Indicator
Relationship between qualifications and hourly pay
Published
29 April 2025
Last updated
26 June 2026
Time to read
About 2 mins
About 2 mins
Key points
- Average hourly pay increases as qualification level increases.
- Between 2014–16 and 2022–24, the percentage difference in average hourly between young people with and without qualifications decreased at all qualification levels.
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This chart shows the percentage difference in average hourly pay of 25 to 29-year-olds by qualification level, compared with no or lower level qualifications.
- In 2014–16, young people with GCSEs earned 16% more than young people with low or no qualifications. In 2022–24, this dropped to 3%.
- In 2014–16, young people with further education below degree level earned 30% more than young people with low or no qualifications. In 2022–2024, this dropped to 16%.
- In 2014–16, young people with postgraduate degrees earned 81% more than young people with low or no qualifications. In 2022–24, this dropped to 41%.
- The data presented here are weighted estimates from the Labour Force Survey, an ongoing survey of households in the UK published by the Social Mobility Commission.
- Qualification levels refer to the highest qualification that an individual holds.
- Lower level qualifications are defined as qualifications below CSE grade 1, equivalent to qualifications below GCSE grade 9–4. This category also includes those with no qualifications.
- Postgraduate degrees are qualifications beyond undergraduate level, such as master’s degrees and doctorates.
- Hourly pay is adjusted for inflation and controlling for socioeconomic background, sex and age. Values are three-year mean averages.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Labour Force Survey via Social Mobility Commission, UK, 2024.
