Sports and leisure assistants salary in the UK (2025/26)
Official UK Average earnings data 2025
£14,366
Typical Annual pay range
Employment patterns
- 30% of Sports work full-time
- 8% are self-employed
- 75% of employees have permanent contracts
Understanding Sports and leisure assistants pay in the UK
The typical sports and leisure assistants in the UK earns a median salary of £14,366 in 2025/26. These figures come from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), so they reflect actual reported pay rather than self-reported estimates or job-advert ranges.
The middle half of sports and leisure assistants earnings fall between £6,771 and £25,017 a year. That is a wide range, a sign that pay climbs steeply with experience, specialism and employer, so the median is a starting point rather than a ceiling.
The mean (average) salary is higher, at £16,250. When the mean sits above the median like this, a smaller group of high earners is pulling the average up, which is why the median is the better guide to what a typical sports and leisure assistants actually takes home.
Employment patterns shape these numbers too: Only 30% work full-time, so part-time and flexible roles are common in this field; a notable share work on temporary or fixed-term contracts (75% are permanent).
Where you work changes the picture: sports and leisure assistants pay ranges from £11,947 in East Midlands up to £15,146 in Wales, a difference of £3,199 (27%). The full regional breakdown is below.
Dig deeper: see sports and leisure assistants pay in Wales or read how we source and check this data.
How pay varies by region
Wales is the highest-paying region for sports and leisure assistants at £15,146 — 5% above the UK median. East Midlands is lowest at £11,947.
UK median £14,366
| Region | Median payUK median £14,366 | Median | Mean | vs UK median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | £15,146 | £15,146 | £15,820 | +5% |
| North East | £14,148 | £14,148 | £14,270 | -2% |
| West Midlands | £13,678 | £13,678 | £13,753 | -5% |
| Scotland | £12,495 | £12,495 | £12,716 | -13% |
| North West | £12,480 | £12,480 | £12,466 | -13% |
| London | £12,216 | £12,216 | £13,450 | -15% |
| East Midlands | £11,947 | £11,947 | £12,320 | -17% |
| Region | Median | vs UK |
|---|---|---|
| Wales £15,146 | £15,146Mean £15,820 | +5% |
| North East £14,148 | £14,148Mean £14,270 | -2% |
| West Midlands £13,678 | £13,678Mean £13,753 | -5% |
| Scotland £12,495 | £12,495Mean £12,716 | -13% |
| North West £12,480 | £12,480Mean £12,466 | -13% |
| London £12,216 | £12,216Mean £13,450 | -15% |
| East Midlands £11,947 | £11,947Mean £12,320 | -17% |
Sorted highest median to lowest. The vertical line marks the UK median (£14,366); ‘Vs UK median’ compares each region’s median to it. Suppressed values mean ONS withheld this figure because the sample was too small to publish.
Make it local
Calculate take-home pay for your region
Choose a region above to see local sports and leisure assistants pay and calculate your monthly take-home after tax on the local salary page.
Back to region listHow sports and leisure assistants pay has changed over time
UK median annual pay for sports and leisure assistants by year (ONS ASHE).
Median salary
▪ 25th–75th percentile range
Pre-2021 figures mapped from SOC 2010 via ONS concordance table
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