3 February 2023
The Best Places For Apprenticeships in the UK
Whatever age you’re approaching apprenticeship applications, it’s a life-changing decision that can have a domino effect on where you live, how much money you earn and the opportunities that are available to you.
To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we’ve created the list of the best UK locations to do an apprenticeship based on our 40,000 student reviews: including salary opportunities and by individual industry.
This will help narrow down your options based on what you consider most important and get some pins put into the map!
Best-Rated Apprenticeship Locations
| Ranking | Location | Average overall rating |
| 1 | Sunderland | 9.68 |
| 2 | Wolverhampton | 9.32 |
| 3 | Coventry | 9.21 |
| 4 | Warwick | 8.98 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 8.69 |
| 6 | Sheffield | 8.69 |
| 7 | Portsmouth | 8.68 |
| 8 | Glasgow | 8.67 |
| 9 | Cardiff | 8.63 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 8.60 |
These are the best-rated apprenticeship locations as reviewed by those who have experienced them first-hand. Think of it as your apprenticeship compass, helping you to find the best towns or cities to begin your career.
Many northern and midland towns and cities featured high on the list, with Sunderland taking the top spot with an average of 9.68 across apprenticeship roles advertised through RateMyApprenticeship.
Highest Apprenticeship Salary Locations
| Ranking | Location | Average calculated salary (£) |
| 1 | Sunderland | 49,758 |
| 2 | Manchester | 43,884 |
| 3 | Southampton | 34,883 |
| 4 | Wolverhampton | 33,029 |
| 5 | Coventry | 29,467 |
| 6 | Glasgow | 29,044 |
| 7 | Hull | 27,616 |
| 8 | Belfast | 27,603 |
| 9 | Brighton and Hove | 27,079 |
| 10 | York | 25,859 |
Salaries are an important part of what attracts apprentices to particular industries and locations – and are a need to know when it comes to relocating. That’s why we’ve analysed data to reveal the highest-paid apprenticeship locations to give you the full picture.
Again, Sunderland came out on top with a big average salary of £49,758 across apprenticeships advertised on RateMyApprenticeship. London didn’t even feature on the top 10, with many of the highest-paying roles actually being available outside of the capital. Interesting!
Want to know which industries pay the highest salaries? Watch below!
Best Locations for Apprenticeship Based On Industry
| Sector | Location with top apprenticeships (by avg. rating) |
| Accounting | Belfast / Cambridge / Wolverhampton |
| Agriculture, Environmental & Animal Care | Newcastle Upon Tyne |
| Business & Administration | Coventry |
| Catering & Hospitality | Brighton and Hove / Exeter / Sunderland |
| Construction, Property & Surveying | Carlisle / Liverpool / Newcastle Upon Tyne |
| Creative & Design | Wolverhampton |
| Digital Media & IT | Brighton and Hove / Wolverhampton |
| Education & Childcare | Coventry / Liverpool / Nottingham |
| Engineering & Manufacturing | Warwick |
| Finance & Banking | Brighton and Hove / Hull / Sunderland |
| FMCG & Retail | Wolverhampton |
| Hair & Beauty | Liverpool / Sheffield |
| Health & Social Care Services | Glasgow / Sunderland |
| Insurance | Cardiff |
| Legal | Belfast / Wolverhampton |
| Medicine, Science & Pharmaceutical | Oxford |
| Protective Services | Manchester |
| Sales, Marketing & Procurement | Glasgow / Wolverhampton |
| Transport & Logistics | Edinburgh / Plymouth / Portsmouth |
If you already know which industry you’ve got your heart set on then we’ve helped narrow down the best UK locations for that industry above.
Finding an apprenticeship that’s right for you can be TOUGH. We get it. That’s why we created our Best Apprenticeship Employers Table 22/23. It’s the perfect starting point, and showcases the best of the best in the apprenticeship world.
How To Find Apprenticeships
Still not sure what path to take? Check out the RateMyApprenticeship career options page for more expert advice and guidance to help make your decision easier.
You’ll also find TONS of live apprenticeship roles on our website from some of the UK’s best employers, like L’Oreal, Barclays and BBC. So what are you waiting for? Go, go, go!
Written by Ella
Ella is a content powerhouse. Having been in the game for over 9 years, she’s had the pleasure of writing for a huge range of businesses. Now she enjoys creating content that will help students land their dream careers. When she’s not tapping away on her laptop, she’s hanging out with her pups Marshall & Max.