In the 2023 tax year, 2,833,000 individuals received income from wages and salaries, a 4.5% increase from the 2022 tax year.

The number of wage and salary earners has generally increased each year since 2001, growing from 1,961,030 individuals in 2001 to 2,833,000 individuals in 2023. The number of wage and salary earners fell:
- 3.1% between 2009 and 2011 due to the impacts of the Global Financial Crisis.
- 2.3% between 2020 and 2021 due to the impacts of the response to COVID-19.
In the year to March 2023, the number of wage and salary earners increased by 4.5% following a 1.7% increase in the year to March 2022.