Research Scientist Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland.
Median salary — Scotland
£39,306
gross, per year, all employees
▼ 10.4% change on the previous year
Mean
£41,790
What a typical research scientist takes home
On the median of £39,306, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,647
Take-home a year
£31,762
Income Tax
£5,405
National Insurance
£2,139
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Other researchers, unspecified discipline
- SOC 2020 code
- 2162
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
ONS doesn't measure “research scientist” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Other researchers, unspecified discipline”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS measures a residual group - researchers whose discipline ONS does not record.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Research Scientist salary FAQs
What is the average Research Scientist salary in Scotland?
The median is £39,306 a year and the mean is £41,790, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a research scientist earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £23.54 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
Do research scientists in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £39,306 against £42,463 across the UK, 7.4% lower.
Has research scientist pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at -10.4% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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