An assessment of the relative wages paid to workers across London reveals that the City of London tops the earnings chart with median weekly pay of £1,278.50, significantly outpacing England’s national average (median) of £770.
This comes from data compiled by the company CV Maker, which has been provided to Digital Journal for review. The assessment reveals a stark difference in earnings across London’s boroughs.
The findings are based on an analysis of UK Government Office for National Statistics data. This indicates how the median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees varies dramatically across the capital.
Top ten highest paying London boroughs
| Rank | Borough | Weekly Earnings (£) |
| 1 | City of London | 1,278.50 |
| 2 | Tower Hamlets | 1,251.20 |
| 3 | Camden | 1,038.20 |
| 4 | Westminster | 1,022.50 |
| 5 | Islington | 1,006.80 |
| 6 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 970.60 |
| 7 | Hackney | 958.20 |
| 8 | Southwark | 957.60 |
| 9 | Lambeth | 920.70 |
| 10 | Lewisham | 869.30 |
Based on the above table, the City of London ranks as the capital’s highest-paying area. This financial district, home to major banking and finance institutions, offers earnings that are 66% higher than England’s national average.
Tower Hamlets claims second place with weekly earnings of £1,251.20, just £27.30 behind the City. The borough, which includes Canary Wharf, has transformed from one of London’s poorest areas into a financial powerhouse. Camden takes third position with weekly pay of £1,038.20, followed by Westminster at £1,022.50 and Islington at £1,006.80. These three central London boroughs all offer median weekly earnings above £1,000.
Hammersmith and Fulham rank sixth with weekly earnings of £970.60, while Hackney and Southwark follow closely with £958.20 and £957.60 respectively.
Lambeth (£920.70) and Lewisham (£869.30) complete the top ten, with both boroughs offering significantly higher earnings than the national average.
The top ten highest-paying boroughs all exceed England’s average weekly pay of £770, with even Lewisham offering 13% more than the national figure.
The five lowest paying London boroughs
| Rank | Borough | Weekly Earnings (£) |
| 1 | Redbridge | 710.60 |
| 2 | Bexley | 718.50 |
| 3 | Merton | 747.00 |
| 4 | Harrow | 757.30 |
| 5 | Sutton | 764.10 |
At the other end of the scale, Redbridge ranks as London’s lowest-paying borough with median weekly earnings of £710.60. This is still 92% of the national average, but just 56% of what City workers earn.
Bexley is the second-lowest paying borough with weekly earnings of £718.50, followed by Merton with £747.00 per week. Harrow ranks fourth from bottom with median weekly pay of £757.30, while Sutton completes the bottom five with £764.10.
While London’s lowest-paying boroughs still offer earnings near or slightly below the national average of £770, the disparity between London’s highest and lowest earners is substantial.
Hence, the data reveals some unexpected patterns across the capital. Despite its reputation for wealth, Kensington and Chelsea ranks just 14th for weekly earnings at £853.50, considerably lower than East London boroughs like Tower Hamlets and Hackney. Newham, traditionally considered one of London’s more deprived boroughs, ranks 11th with weekly earnings of £864.70, outperforming more affluent areas like Richmond upon Thames (£796.00).
