Income Inequality in the British Empire; England

England; Income Inequality in the British Empire in the 18th century

In the 18th century in the United States, the typical maid (in London) would make ~ 5 dollars a year. [1] The typical teacher would make ~ 16 dollars a year. [2] The difference between these two professions leads to a 3.2x difference between a housemaid and a teacher. The typical teacher in the same place as back then (London) nowadays would be between 32,000 pounds and 49,000 pounds on average. On average, nowadays housemaids make between 17,000 and 22,000 pounds a year. [3] The analysis of these two professions shows that nowadays the difference between a housemaid in England in the 18th century versus in the 21st century is approximately 1.9x-2.3x compared to 3.2x. This suggests that income inequality has decreased over time, over the last three centuries. Another interesting point is that a surgeon in England would make 52 pounds a year. [4] A maid back then made 5 pounds. This suggests a 10.4X difference between a maid and a surgeon in England. The average surgeon in London nowadays makes ~99,000 dollars a year. [5] Comparing a modern-day surgeon’s salary, there is a 5.5-6.5X difference between a modern-day housemaid and a modern-day average surgeon in England. Another important point is that the difference between a modern-day surgeon and a modern-day housemaid is approximately half as much as it was in the 18th century. This shows that extreme inequality has lessened in the last 3 centuries. This could be due to cheaper and more accessible prices. Education that is lower cost. It could also be due to laws and regulations requiring minimum wages. It could also be due to the higher cost of living for the average person and/or more regulations. Comparing the teacher who made 16 Pounds versus the surgeon who made 52 pounds suggests a 3.4X multiple back then. Nowadays, the multiplier is closer to 2X-3.1X. This shows that teachers’ income is moderately to slightly closer to the modern-day surgeon’s salary in modern-day England. But it varies heavily on the skill of the teacher and depends on the workplace of the teacher.

Citation:

Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. New York: Harcourt, 2007.

Glassdoor. “House Maid Salaries in the United Kingdom.” Glassdoor accessed November 13, 2025. https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/house-maid-salary-SRCH_KO0,10.htm

Indeed. “Surgeon Salary in the United Kingdom.” Indeed UK. Accessed October 27, 2025. https://uk.indeed.com/career/surgeon/salaries

[1] Colin Woodard, The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down (New York: Harcourt, 2007), [34].

[2] Ibid (34)

[3] Glassdoor, “House Maid Salaries in the United Kingdom,” accessed November 13, 2025, https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/house-maid-salary-SRCH_KO0,10.htm

[4] Woodard, Republic of Pirates

[5] Indeed, “Surgeon Salary in United Kingdom,” Indeed UK, accessed October 27, 2025, https://uk.indeed.com/career/surgeon/salaries