Official ONS earnings · 117 occupations compared
London vs Scotland
Typical pay is about 16% higher in London, but that headline hides a lot: Scotland pays more for 19 of the 117 occupations measured in both.
London
£42,069
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 175
- Highest paid
- £116,795
- Lowest paid
- £6,234
Scotland
£36,364
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 142
- Highest paid
- £117,091
- Lowest paid
- £13,281
Where London pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in London's favour.
£45,417 in London · £22,445 in Scotland
£108,315 in London · £63,318 in Scotland
£45,807 in London · £27,510 in Scotland
Child and early years officers
+56.7%£34,952 in London · £22,299 in Scotland
£97,890 in London · £65,350 in Scotland
£77,772 in London · £51,977 in Scotland
£78,106 in London · £52,552 in Scotland
Protective service associate professionals n.e.c.
+46.1%£51,852 in London · £35,489 in Scotland
Where Scotland pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Scotland's favour.
£24,420 in Scotland · £19,478 in London
£117,091 in Scotland · £96,384 in London
£62,414 in Scotland · £56,164 in London
Road transport drivers n.e.c.
+6%£33,040 in Scotland · £31,057 in London
£52,679 in Scotland · £50,407 in London
£47,545 in Scotland · £45,576 in London
£44,081 in Scotland · £42,403 in London
£29,642 in Scotland · £28,700 in London
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | London | Scotland | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers | £28,345 | £28,211 | +0.5% |
| Care workers and home carers | £23,434 | £23,545 | -0.5% |
| Medical radiographers | £48,625 | £48,911 | -0.6% |
| Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c. | £27,718 | £27,964 | -0.9% |
| Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors | £51,629 | £51,114 | +1% |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional), Table 15. Comparison covers the 117 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.