Scotland — Median Salary by Industry Sector
ONS ASHE Table 5.7a · Full-time employees · April 2025 (provisional)
as of April 2025updated annually (last: )Which industry sectors pay the most in Scotland?
As of April 2025 (ONS ASHE), the highest-paying sector in Scotland for full-time workers is Mining & Quarrying at £70,498 (+38.4% the UK sector median). Across all 19 sectors with unsuppressed data, Scotland pays are compared to UK sector medians using real ONS ASHE Table 5.7a figures. GeraJobs re-dates annually.
Gera Sector Pay Gap Index
How far each sector's full-time median in Scotland deviates from the UK sector median. GSPGI = (sectorMedian − ukAllMedian) / ukAllMedian × 100.
How this is calculatedHighest-paying sector in Scotland
Mining & Quarrying
£70,498
+38.4% vs UK Mining & Quarrying median
Lowest-paying sector in Scotland
Accommodation & Food Services
£28,082
−2.1% vs UK Accommodation & Food Services median
UK all-industry median
£39,039
All sectors · Full-time · April 2025 · ONS ASHE
All Industry Sectors in Scotland
19 sectors have unsuppressed ONS data for Scotland. Ranked by regional median pay descending.
| Rank | Sector | SIC | Scotland Median | UK Sector Median | Regional Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mining & Quarrying | B | £70,498 | £50,943 | +38.4% |
| #2 | Electricity & Gas Supply | D | £57,921 | £55,469 | +4.4% |
| #3 | Finance & Insurance | K | £52,438 | £58,488 | −10.3% |
| #4 | Public Administration & Defence | O | £44,416 | £40,879 | +8.7% |
| #5 | Information & Communication | J | £43,801 | £52,264 | −16.2% |
| #6 | Professional & Scientific Services | M | £42,518 | £46,208 | −8.0% |
| #7 | Education | P | £41,541 | £39,999 | +3.9% |
| #8 | Water & Waste Management | E | £40,993 | £40,738 | +0.6% |
| #9 | Construction | F | £40,477 | £43,100 | −6.1% |
| #10 | Transport & Storage | H | £39,650 | £40,056 | −1.0% |
| #11 | Manufacturing | C | £39,572 | £38,956 | +1.6% |
| #12 | Health & Social Work | Q | £38,643 | £35,744 | +8.1% |
| #13 | Real Estate | L | £37,718 | £36,565 | +3.2% |
| #14 | Agriculture & Forestry | A | £35,195 | £32,784 | +7.4% |
| #15 | Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | R | £31,585 | £32,871 | −3.9% |
| #16 | Wholesale & Retail Trade | G | £31,555 | £33,158 | −4.8% |
| #17 | Admin & Support Services | N | £31,070 | £36,109 | −14.0% |
| #18 | Other Services | S | £30,457 | £33,537 | −9.2% |
| #19 | Accommodation & Food Services | I | £28,082 | £28,687 | −2.1% |
Only sectors with unsuppressed ONS data (CV ≤ 20%) are shown. Regional Gap = (regional median − UK sector median) ÷ UK sector median × 100.
Frequently asked questions
- Which sector has the highest salary in Scotland?
- In Scotland, the Mining and Quarrying sector (SIC B) has the highest full-time median salary at £70,498 per year — +38.4% the UK sector median of £50,943. Source: ONS ASHE Table 5.7a, April 2025 (OGL v3.0).
- How do Scotland salaries compare to the UK average by sector?
- Of the 19 sectors for which ONS publishes unsuppressed data in Scotland, 9 pay above their UK sector median and 10 pay below. The regional gap is computed as (Scotland sector median − UK sector median) / UK sector median × 100, using real ONS ASHE Table 5.7a full-time employee figures.
- What is the lowest-paying sector in Scotland?
- Accommodation and Food Service Activities (SIC I) has the lowest full-time median salary in Scotland among sectors ONS publishes without suppression: £28,082 per year (−2.1% the UK sector median of £28,687). Real ONS ASHE Table 5.7a, April 2025.
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Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Table 5.7a (region × 2-digit SIC 2007 industry), full-time employees, April 2025 provisional (OGL v3.0). Gera Sector Pay Gap Index = (sectorMedian − ukAllMedian) / ukAllMedian × 100. Regional gap = (regionMedian − ukSectorMedian) / ukSectorMedian × 100. Only unsuppressed ONS estimates (CV ≤ 20%) shown.