Official ONS earnings · 164 occupations compared
London vs Scotland
Typical pay is about 16% higher in London, but that headline hides a lot: Scotland pays more for 24 of the 164 occupations measured in both.
London
£40,110
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 219
- Highest paid
- £123,796
- Lowest paid
- £5,711
Scotland
£34,625
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 224
- Highest paid
- £114,012
- Lowest paid
- £8,510
Where London pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in London's favour.
£107,433 in London · £55,044 in Scotland
Public relations and communications directors
+87.5%£81,699 in London · £43,580 in Scotland
Purchasing managers and directors
+66.4%£71,098 in London · £42,716 in Scotland
£41,039 in London · £25,311 in Scotland
£74,284 in London · £47,301 in Scotland
£73,857 in London · £47,701 in Scotland
£75,537 in London · £49,581 in Scotland
IT project managers
+51.9%£68,827 in London · £45,306 in Scotland
Where Scotland pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Scotland's favour.
£32,309 in Scotland · £24,404 in London
Specialist medical practitioners
+24.1%£114,012 in Scotland · £86,528 in London
Veterinary nurses
+21.7%£31,986 in Scotland · £25,057 in London
Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists
+18.6%£37,711 in Scotland · £30,710 in London
Early education and childcare practitioners
+18.1%£22,949 in Scotland · £18,799 in London
Paper and wood machine operatives
+16%£32,794 in Scotland · £27,546 in London
Dental nurses
+12.1%£23,361 in Scotland · £20,540 in London
Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors
+9.4%£54,497 in Scotland · £49,379 in London
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | London | Scotland | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality control and planning engineers | £44,410 | £44,165 | +0.6% |
| Primary education teaching professionals | £46,393 | £46,739 | -0.7% |
| Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | £27,451 | £27,681 | -0.8% |
| Higher education teaching professionals | £48,841 | £48,035 | +1.7% |
| Quality assurance technicians | £35,890 | £35,186 | +2% |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional), Table 15. Comparison covers the 164 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.