This report analyses the pension prospects of new entrants into UK employment. These pensions are usually referred to as occupational pensions. The study contrasts the value of pension income an employee is likely to receive at the end of their career, from both the private and public sector.[1],[2]
The comparisons are based on an employee aged 25 joining the workforce at the national median wage of £35,464 a year,[3],[4] and working through to the normal retirement age of 68.[5]
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Key findings
Based on making the same level of employee pension contributions throughout their working life, an employee could expect to retire on:
- Private sector
19.93 per cent of their final salary, or £7,068 a year based on current average earnings.
- Civil service
70.73 per cent of their final salary, or £25,084 a year based on current average earnings.
- NHS
74.99 per cent of their final salary, or £26,594 a year based on current average earnings.
- Teachers
72.45 per cent of their final salary, or £25,694 a year based on current average earnings.
- Those working in the public sector will on average retire on a workplace pension 3.65 times more than that of someone working in the private sector. This will be despite making the same personal pension contributions as their public sector equivalent.
- Employer pension contributions in the public sector (paid by taxpayers) are on average 27 per cent, but only 4.18 per cent in the private sector.
- Total remuneration for a public sector employee on the median wage of £35,464 is £8,093, a year higher than for an employee in the private sector on the same wage.