South Tyneside revealed as having one of the lowest average weekly wage in the North East
Written by Ciaran Myers on 12th June 2026
New data reveals that South Tyneside has the lowest average weekly wage in the North East and it is increasing at a rate slower than many other localities in the region.
The area’s gross weekly median pay (GWMP), the statistic used to measure weekly pay, is £537 and has increased by 38.4% in the past decade.
In comparison, North Tyneside’s GWMP sits at £626 and has grown by 56.89% with Newcastle growing by 44.82% and now is at £576.
A North East Combined Authority spokesperson said: “We were formed in 2024 as a strategic authority aiming to grow the economy right across the region. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness was elected on a manifesto to create new jobs and opportunities for local people; in South Tyneside among other things we have invested £18m in the new college campus in South Shields which will transform the town centre, £2m towards new homes at Kelly’s Yard in Hebburn, provided training for thousands of residents to learn new skills for better paid jobs.
“We will continue to work closely with South Tyneside Council on these and other plans including skills training and investment to create new green jobs at the Port of Tyne. Mayor Kim has recently worked with the Government on plans to site 462 new offshore wind turbines off the North East coast which will bring billions in new investment and thousands of jobs to sites including the Port of Tyne.”
Darlington has seen 56.72% increase from £402 to £630 and is now the area in the North East with the highest GWMP.
Meanwhile, Hartlepool has seen the smallest increase at just 30.56%. The area’s GWMP is just below South Tyneside’s at £534, but ten years ago it was £19 a week higher.
The area with the highest GWMP in the country is Kensington and Chelsea, where it is £955. The first northern locality on the list is Hart in County Durham which boasts a £773 GWMP. The areas above Hart are all in the South and mainly localities in or around London.
35% of the South Tyneside population holds a Level 4 qualification (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) and above, that is compared to 39.4% in the North East.
This data is from 2025 and figures for this year are not yet available.
South Tyneside Council was also approached to comment on this story but due to local elections taking place were unable to do so.
The Members of Parliament for Jarrow and Gateshead East (Kate Osborne) and South Shields (Emma Lewell-Buck) were also contacted for this story.
