Average salary in Aberdeen, UK
ONS data for April 2025 · Page updated
Aberdeen has the highest full-time median of any Scottish city, just ahead of Edinburgh, driven by the oil, gas and wider energy sector. Its pay is more sensitive to the energy industry's cycle than most UK cities.
- Median full-time pay
- £43,719
- Change on a year earlier
- +2.6%
- Compared with the UK
- +12%
- Full-time jobs
- 92k
How pay is spread in Aberdeen
Line: 10th to 90th percentile. Bar: the middle half of earners (25th to 75th). Mark and label: median. Where ONS doesn't publish the 90th percentile, the line stops at the highest published point.
| Full-time annual pay | Aberdeen | Scotland | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,475 | £24,591 | £23,990 |
| 25th percentile | £30,520 | £29,635 | £29,262 |
| Median | £43,719 | £39,719 | £39,039 |
| 75th percentile | £58,902 | £52,500 | £54,009 |
| 90th percentile | – | £71,307 | £76,903 |
| Mean | £49,411 | £45,586 | £48,512 |
– ONS doesn't publish this figure because the sample is too small to be reliable.
These are gross annual earnings for full-time employee jobs based in Aberdeen, wherever the employee lives. The median is the middle salary: half of full-time jobs pay more, half pay less. The mean is pulled up by a small number of very high earners, so the median is the better guide to a typical salary. Figures cover Aberdeen City Council's area.
Take-home pay in Scotland depends on Scottish income tax bands, which differ from the rest of the UK. Use the Scottish rates on GOV.UK to work out take-home pay for a salary in Aberdeen.
Who employs people in Aberdeen
Oil and gas operators, engineering and offshore service companies, and a growing energy transition sector are the city's defining employers, alongside the NHS, two universities and the public sector.
Negotiating pay in Aberdeen
Scottish income tax. If you live in Scotland you pay Scottish rates, with more bands and a 42% higher rate that starts below the rest-of-UK threshold. Above roughly £30,000, the same gross salary takes home a little less than it would in England, so compare offers on take-home pay if you're weighing a move across the border.
Offshore and rotation terms. For offshore or rotational roles, the day rate or salary is only part of the package. Rotation pattern, offshore allowances, travel time and training certificates all affect what the job is worth. Get every element in writing.
Transferable energy skills. Engineers moving into renewables can use oil and gas pay as a benchmark. If a new employer pays less, ask whether the gap can be closed with a signing bonus or a guaranteed review.
A city median is a starting point, not a target. What you should ask for depends on your role, level and the employer. Check the pay ranges by role, or see where your salary sits in Aberdeen.
Negotiating a job or pay rise in Aberdeen?
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Pay in nearby cities
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 7.7a (work geography). Gross annual pay for full-time employee jobs, April 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See how we use this data.