Average salary in Highland
The median full-time salary for jobs in Highland is £38,272 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,586 a month.
Where Highland ranks
Highland ranks 132nd of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 18th of 32 in Scotland. Its Band D council tax ranks 334th of 348 across all areas and 21st 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 | £38,272 | 132nd of 348 | 18th of 32 |
| Median pay, residents | £39,740 | 144th of 348 | 17th of 32 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,586 | 133rd of 348 | 18th of 32 |
| Band D council tax a year | £1,633.99 | 334th of 348 | 21st 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 Highland: West Northamptonshire (£38,313), Brent (£38,311), Barnet (£38,294), Cardiff (£38,225), Rutland (£38,186) and Chelmsford (£38,181). UK occupations with a median close to the Highland median of £38,272: managers and directors in retail and wholesale (£38,447), nannies and au pairs (£38,447), mining and quarry workers and related operatives (£38,301) and managers and proprietors in agriculture and horticulture (£38,182).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Highland
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Highland rose 0.7%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. That is a change of less than 1%. 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 | £22,186 | £1,849 | £19,533 | £1,628 |
| 25th percentile | £28,175 | £2,348 | £23,845 | £1,987 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,272 | £3,189 | £31,028 | £2,586 |
| 75th percentile | £48,007 | £4,001 | £37,027 | £3,086 |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at Scottish rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for jobs in Highland as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.2%.
People who work in Highland and people who live there
The median for people who live in Highland is £39,740, which is £1,468 (3.8%) higher than the £38,272 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 144th of 348 and the jobs median 132nd of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 1.9%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Highland, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Highland, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Highland as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.6%.
Take-home pay and council tax
On the median salary for jobs in Highland, take-home pay is about £2,586 a month at Scottish income tax rates. Band D council tax in Highland for 2026/27 is £1,633.99 a year, about £136 a month, leaving about £2,450 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 Highland: 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.
Highland and other areas in Scotland
Among these 7 areas, Highland has the 4th highest median and the 4th highest amount left after Band D council tax. Medians run from £34,920 in Moray to £41,161 in Midlothian.
| Area | Median salary | Take-home a month | Left after Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlothian | £41,161 | £2,757 | £2,606 |
| Glasgow City | £40,554 | £2,721 | £2,579 |
| Falkirk | £40,519 | £2,719 | £2,576 |
| Highland | £38,272 | £2,586 | £2,450 |
| Inverclyde | £37,929 | £2,565 | £2,426 |
| Fife | £37,885 | £2,563 | £2,432 |
| Moray | £34,920 | £2,387 | £2,243 |
The areas either side of Highland 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 Highland compares with Scotland and the UK
The median for jobs in Highland is £1,447 (3.6%) lower than the Scotland median and £767 (2.0%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
| Area | Median, jobs there | Median, residents | Take-home a month (Scottish rates) | Average rent, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland | £38,272 | £39,740 | £2,586 | 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 Highland (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,186, a quarter pay less than £28,175, half pay less than £38,272 and a quarter pay more than £48,007. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,586 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Highland ranks 132nd of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 18th of 32 in Scotland. Its median of £38,272 is £767 (2.0%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The median full-time salary for jobs in Highland is £38,272. 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 £31,028 a year or £2,586 a month.
Band D council tax in Highland is £1,633.99 for 2026/27, about £136 a month, which ranks 334th of 348 council areas and 21st of 32 in Scotland. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.