Salary review: biggest risers and fallers since 2012

For many workers, a combination of wage stagnation and the rising cost of living has left them with less money in their wallet. But, for others, wages have shot up due to skill shortages. Which camp are you in?

When it comes to wages Britain is a nation split in two. Stats show us that the average weekly pay in May was 0.5% lower than it was at the same time in 2016 after inflation was taken into account.

The effect of a steadily rising cost of living and wages freezes or minimal pay rises mean many of us feel poorer now than we did five years ago.

Our salary has hardly moved but the things we need to buy have got more expensive.

However, the other group has seen their wages soar in recent years as privatisation, unionisation and skill shortages mean salaries have risen, according to BBC analysis of pay data collected by HMRC.

So, who are the winners and losers? Here’s a rundown of the jobs that have seen the biggest pay rises and falls over the past five years.

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The winners

Out of all the big pay rises of the last five years, commercial pilots have fared particularly well.

Their pay has increased by an average of 26% between 2011 and 2016, taking the average salary to a none-too-shabby £86,855.

This is due to a combination of pilots working longer hours and therefore earning more, and increasing demand as more of us flying regularly.

The BBC states that 600,000 new commercial airline pilots will be needed around the world over the next two decades.

Another job where demand is causing big pay rises is power engineers.

With 80% due to retire in the next 15 years, the energy and utility sectors predict they will have 221,000 vacancies in the next 10 years.

As a result of this skill shortage, pay has risen by 29% as companies try to lure people into the job.

So if you – or your child, or grandchild – are yet to decide which career path to choose, these two would appear to have real long-term potential.

Of course, work isn’t all about the money, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Finally, it's interesting to note the sharp rise in taxi drivers' income (up 44%), given all the talk about the impact of Uber drivers on this industry.

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The losers

At the other end of the scale, workers in some areas have seen their wages fall by almost a quarter over the past five years.

Probation workers have lost a fifth of their earnings on average as a result of changes to pay increments which mean it now takes 23 years for a new officer to reach the next pay bracket. 

They used to receive pay increments three times a year but that has been cut to one and it sits under the 1% public sector pay cap.

Another group that has been hit hard by the public sector pay cap is radiographers.

Stagnating NHS pay combined with slow promotion and ageing workers retiring means the average salary has fallen 8%.

The rise of in-house ad agencies means the Mad Men of this world have seen their salaries fall with advertising agencies increasingly being ignored by large firms who now develop their own ad campaigns.

How to earn more cash

If you're looking to boost your income, switching jobs is a pretty drastic measure. And besides, you might be happy what you're doing anyway. So why not have a look at our more practical guide to giving yourself a pay rise, and these 21 tips for boosting that bank balance. 

You can also cut your existing costs by taking on a money challenge: see how our writer saved £136 in a month with some simple changes.

Want to try something a little more off-the-wall? Why not try unearthing a gem at a luggage auction. You can see what we got when we spent £28 at one earlier this year.