Average salary in City of Edinburgh
The median full-time salary for jobs in City of Edinburgh is £43,715 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,907 a month.
Where City of Edinburgh ranks
City of Edinburgh ranks 31st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 4th of 32 in Scotland. Its Band D council tax ranks 336th of 348 across all areas and 23rd of 32 in Scotland. There is no rent rank because ONS does not publish rents for Scottish council areas.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £43,715 | 31st of 348 | 4th of 32 |
| Median pay, residents | £43,169 | 85th of 348 | 7th of 32 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,907 | 31st of 348 | 4th of 32 |
| Band D council tax a year | £1,626.05 | 336th of 348 | 23rd of 32 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to City of Edinburgh: Newham (£44,347), East Dunbartonshire (£44,229), Aberdeen City (£43,719), Oxford (£43,502), Bromley (£43,474) and Reigate and Banstead (£43,296). UK occupations with a median close to the City of Edinburgh median of £43,715: fire service officers (watch manager and below) (£44,033), protective service associate professionals n.e.c. (£44,007), quality control and planning engineers (£43,592) and physiotherapists (£43,532).
Pay range for full-time jobs in City of Edinburgh
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in City of Edinburgh rose 5.3%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For Scotland as a whole it was a rise of 3.7%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,961 | £2,163 | £22,251 | £1,854 |
| 25th percentile | £31,620 | £2,635 | £26,305 | £2,192 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £43,715 | £3,643 | £34,881 | £2,907 |
| 75th percentile | £63,327 | £5,277 | £45,470 | £3,789 |
| 90th percentile | £89,554 | £7,463 | £59,721 | £4,977 |
Take-home at Scottish rates. ONS rates the median for jobs in City of Edinburgh as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.1%.
People who work in City of Edinburgh and people who live there
The median for people who live in City of Edinburgh is £43,169, which is £546 (1.2%) lower than the £43,715 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 85th of 348 and the jobs median 31st of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 7.7%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in City of Edinburgh, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in City of Edinburgh, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for City of Edinburgh as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.9%.
Take-home pay and council tax
On the median salary for jobs in City of Edinburgh, take-home pay is about £2,907 a month at Scottish income tax rates. Band D council tax in City of Edinburgh for 2026/27 is £1,626.05 a year, about £136 a month, leaving about £2,771 a month before rent or a mortgage and other bills.
This is the Band D charge set by the council. It does not include Scottish Water's water and sewerage charges, which are billed with council tax. We do not show rents for City of Edinburgh: ONS publishes Scottish rents for Broad Rental Market Areas, which do not match council areas, so there is no council area rent to compare with pay.
City of Edinburgh and other areas in Scotland
Among these 7 areas, City of Edinburgh has the highest median and the highest amount left after Band D council tax. Medians run from £34,239 in Dumfries and Galloway to £43,715 in City of Edinburgh.
| Area | Median salary | Take-home a month | Left after Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Edinburgh | £43,715 | £2,907 | £2,771 |
| Argyll and Bute | £40,067 | £2,692 | £2,543 |
| Aberdeenshire | £40,032 | £2,690 | £2,549 |
| Dundee City | £36,219 | £2,464 | £2,320 |
| Clackmannanshire | £36,036 | £2,453 | £2,313 |
| Angus | £34,692 | £2,374 | £2,241 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | £34,239 | £2,347 | £2,215 |
The areas either side of City of Edinburgh in the alphabetical list for Scotland, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 32 in the Scotland table.
How City of Edinburgh compares with Scotland and the UK
The median for jobs in City of Edinburgh is £3,996 (10.1%) higher than the Scotland median and £4,676 (12.0%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
| Area | Median, jobs there | Median, residents | Take-home a month (Scottish rates) | Average rent, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Edinburgh | £43,715 | £43,169 | £2,907 | Not available |
| Scotland | £39,719 | £39,905 | £2,671 | £1,013 |
| United Kingdom | £39,039 | £39,039 | £2,631 | £1,400 |
Related pages
Every area in the Scotland table, salary by job, the take home pay calculator, rent affordability calculator and cost of living calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional. Take-home: 2026/27 Scottish rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 8: earnings by place of residence, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- Council tax datasets: Council Tax by band 2026/27 (Scottish Government)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
There is no official definition of a good salary. ONS figures for full-time jobs in City of Edinburgh (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £25,961, a quarter pay less than £31,620, half pay less than £43,715, a quarter pay more than £63,327 and one in ten pay more than £89,554. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,907 a month at 2026/27 rates.
City of Edinburgh ranks 31st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 4th of 32 in Scotland. Its median of £43,715 is £4,676 (12.0%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The median full-time salary for jobs in City of Edinburgh is £43,715. At Scottish income tax rates for 2026/27, with National Insurance, tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan, take-home pay is about £34,881 a year or £2,907 a month.
Band D council tax in City of Edinburgh is £1,626.05 for 2026/27, about £136 a month, which ranks 336th of 348 council areas and 23rd of 32 in Scotland. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.