Official ONS earnings · 164 occupations compared
Scotland vs South East
Typical pay is about 1% higher in South East, but that headline hides a lot: Scotland pays more for 71 of the 164 occupations measured in both.
Scotland
£34,625
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 224
- Highest paid
- £114,012
- Lowest paid
- £8,510
South East
£34,801
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 237
- Highest paid
- £95,391
- Lowest paid
- £3,432
Where Scotland pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Scotland's favour.
Specialist medical practitioners
+44.7%£114,012 in Scotland · £78,811 in South East
£51,665 in Scotland · £39,896 in South East
£59,371 in Scotland · £46,309 in South East
Paper and wood machine operatives
+26.5%£32,794 in Scotland · £25,929 in South East
Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors
+26.3%£54,497 in Scotland · £43,158 in South East
£47,035 in Scotland · £37,639 in South East
Early education and childcare assistants
+24%£23,802 in Scotland · £19,191 in South East
£48,035 in Scotland · £39,131 in South East
Where South East pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in South East's favour.
£67,902 in South East · £47,701 in Scotland
£55,001 in South East · £39,116 in Scotland
IT project managers
+24.8%£60,219 in South East · £45,306 in Scotland
Purchasing managers and directors
+21.9%£54,694 in South East · £42,716 in Scotland
£63,289 in South East · £49,688 in Scotland
£48,248 in South East · £38,478 in Scotland
Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.
+20%£44,778 in South East · £35,823 in Scotland
National government administrative occupations
+19.1%£36,296 in South East · £29,381 in Scotland
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | Scotland | South East | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business and financial project management professionals | £58,985 | £58,958 | 0% |
| Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers | £45,435 | £45,436 | -0% |
| Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants | £29,422 | £29,400 | +0.1% |
| Educational support assistants | £16,412 | £16,401 | +0.1% |
| Travel agents | £26,261 | £26,213 | +0.2% |
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.