Londoners working in the creative industry have an almost 20 per cent higher average hourly salary compared to those in non-creative jobs, according to a government report.
Released yesterday, the document reveals that the median hourly pay in the creative economy in 2014 was £18.80, compared to a median hourly pay of £15.26 in the non-creative economy.
"The estimates show the median pay per hour in the creative industries in 2014 was 18.8 per cent higher than in the other sectors of the economy taken altogether," said a statement from the Mayor of London's office, which accompanied the report.
The report, published by GLA Economics and titled The Creative Industries in London, values the creative industries at an estimated £34.6 billion – accounting for 10.7 per cent of London's economic output.
It also says that 795,800 are employed in the UK capital across sectors including fashion, design, film, music, IT, advertising and visual art.
"The creative industries are a great British success story, which is creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in the capital and generating billions for the UK economy," said London mayor Boris Johnson. "This sector, made up of many different disciplines, encapsulates what our city is about, being innovative, dynamic and adaptable."
"I will do all I can to ensure the creative industries and the talented and imaginative people involved in it are able to thrive to ensure London's future prosperity and success on the international stage," he added.
Johnson's comments come after design duo Barber and Osgerby warned that London's position as a leading creative city is under threat thanks to rent rises, arts education funding cuts and a government that is "scared by creativity".
Leading figures have previously expressed concern over changes to immigration rules that could threaten the city's status as a centre for the global design and architecture industries.
However, the report states that the sector is growing rather than shrinking. It claims that the number of creative jobs in London has grown 15.4 per cent in the three years from 2011 to 2014.
The city also is fast turning into the global centre for the collectible design market, according to leading gallerists.
"The creative industries have shown relatively high growth in the last three years and, when compared to London's economy as a whole, they have experienced slightly faster growth," said the statement from the Mayor of London's office.
Earlier this year, the government released statistics showing that the creative industries are worth £76.9 billion per year to the UK – generating £8.8 million per hour.
In 2014, research showed that craft skills alone contribute £3.4 billion to the economy. The Crafts Council launched an education manifesto that called on the government to protect craft skills, after it was announced that the sector would be dropped from the list of creative industries.