Scotland’s best and worst areas for pay shown in interactive map – see full list

An interactive map showing the areas of Scotland with the highest and lowest wages has been revealed.

Using data from the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, based on a one per cent sample of full-time jobs taken from HMRC’s Pay As You Earn (PAYE) records, it shows the difference in median pay in council areas across Scotland and the UK.

According to the statistics, the Shetland Islands is the area of Scotland with the highest median wages. Workers in Shetland were found to earn £859 per week, and £44,052 per year.

Glasgow is in second place, with a median weekly wage of £750 and a median annual wage of £37,433. Edinburgh follows closely behind, where workers earn a median of £746 per week and £37,430 per year.

Rounding out the top five are Aberdeen and the Orkney Islands. The former has an annual median salary of £37,555 according to the statistics, while workers in Orkney were found to earn a median of £37,252 per year.

On the other hand, according to the figures, the median annual pay in the Scottish Borders is just £30,143. Meanwhile, the weekly median pay in the area was found to be £652.

The Scottish region with the second-lowest median yearly pay is East Renfrewshire, with £30,497, while Dumfries and Galloway follows behind in third with £30,633. Rounding out the top five are East Dunbartonshire and Clackmannanshire, where median annual salaries are £30,646 and £31,739 respectively.

Looking at Scotland as a whole, the median annual full-time wage is £35,518. This is higher than Wales (£32,371), Northern Ireland (£32,879), and most areas of England, though is significantly lower than London (£44,370).

Scottish areas with the highest median annual salaries

1. Shetland Islands — £44,052
2. Glasgow — £37,433
3. Edinburgh — £37,430
4. Aberdeen — £37,555
5. Orkney Islands — £37,252

Scottish areas with the lowest median annual salaries

1. Scottish Borders — £30,143
2. East Renfrewshire — £30,497
3. Dumfries and Galloway — £30,633
4. East Dunbartonshire — £30,646
5. Clackmannanshire — £31,739

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