Choosing a job doesn't have to be all about making money. Some people prioritise doing something they love, feeling a sense of purpose, a healthy work-life balance or spending time with like-minded people. But let's be honest, a decent pay cheque does make a difference.
And where you live can determine just how likely you'll be able to reach a high salary. Data experts at Best Apprenticeships anaylsed the numbers on Indeed.com to find out which UK locations have the most job vacancies with salaries over £30,000.
Obviously, London emerged as the number one best paid location, with over 21,000 jobs listed above £30k. But that is largely down to having a higher minimum wage and needing to keep wages on par with living costs — which are higher than anywhere else in the country.
Coming in at number two was Hampshire, which had 4819 vacancies over the £30k mark. In third was Manchester, with ‘strong creative and digital sectors’ and fourth was Kent, thanks to its close proximity to London and ‘robust job market’.
There were only nine areas with job ads over £50k at the time of research, London of course taking the top spot with 8827. After that was Sussex, where there are currently 86 vacancies offering 50 big ones and Middlesex with 53.
On the flipside, it's also worth knowing which places you're less likely to earn big bucks in. Coming out as the worst paid location, according to Best Apprenticeships, was the county of Rutland, which only had 48 job listings with salaries over £30k. But admittedly, Rutland happens to be the smallest county in England, so perhaps it's not really any wonder that there are fewer top jobs up for grabs there.
The best paid places in the UK, according to Best Apprenticeships:
- London
- Hampshire
- Manchester
- Kent
- Surrey
- Berkshire
- Essex
- Bristol
- Hertfordshire
- Cambridgeshire
And the worst:
- Rutland
- Huntingdonshire
- Cumberland
- Humberside
- Westmorland
- Cleveland
- Halton
- Hartlepool
- Middlesex
- Isle of Wight
If you want to know specific average salaries of certain English cities, take a look at this research from back in November. And if you really want to rake in the cash in London, working in this borough might be your best bet.
Did you see that these 23 new restaurants have been named the best in the UK?
Plus: Britain’s most-visited tourist attractions have been revealed.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.