Data checked on 26 September 2026. This is a snapshot of figures available now, not a forecast for the full year. Each section states the period the figure covers; two of the latest available datasets describe 2025.
Payroll statistics put an individual pay run in a wider context. They show how many people are paid through PAYE, how earnings are changing and how workplace pensions feature in employment. The figures come from different systems, so their definitions matter. Here are ten official statistics for UK employers.
1. Around 30.2 million people were on UK payrolls in August 2026
An early HMRC and Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate put the number of payrolled employees at 30.2 million in August 2026, about 145,000 fewer than in August 2025. The August figure is provisional and may be revised as more payroll submissions arrive. It covers people employed in at least one job paid through PAYE; it does not measure everyone in work, including self-employed people outside PAYE. Source: ONS and HMRC, September 2026 PAYE RTI bulletin.
2. Median gross monthly pay was £2,657
In the same provisional August 2026 PAYE data, median monthly pay was £2,657, 3.5% higher than a year earlier. Median means the middle of the pay distribution, rather than the amount every worker received. The figure is gross pay before deductions, so it should not be read as take-home pay. Source: ONS and HMRC, September 2026 PAYE RTI bulletin.
3. Regular weekly earnings in Great Britain rose 3.5% in the year to May–July 2026
A separate ONS measure found that average regular weekly earnings in Great Britain rose 3.5% compared with May–July 2025. After adjustment for inflation using CPIH, the increase was 0.6%. Regular earnings exclude bonuses. This is an average for Great Britain, with a different method and population from the UK PAYE median above. It does not mean every employee’s pay rose by 3.5%. Source: ONS, Average weekly earnings in Great Britain, September 2026.
4. Payroll employment moved in different directions across sectors
Between August 2025 and the provisional August 2026 estimate, payrolled employment rose by 72,000 in administrative and support services and fell by 76,000 in wholesale and retail. These were the largest increase and decrease among the sectors highlighted in the ONS bulletin. The UK-wide total can therefore conceal different industry patterns; it does not describe what happened in any one business. Source: ONS and HMRC, September 2026 PAYE RTI bulletin, industry data.
5. Median monthly pay also varied widely by industry
Among the sectors highlighted by ONS, provisional August 2026 median monthly pay ranged from £1,445 in accommodation and food services to £4,295 in finance and insurance. These are sector-wide medians, not rates for the same role or hours. Differences in jobs, hours and workforce mix can affect the comparison, so these figures are context rather than a pay benchmark for an individual position. Source: ONS and HMRC, September 2026 PAYE RTI bulletin, industry data.
6. The UK had 2.79 million VAT and/or PAYE-registered businesses
ONS counted 2.79 million businesses registered for VAT and/or PAYE in March 2026, 1.9% more than in March 2025. This is not a count of employers running payroll: registration for VAT alone is enough to be included. Unregistered businesses are outside this measure. It provides context for the size of the registered business population, but should not be compared directly with the employee count in section one. Source: ONS, UK business: activity, size and location, 2026.
7. SMEs accounted for 60% of UK private-sector employment in 2025
The latest available government business-population estimate put employment in small and medium-sized enterprises at 16.9 million, or 60% of UK private-sector employment, at the start of 2025. This is a 2025 estimate published in October 2025. It provides context for how much private-sector employment sits outside large businesses, using a different measure from the 2026 register count above. Source: Department for Business and Trade, Business population estimates 2025.
8. Employer declarations recorded 11.452 million automatic enrolments since 2012
The Pensions Regulator’s May 2026 data show that employers’ cumulative declarations had recorded 11.452 million eligible jobholders as automatically enrolled since July 2012. This is a cumulative count reported at the time of employer declarations; it does not establish how many distinct people are currently contributing to a workplace pension. It indicates the scale of the automatic-enrolment programme over time. Source: The Pensions Regulator, automatic enrolment declaration of compliance report.
9. Nine in ten eligible employees in Great Britain were saving into a workplace pension in 2025
The Department for Work and Pensions reported in its provisional 2025 data that 90% of employees eligible for automatic enrolment in Great Britain were saving into a workplace pension. This is the latest survey year in its 2026 publication. It measures participation among eligible employees in that survey year, unlike the cumulative declaration count above. The two figures have different definitions and should not be added together. Source: DWP, Workplace pension participation and savings trends, 2009 to 2025.
10. A September 2026 minimum-wage naming round covered around 660 employers
The government said its September 2026 naming round identified around 660 employers that had underpaid workers, with around £4 million repaid to more than 27,000 workers. These are cases announced in September, not a count of all underpayments that happened during 2026. The total illustrates the importance of accurate pay records without telling any particular employer whether its own payroll complies with the rules. Source: government announcement, 3 September 2026.
What should employers take from these numbers?
The figures show a large, varied payroll landscape. Some describe PAYE employees, others describe registered businesses or pension participation. Their dates and definitions matter as much as the headline numbers. None can tell an individual business what its pay, tax or pension position should be.
If you want help managing payroll for your team, speak to Purely Payroll.
Source and update note: Figures reflect publications available on 26 September 2026. Provisional estimates can be revised, and newer releases may replace these snapshots. Recheck the linked primary sources when updating this article.
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