The rise represents the second largest annual increase on record and the fifth consecutive year of growth in pay.
Across the UK, average weekly earnings reached £767, up 5.3 per cent on the previous year (£728). This was the third largest annual increase recorded, following a six per cent rise in 2024.
When adjusted for inflation, real-term earnings in Northern Ireland increased by 3.1 per cent in the year to April 2025 – the second consecutive real-terms increase after two years of decline in 2022 and 2023.
For the UK overall, real earnings rose by a more modest 1.1 per cent.
Of the 12 UK regions, Northern Ireland recorded the largest annual increase in weekly earnings, moving up to become the fifth lowest-earning region. London remained the highest-earning region, with average weekly pay of £958, while the North East had the lowest at £681.
A major factor behind the sharp rise in Northern Ireland’s pay levels was the impact of backdated multi-year pay settlements across several large public sector organisations. These agreements contributed to a 9.3 per cent rise in public sector earnings in 2025, following two years of no growth.
Private sector earnings also rose, by 5.4 per cent, continuing the strong upward trend seen since 2021.
Around 3.4 per cent of all jobs in Northern Ireland were classed as ‘low-paid’ – a record low for the region, though still the second highest proportion among the UK’s 12 regions.
The share of jobs paid below the National Living Wage (NLW) or National Minimum Wage (NMW) fell to 0.9 per cent in 2025, slightly lower than the 2024 rate (1.6 per cent) and the pre-COVID level in 2019 (1.1 per cent).
This figure remains significantly below the peaks seen during the pandemic in 2020 (11 per cent) and 2021 (5.8 per cent), when most of those earning below the NLW or NMW were on furlough.
The gender pay gap for all employees (full-time and part-time combined) in Northern Ireland stood at 7.2 per cent in favour of males in 2025, down marginally from 7.9 per cent in 2024.
Across the UK, women earned around 13 per cent less than men on average in 2025. The gender pay gap has halved over the past two decades in both Northern Ireland and the UK.
Median annual earnings for full-time employees in Northern Ireland were £37,100 in 2025, almost £2,000 lower than the UK median of £39,000. The highest 10 per cent of full-time earners in Northern Ireland earned at least £67,500.