Official ONS earnings · 117 occupations compared
North East vs Scotland
Typical pay is about 11% higher in Scotland, but that headline hides a lot: North East pays more for 39 of the 117 occupations measured in both.
North East
£30,758
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 142
- Highest paid
- £72,472
- Lowest paid
- £10,408
Scotland
£34,625
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 224
- Highest paid
- £114,012
- Lowest paid
- £8,510
Where North East pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in North East's favour.
Specialist nurses
+29.3%£48,666 in North East · £37,636 in Scotland
Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods)
+28%£36,191 in North East · £28,269 in Scotland
CAD, drawing and architectural technicians
+20%£39,724 in North East · £33,117 in Scotland
Process operatives n.e.c.
+19.3%£33,202 in North East · £27,828 in Scotland
Research and development (R&D) managers
+18.3%£60,883 in North East · £51,456 in Scotland
Scaffolders, stagers and riggers
+18.2%£42,178 in North East · £35,696 in Scotland
Debt, rent and other cash collectors
+16.6%£31,744 in North East · £27,229 in Scotland
£20,256 in North East · £17,529 in Scotland
Where Scotland pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Scotland's favour.
Other psychologists
+45.8%£48,890 in Scotland · £26,497 in North East
£51,665 in Scotland · £32,157 in North East
Project support officers
+34.1%£37,555 in Scotland · £24,743 in North East
Business associate professionals n.e.c.
+28.2%£37,917 in Scotland · £27,231 in North East
£54,668 in Scotland · £39,722 in North East
Housing officers
+26.3%£34,866 in Scotland · £25,709 in North East
Construction and building trades supervisors
+26.1%£46,621 in Scotland · £34,453 in North East
Metal working machine operatives
+24.6%£32,642 in Scotland · £24,610 in North East
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | North East | Scotland | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food, drink and tobacco process operatives | £27,669 | £27,681 | -0% |
| Postal workers, mail sorters and messengers | £28,568 | £28,601 | -0.1% |
| Other nursing professionals | £36,385 | £36,254 | +0.4% |
| Routine inspectors and testers | £35,220 | £35,071 | +0.4% |
| Financial administrative occupations n.e.c. | £24,567 | £24,746 | -0.7% |
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 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.