Jobs hold steady in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees as median pay reaches £2,514 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 123,902 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.0% (+32 workers)
- Annual change
- +64 workers
- Median pay
- £2,514/month (YoY: +4.5%, £108 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +3.8% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£99 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees was broadly stable in June 2026, with 123,902 workers on payroll, 64 more than a year ago.
Across the North East, payrolled employment edged down 0.3% over the year to June 2026. Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees ranked 3rd of 7 sub-regional areas in the North East by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees stood at £2,514 in June 2026, up 4.5% over the past year and ahead of inflation at 2.82%. After a period of sharp inflation from 2022 that eroded real earnings, wages have been recovering. Workers in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees are now £99 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,925 a month. The total pay bill in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees rose 3.8% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees outperformed the UK as a whole, where payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. Across the UK, 599,257 workers entered payrolled employment in May 2026, the most recently available flow data, while 596,423 left, a net gain of 2,834 workers.
“The employment picture in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees is genuinely encouraging. More people in work and real pay rising means households have more money in their pockets. That kind of momentum matters for local businesses and public services alike.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, Campaign Salience
North East — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darlington | 49,500 | +0.4% | £2,497 | +4.8% |
| 2 | Sunderland | 118,410 | +0.2% | £2,468 | +4.0% |
| 3 | Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees | 123,902 | +0.0% | £2,514 | +4.5% |
| 4 | Tyneside | 369,769 | -0.4% | £2,520 | +4.8% |
| 5 | County Durham | 211,110 | -0.5% | £2,497 | +4.6% |
| 6 | Northumberland | 131,911 | -0.6% | £2,475 | +4.9% |
| 7 | South Teesside | 117,234 | -0.9% | £2,419 | +5.0% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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