Britain's full-time workers have enjoyed their best year of earnings since the depths of the financial crisis, on the back of rising wages and a record low cost of living.

Weekly pay packets for those in full-time jobs was up by £10 to £528 a week, a rise of 1.9pc when adjusted for inflation, according to the Office for National Statistics.

This is the first annual increase in earnings since 2008 and the best yearly rise since 2004. On a nominal level, which includes inflation, earnings were up 1.6pc and compared to just a 0.1pc rise in 2014 - the smallest pay rise since records began in 1997.

Britain's record low inflation rates are helping boost people's pay packets. Consumer prices fell into negative territory at -0.1pc for the second consecutive month in October - the first time that has happened since records began in 1996.

On average, public sector pay growth lagged behind the private sector by 3.5pc, just slightly smaller than the 3.7pc pay gap reported in 2014, the ONS found.

Chancellor George Osborne has set a 1pc price cap on public sector jobs as part of his drive at government efficiency.

But on a nominal level, the average state-sector job pays £589 a week compared to £501 in April 2015.

Britain's best paid full-time workers were concentrated in the City of London where average earnings were £921 a week.

The lowest UK average was in Derbyshire, where they reached just £389. (You can find average earnings for all parts of the UK at the ONS's interactive graphic here).

In a bumper survey of trends in the British labour force, the ONS's Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings also broke down all of Britain's private sector occupations, from best to worst paid.

Here's a list of the highest and lowest earners in the UK:

The best paid jobs in Britain last year (earnings per week)

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers: £1,800.9

Transport associate professionals: £1,589

Chief executives and senior officials: £1,580.7

Air traffic controllers: £1,500.8

Marketing and sales director: £1,341.7

Legal professionals: 1,293.6

Advertising and PR directors: £1,253.1

IT and telecommunications director: £1,251.6

Doctors: £1,192.8

Financial managers and directors: £1,169

Senior police officers: £1,153

Brokers: £1,149

Functions managers and directors: £1,124.8

Senior officers in protective services: £1,076.8

Financial managers and directors: £1,034.9

The worst paid jobs in Britain last year (earnings per week)

Waiters and waitresses: £266.4

Leisure and theme park attendants: £273.3

Bar staff: £274

Hairdressers: £274.1

Launderers and dry cleaners: £275.4

Kitchen and catering assistants: £280

Check-out operators: £280

Care escorts: £285.5

School crossing patrol: £286.5

Cleaners: £290.4

Nurses: £295.7

Pharmacy dispensers: ££296.9

Sewing machinists: £297.1

Elementary admin: £298

Florists: £298.7

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The Telegraph