered and certified accountants
40,524
53,086
45,093
11.3
-15.1
Police officers (inspectors and above)
54,720
71,683
60,950
11.4
-15.0
Teaching Professionals
35,601
46,637
39,672
11.4
-14.9
Electricians, electrical fitters
29,107
38,130
32,627
12.1
-14.4
Journalists, newspaper and periodical editors
35,580
46,610
40,490
13.8
-13.1
Travel agents
19,919
26,094
22,675
13.8
-13.1
Fire service officers (leading fire officer and below)
30,630
40,125
34,967
14.2
-12.9
Midwives
31,576
41,365
36,265
14.8
-12.3
Motor mechanics, auto engineers
24,695
32,350
28,445
15.2
-12.1
Nurses
28,242
36,997
33,025
16.9
-10.7
Postal workers, mail sorters, messengers, couriers
22,749
29,801
26,770
17.7
-10.2
Hairdressers, barbers
13,546
17,745
16,233
19.8
-8.5
Clergy
22,488
29,459
27,132
20.7
-7.9
Heavy goods vehicle drivers
24,442
32,019
29,673
21.4
-7.3
Higher education teaching professionals
43,502
56,988
52,833
21.4
-7.3
Electrical engineers
43,155
56,533
52,457
21.6
-7.2
Bar staff
12,190
15,969
15,023
23.2
-5.9
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
63,362
83,004
78,615
24.1
-5.3
Waiters, waitresses
11,876
15,558
15,082
27.0
-3.1
Publicans and managers of licensed premises
21,348
27,966
29,119
36.4
4.1
Train drivers
39,172
51,315
54,348
38.7
5.9
Farmers
20,766
27,203
28,851
38.9
6.1
Taxation experts
36,895
48,332
54,426
47.5
12.6
Taxi, cab drivers and chauffeurs
17,739
23,238
26,625
50.1
14.6
Air traffic controllers
58,656
76,839
93,895
60.1
22.2
Legal professionals n.e.c.
43,631
57,157
85,071
95.0
48.8
Among the biggest winners over the decade were air traffic controllers, whose pay soared 60.1%, rising from £58,656 in 2008 to £93,895 in 2018. Other bumper wage rises went to taxi, cab drivers and chauffeurs (up 50.1% from £17,739 to £26,625); taxation experts (up 47.5% from £36,895 to £54,426); farmers (up 38.9% from £20,766 to £28,851); and train drivers (up 38.7% from £39,172 to £54,348).
Peter Briffett, CEO and Co-Founder, Wagestream, commented:
“It is great news that pay growth is the highest it has been in ten years, but many workers have seen their salaries stagnate and even fall dramatically over that time.
“Most UK workers are still in a worse position than they were in 2008, with very few people seeing a real-terms pay increase over that period.
“Some of the UK’s lowest-paid people have been hit by falling wages, resulting in their disposable income being cut to nothing, and making budgeting harder.
“And when family budgets are so tight, just one unexpected bill or expense like a car breakdown can push people towards expensive payday lenders or loan sharks.
“One of the biggest cashflow problems for employees is the inflexibility of the monthly pay cycle, But employers can help workers on even the lowest salaries by putting them in control of their own earnings by using income-streaming services like Wagestream.
“Workers who are allowed to get their pay when they want it can avoid unnecessary interest payments and stressful payday loans.
