The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average annual salary was of full-time (a) members of the academic staff in further education colleges, (b) teachers in secondary schools, (c) public sector employees and (d) private sector employees in (i) cash and (ii) real terms in (A) 1997 and (B) the latest period for which figures are available. (312885)
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Annual levels of earnings are estimated from the ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year. ASHE estimates by occupation are based on the Standard Occupation Classification. The public and private sector breakdown is based on the Inter-Departmental Business Register legal status.
We have attached a table showing the median gross annual earnings for all full-time employees for each of the above occupations and sectors for 1999 and 2009, the earliest and latest periods for which figures are available. For the purposes of calculating real terms estimates we have used the all items Retail Price Index for April of each year.
£ 1999 at 1999 prices 1999 at 2009 prices2 2009 Higher and further education teaching professionals3 23,400 30,000 — Secondary (and middle school deemed secondary) education teaching professionals3 24,600 31,500 — Further education teaching professionals4 — — 32,600 Secondary education teaching professionals4 — — 36,200 Public sector 19,300 24,700 27,700 Private sector 17,200 22,000 25,000 1 Full-time employees on adult rates who have been in the same job for more than a year. As at April of each year. 2 Delated using all items RPI for April of each year. 3 Standard Occupation Classification 1990. 4 Standard Occupation Classification 2000. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.