jobfacts

MP

Elected officers and representatives — SOC 2020 1112

Elected representatives in national government formulate and ratify legislation and government policy, act as elected representatives in Parliament, Regional Parliaments or Assemblies, and as representatives of the government and its executive. Elected officers in local government act as representatives in the local authority and participate in the formulation, ratification and implementation of local government policies.

Also calledMember of parliamentElected representativeConstituency representativePoliticianMember of the legislative assemblyBorough councillorand 13 more titles
People in the job12,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month497↑ 9%on last year · 268th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
Typical pay by regionUK median —
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, —
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 497 jobs for MPs are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026580
Jul 2026505
Jun 2026520
May 2026522
Apr 2026516
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026427
Jan 2026578
Dec 2025262
Nov 2025473
Oct 2025539
Sept 2025544
Aug 2025552
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025630
Apr 2025467
Mar 2025502
Feb 2025451
Jan 2025413
Dec 2024231
Nov 2024377
Oct 2024476
Sept 2024477
Aug 2024519
Jul 2024562
Jun 2024529
May 2024551
Apr 2024578
Mar 2024405
Feb 2024400
Jan 2024527
Dec 2023313
Nov 2023480
Oct 2023509
Sept 2023472
Aug 2023539
Jul 2023590
Jun 2023879
May 2023737
Apr 2023665
Mar 2023700
Feb 2023689
Jan 2023785
Dec 2022638
Nov 2022919
Oct 2022990
Sept 2022896
Aug 20221,111
Jul 20221,062
Jun 20221,050
May 20221,119
Apr 2022940
Mar 20221,209
Feb 20221,067
Jan 20221,290
Dec 20211,051
Nov 20211,194
Oct 20211,315
Sept 20211,257
Aug 20211,149
Jul 20211,356
Jun 20211,363
May 20211,141
Apr 20211,013
Mar 20211,275
Feb 2021832
Jan 2021772
Dec 2020799
Nov 2020953
Oct 20201,039
Sept 2020852
Aug 2020595
Jul 2020393
Jun 2020395
May 2020401
Apr 2020480
Mar 2020936
Feb 20201,001
Jan 2020680
Dec 2019674
Nov 2019915
Oct 20191,410
Sept 20191,028
Aug 2019866
Jul 20191,105
Jun 2019980
May 2019808
Apr 2019557
Mar 2019694
Feb 2019577
Jan 2019814
Dec 2018423
Nov 2018640
Oct 2018717
Sept 2018696
Aug 20181,375
Jul 20181,193
Jun 20181,593
May 20181,330
Apr 2018630
Mar 2018632
Feb 2018504
Jan 2018643
Dec 2017420
Nov 2017591
Oct 2017597
Sept 2017716
Aug 2017712
Jul 2017570
Jun 2017662
May 2017673
Apr 2017634
Mar 2017686
Feb 2017555
Jan 2017632
Is there a shortage of MPs?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was elevated.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertainty in visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
18%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for corporate managers and directors, which includes MPs. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London122
North Yorkshire23
County Durham21
Coventry19
Somerset19
West Suffolk19
Leicester18
Birmingham17
Buckinghamshire17
Leeds15
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where MPs are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of MPs
n/p
8.2%!
n/p
29%!
52%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
25–34Not published
35–448.2% (small sample)
45–54Not published
55–6429% (small sample)
65+52% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!74%
Higher education below degree!7%
A levels or equivalent!27%
GCSEs or equivalent!7.4%
Other qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent74% (small sample)
Higher education below degree7% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent27% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent7.4% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published

Main employers: general public administration activities (72%), activities of political organisations (11%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
74%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

You can get into this job by being elected by voters in the constituency you wish to represent.

Volunteering

Most people show their commitment through campaigning and volunteering for their party.

You could also:

  • serve as a local councillor
  • be active in a trade union
  • get involved in student politics
  • work as a researcher or caseworker for an existing MP

Contact your local councillors or your student office to ask about opportunities to volunteer with them.

Other routes

To become an MP, you have to be elected in a byelection or general election. You can stand for election as a member of a political party or as an independent candidate.

Each political party has its own selection procedure. Usually, you'll need to get the support of your party's nominating officer before you can become a candidate.

During an election, you'll be expected to campaign in public and online, attend meetings, make speeches and talk to the local media. You'll find it helpful to have some experience in one or more of these areas.

What you’ll need

  • be over 18 years of age
  • be a UK, Republic of Ireland or Commonwealth citizen

To stand for election, you'll need to be nominated by at least 10 electors from the constituency you wish to represent. You also need to pay a £500 deposit which you get back if you get more than 5% of the total votes in your constituency.

Some people are not allowed to be an MP, for example someone convicted of electoral fraud. You can find out more from the Electoral Commission.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You'll need a good understanding of local and national issues, and keep up to date with current affairs.

The Houses of Parliament offer the following schemes to get involved:

  • Parliamentary Academy Scheme
  • Speaker's Parliamentary Placement Scheme
  • House of Commons Apprenticeship Scheme
  • House of Lords Apprenticeship Scheme
  • Undergraduate Sandwich Student Placements

Find more information about parliamentary work placements and apprenticeship programmes.

Further information

You can get more advice about becoming an MP from UK Parliament.

You can also find information about working for an MP from Working for an MP (W4MP).

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for mp. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • represents constituency within the legislature and advises and assists constituents on a variety of issues
  • acts as a Party representative within the constituency
  • participates in debates and votes on legislative and other matters
  • holds positions on parliamentary or local government committees
  • tables questions to ministers and introduces proposals for government action
  • recommends or reviews potential policy or legislative change, and offers advice and opinions on current policy
  • advises on the interpretation and implementation of policy decisions, acts and regulations
  • studies and acts upon any legislation that may affect the local authority

Skills

  • manage government policy implementation
  • perform political negotiation
  • advise on legislative acts
  • liaise with local authorities
  • apply conflict management
  • analyse legislation
  • perform debates
  • perform government ceremonies
  • prepare legislation proposition
  • present legislation proposition
  • manage administrative systems
  • conduct public presentations
  • monitor political conflicts
  • build community relations

Knowledge

  • government policy implementation
  • budgetary principles
  • constitutional law
  • government representation
  • legislation procedure
  • political parties
  • public finance
  • public law

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for corporate managers and directors, a group of 20 jobs that includes MPs.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 3%about 78,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.4 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.