Median weekly pay during each first minister's tenure
4 first ministers, ranked by how median weekly pay changed from their first day in office, next to the United Kingdom over the same months. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | First minister | Country | In office | Total | vs UK | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lab Jack McConnell | Scotland | 22 Nov 2001 – 16 May 2007 from 2002 | +8.9% 2002 → 2007 | +2.1 pts UK +6.7% | +1.7%/yr | |
| 2 | SNP Nicola Sturgeon | Scotland | 20 Nov 2014 – 29 Mar 2023 | +3.2% 2014 → 2022 | −0.1 pts UK +3.3% | +0.4%/yr | |
| 3 | Con Theresa May | England | 13 Jul 2016 – 24 Jul 2019 | +1.2% 2016 → 2019 | +0.0 pts UK +1.2% | +0.4%/yr | |
| 4 | Lab Mark Drakeford | Wales | 13 Dec 2018 – 20 Mar 2024 | +0.3% 2018 → 2023 | +2.6 pts UK −2.3% | +0.1%/yr | |
| 5 | Lab Gordon Brown | England | 27 Jun 2007 – 11 May 2010 | −0.2% 2007 → 2010 | +0.1 pts UK −0.3% | −0.1%/yr | |
| 6 | Con Boris Johnson | England | 24 Jul 2019 – 6 Sep 2022 | −1.8% 2019 → 2022 | −0.2 pts UK −1.7% | −0.6%/yr | |
| 7 | DUP Peter Robinson | Northern Ireland | 5 Jun 2008 – 11 Jan 2016 | −2.5% 2008 → 2015 | +5.0 pts UK −7.5% | −0.4%/yr | |
| 8 | SNP Alex Salmond | Scotland | 16 May 2007 – 20 Nov 2014 | −4.1% 2007 → 2014 | +3.6 pts UK −7.7% | −0.6%/yr | |
| 9 | Con David Cameron | England | 11 May 2010 – 13 Jul 2016 | −4.2% 2010 → 2016 | −0.4 pts UK −3.8% | −0.7%/yr | |
| 10 | Lab Carwyn Jones | Wales | 10 Dec 2009 – 13 Dec 2018 | −4.8% 2009 → 2018 | +0.2 pts UK −5.1% | −0.6%/yr |
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last count complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that count had no data, or because the period cut it); the United Kingdom is measured over the same months. Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in %; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. £ per week, in today's money, full-time employees, gross · ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings via nomis (NM_30_1), median gross weekly pay of full-time employees living in the area, April each year, adjusted for inflation with the UK CPI (D7BT) · nation data · as of Jul 2026.