Wages

1710 - 1911

Nominal Annual Earnings for various Occupations in England and Wales

Source: Williamson, 1982

The figures given are in current pounds sterling, and relate to adult males.

Occupation	1710	1737	1755	1781	1797	1805	1810	1815	1819
Agricultural Labourers	17.78	17.18	17.18	21.09	30.03	40.40	42.04	40.04	39.05
General Labourers	19.22	20.15	20.75	23.13	25.09	36.87	43.94	43.94	41.74
Messengers and Porters (exc. govt.)	31.15	34.75	33.99	33.54	57.66	69.43	76.01	80.69	81.35
Government low-wage	21.58	28.79	28.62	46.02	46.77	52.48	57.17	60.22	60.60
Police, Guards, Watchmen	13.28	26.05	25.76	48.08	47.04	51.26	67.89	69.34	69.18
Miners	22.46	27.72	22.94	24.37	47.79	64.99	63.22	57.82	53.37
Government high-wage	62.88	84.04	78.91	104.55	133.73	151.09	176.86	195.16	219.25
Skilled in Shipbuilding	36.26	37.00	38.82	45.26	51.71	51.32	55.25	59.20	57.23
Skilled in Engineering	40.73	41.56	43.60	50.83	58.08	75.88	88.23	94.91	92.71
Skilled in Building Trades	28.50	29.08	30.51	35.57	40.64	55.30	66.35	66.35	63.02
Skilled in Textiles	33.59	34.28	35.96	41.93	47.90	65.18	78.21	67.60	67.60
Skilled in Printing Trades	43.29	44.17	46.34	54.03	66.61	71.11	79.22	79.22	71.14
Clergymen	99.66	96.84	91.90	182.65	238.50	266.42	283.89	272.53	266.55
Solicitors and Barristers	113.16	178.18	231.00	242.67	165.00	340.00	447.50	447.50	447.50
Clerks (exc. govt.)	43.64	68.29	63.62	101.57	135.26	150.44	178.11	200.79	229.64
Surgeons, Medical Officers	51.72	56.85	62.02	88.35	174.95	217.60	217.60	217.60	217.60
Teachers	15.78	15.03	15.97	16.53	43.21	43.21	51.10	51.10	69.35
Engineers, Surveyors	131.09	122.37	137.51	170.00	190.00	291.43	305.00	337.00	326.43
	1827	1835	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911
Agricultural Labourers	31.04	30.03	29.04	36.04	41.05	41.52	41.94	46.12	46.96
General Labourers	43.65	39.29	44.83	44.18	51.44	55.88	62.68	68.90	74.04
Messengers and Porters (exc. govt.)	84.39	87.20	88.88	82.21	87.34	97.05	89.51	101.97	85.91
Government low-wage	59.01	58.70	66.45	67.15	63.72	74.65	70.40	72.20	67.95
Police, Guards, Watchmen	62.95	63.33	53.62	53.94	55.86	76.73	72.33	68.69	70.62
Miners	54.61	56.41	55.44	62.89	66.20	59.58	82.75	89.37	83.63
Government high-wage	222.95	276.42	234.87	251.33	281.02	275.29	215.01	159.63	161.61
Skilled in Shipbuilding	62.22	62.74	64.12	69.11	76.83	81.38	87.80	92.51	102.34
Skilled in Engineering	80.69	77.26	84.05	88.77	94.38	96.68	107.06	116.50	125.21
Skilled in Building Trades	66.35	59.72	66.35	72.90	83.33	87.18	91.52	103.35	105.14
Skilled in Textiles	58.50	64.56	58.64	63.26	82.55	85.77	93.60	101.40	108.50
Skilled in Printing Trades	70.23	70.23	74.72	74.72	79.92	86.42	90.04	92.66	97.29
Clergymen	254.60	258.76	267.09	272.30	293.84	315.37	336.90	238.00	206.00
Solicitors and Barristers	522.50	1166.67	1837.50	1600.00	1326.67	1280.00	1342.60	1500.00	1343.50
Clerks (exc. govt.)	240.29	269.11	235.81	248.47	268.63	286.65	268.06	286.86	229.89
Surgeons, Medical Officers	175.20	200.92	200.92	343.00	645.40	520.29	475.47	265.39	272.75
Teachers	69.35	81.89	81.11	93.76	97.02	120.80	133.90	147.50	176.15
Engineers, Surveyors	365.71	398.89	479.00	529.15	579.13	312.97	380.61	333.99	287.37