Official ONS earnings · 145 occupations compared
Scotland vs West Midlands
Typical pay is about 5% higher in Scotland, but that headline hides a lot: West Midlands pays more for 60 of the 145 occupations measured in both.
Scotland
£34,625
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 224
- Highest paid
- £114,012
- Lowest paid
- £8,510
West Midlands
£32,969
typical occupation median
- Occupations measured
- 206
- Highest paid
- £79,812
- Lowest paid
- £3,823
Where Scotland pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in Scotland's favour.
Financial accounts managers
+32.6%£47,214 in Scotland · £35,609 in West Midlands
Business associate professionals n.e.c.
+31.3%£37,917 in Scotland · £28,883 in West Midlands
Cleaners and domestics
+31.3%£12,791 in Scotland · £9,744 in West Midlands
Pharmaceutical technicians
+30.8%£30,107 in Scotland · £23,018 in West Midlands
£34,800 in Scotland · £26,624 in West Midlands
Chemical and related process operatives
+30.6%£39,079 in Scotland · £29,933 in West Midlands
Housing officers
+29.8%£34,866 in Scotland · £26,858 in West Midlands
£44,338 in Scotland · £34,398 in West Midlands
Where West Midlands pays more
Biggest proportional gaps in West Midlands's favour.
Business, research and administrative professionals n.e.c.
+25.3%£57,568 in West Midlands · £43,026 in Scotland
£59,169 in West Midlands · £44,511 in Scotland
£62,074 in West Midlands · £47,701 in Scotland
Environmental health professionals
+21.5%£40,134 in West Midlands · £31,488 in Scotland
Other health professionals n.e.c.
+18.3%£42,065 in West Midlands · £34,364 in Scotland
Groundworkers
+17%£38,406 in West Midlands · £31,888 in Scotland
Research and development (R&D) managers
+16.9%£61,923 in West Midlands · £51,456 in Scotland
£43,100 in West Midlands · £35,842 in Scotland
Jobs that pay the same in both
Where location makes almost no difference to the median.
| Occupation | Scotland | West Midlands | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance officers | £29,387 | £29,378 | 0% |
| Quality assurance and regulatory professionals | £49,587 | £49,480 | +0.2% |
| Customer service occupations n.e.c. | £23,553 | £23,488 | +0.3% |
| Dental nurses | £23,361 | £23,472 | -0.5% |
| Business sales executives | £34,489 | £34,710 | -0.6% |
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 145 four-digit SOC 2020 occupations with a published median in both regions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.