Earnings and income statistics

​Average Earnings Index

The Index of Average Earnings measures changes in gross wages and salaries paid to employees. It includes overtime payments, but excludes bonuses, employers’ insurance contributions, holiday pay and benefits in kind (e.g. free accommodation).

In June 2023:

• average weekly earnings in Jersey were 7.7% higher than in June 2022
  
• the latest annual increase was 1.5 percentage points higher than that of the previous twelve-month period (6.2% to June 2022), and the highest annual change recorded since June 2001

Annual percentage change in the Index of Average Earnings

Source: Statistics Jersey, download the data

Index of Average Earnings report for June 2023

Average earnings by sector

Over the year to June 2023:

• average earnings in the private sector increased by 7.8%
  
• within the private sector:
  

• increases in average earnings were recorded by all sectors
  

• the lowest increase in average earnings was recorded by the other business activities sector (this sector includes a wide range of predominantly private service-based businesses and includes care homes, cleaning companies, private education and leisure services), an increase of 5.2% on an annual basis

• the agriculture sector saw the highest annual increase, up 19.8% on an annual basis; this was driven by an increase in hours worked in June 2023 compared to June 2022, with the increase in the minimum wage (13.9%) also contributing to the large increase in the sector
  
  
  
• average earnings in the public sector increased by 7.4%
  

Annual percentage change in average earnings by sector

Source: Statistics Jersey, download the data

Level of average earnings

The Index of Average Earnings is designed to measure the change in earnings. However, the data collected also provides information on the level of earnings, per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee. it should be noted that part time workers would earn proportionately less, corresponding to the hours worked.

The median (middle value) average weekly earnings for full time (FTE) employees in Jersey was £800 per week

The mean average weekly earnings for full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in Jersey in June 2023 was £920 per week.

By sector, average earnings (per FTE) ranged from around £590 per week in hotels, restaurants and bars to £1,260 per week in financial services.

Average weekly earnings per full time equivalent worker by sector in June 2023

Source: Statistics Jersey, download the data

Real-term change in average earnings

Since 1990 there have been two periods of real-term change in average earnings:

• 1990 to 2001 saw real-term growth in earnings of 18%
  
• 2001 to 2020 saw earnings remain essentially flat in real terms, increasing by 0.7% over the 19-year period
  
• 2020 to 2023 saw earnings decrease in real terms, decreasing by 4.6% over the 3-year period

Index of average earnings in real terms (June 1990 = 100)

Source: Statistics Jersey, download the data

You can find out more information on average earnings by reading the full report by following the below link:​

Index of Average Earnings report for June 2023

Household income

The Jersey Household Income Distribution report presents the results of a large survey of households we carried out between October 2021 and November 2022. 

Find out more information in the 2021 / 2022 income distribution report:

Jersey Household Income Distribution report 2021 / 2022

Mean (average) household income

From the Jersey Household Income Distribution report for 2021 / 2022:

• mean (average) weekly household income was £1,080 per week before housing costs and £930 per week after housing cost
• mean household income after housing costs decreased by 4% in real-terms since 2019/2020 (adjusting for inflation)
• three-quarters (73%) of household income was from employment earnings, 12% was from pensions, 11% was from unearned income, and 4% was from income support, benefits and grants

Median equivalised household income

The distribution of income is unequal (skewed) due to a few households having very high incomes, so the median is a particularly meaningful average measure as it is not influenced by extreme values

Equivalisation is a way of standardising households to make fair comparisons between households of different types and sizes.

In terms of equivalised household income in 2021 / 2022:

• median weekly household equivalised income was £860 per week before housing costs and £710 per week after housing costs
  
• median equivalised household income after housing costs decreased by 5% in real-terms since 2019/2020 (adjusting for inflation)
  

Relative low income

A commonly used threshold of relative low income is 60% of the median equivalised income for a jurisdiction.

In Jersey in 2021 / 2022, after housing costs:

• the relative low income threshold was £520 per week before housing costs and £430 per week after housing costs
  
• 24% of households and 21% of individuals were in relative low income
  
• one in four (24%) children were in relative low income, a lower proportion than the UK
• over one in four (28%) pensioners were living in relative low income, a higher proportion than the UK
  

Download reports and data

Average earnings

The Jersey Index of Average Earnings report is produced once a year. You can download the latest report by following the link below.

Index of Average Earnings report for June 2023

You can search by year for past reports on the Statistics Jersey reports and documents page.

Statistics Jersey reports and documents

Household income data and reports

We produce reports on Jersey's household income distribution approximately every five years. As the 2019 / 2020 survey was cut short due to covid-19, it was restarted as the 2021 / 2022 survey.

Jersey Household Income Distribution report 2021 / 2022

Jersey Household Income Distribution report 2019 / 2020

Jersey Household Income Distribution report 2014 / 2015

Jersey Household Income Distribution report 2009 / 2010

Jersey Household Income Distribution report 2002

The summary note complied in January 2015 brings together a range of official statistics relating to ‘relative low income’ (sometimes termed ‘poverty’).

Relative Low Income summary note of data January 2015

We have also published additional information by decile for the four stages of equivalised household income for 2009 / 2010 and 2014 / 2015.

You can find more information on the four stages of household income and income deciles and quintiles in the income distribution report.

Decile data table

Household income data tables can be downloaded from OpenData.