Not all UK cities are created equal when it comes to pay. Here’s the complete ranking for 2026, including both headline salary and real purchasing power.
Read more: See our Salary By Profession guide for a complete overview of this topic.
Read more: See our Cost Of Living guide for a complete overview of this topic.
UK City Salary Rankings 2026
| Rank | City | Median Salary | Mean Salary | vs UK Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | ~£45,000 | ~£50,000 | +29% |
| 2 | Edinburgh | ~£36,000 | ~£39,500 | +3% |
| 3 | Reading | ~£36,000 | ~£39,000 | +3% |
| 4 | Bristol | ~£35,000 | ~£37,500 | 0% |
| 5 | Manchester | ~£34,000 | ~£37,000 | -3% |
| 6 | Cambridge | ~£35,000 | ~£38,000 | 0% |
| 7 | Leeds | ~£33,000 | ~£36,000 | -6% |
| 8 | Glasgow | ~£33,000 | ~£35,500 | -6% |
| 9 | Birmingham | ~£32,000 | ~£35,000 | -9% |
| 10 | Cardiff | ~£31,000 | ~£34,000 | -11% |
| 11 | Nottingham | ~£31,000 | ~£33,500 | -11% |
| 12 | Sheffield | ~£30,500 | ~£33,000 | -13% |
| 13 | Liverpool | ~£30,500 | ~£33,000 | -13% |
| 14 | Newcastle | ~£30,000 | ~£33,000 | -14% |
| 15 | Belfast | ~£30,000 | ~£33,000 | -14% |
| 16 | Southampton | ~£32,000 | ~£35,000 | -9% |
| 17 | Exeter | ~£31,000 | ~£33,500 | -11% |
Adjusted for Cost of Living — The Real Rankings
When housing and living costs are factored in, the picture changes dramatically.
| Rank | City | Median Salary | Monthly After Housing* | Purchasing Power Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belfast | ~£30,000 | ~£1,350 | 1st |
| 2 | Newcastle | ~£30,000 | ~£1,280 | 2nd |
| 3 | Glasgow | ~£33,000 | ~£1,325 | 3rd |
| 4 | Cardiff | ~£31,000 | ~£1,310 | 4th |
| 5 | Sheffield | ~£30,500 | ~£1,270 | 5th |
| 6 | Liverpool | ~£30,500 | ~£1,260 | 6th |
| 7 | Leeds | ~£33,000 | ~£1,280 | 7th |
| 8 | Manchester | ~£34,000 | ~£1,280 | 8th |
| 9 | Nottingham | ~£31,000 | ~£1,250 | 9th |
| 10 | Edinburgh | ~£36,000 | ~£1,275 | 10th |
| 11 | Birmingham | ~£32,000 | ~£1,250 | 11th |
| 12 | Bristol | ~£35,000 | ~£1,200 | 12th |
| 13 | Southampton | ~£32,000 | ~£1,150 | 13th |
| 14 | Reading | ~£36,000 | ~£1,150 | 14th |
| 15 | Cambridge | ~£35,000 | ~£1,050 | 15th |
| 16 | London | ~£45,000 | ~£1,100 | 16th |
*After typical 1-bed rent and essential transport costs, at median salary.
Key Insight
London drops from 1st in headline salary to near the bottom for real purchasing power. Belfast, Newcastle, and Glasgow offer the best bang for your buck.
Best Cities by Sector
Technology
| City | Average Tech Salary | Notable Employers |
|---|---|---|
| London | £55,000-£65,000 | Google, Meta, Amazon, DeepMind |
| Edinburgh | £42,000-£52,000 | Skyscanner, FanDuel, Amazon |
| Bristol | £40,000-£52,000 | Graphcore, Just Eat, Dyson |
| Manchester | £38,000-£50,000 | BBC, Booking.com, THG |
| Belfast | £35,000-£50,000 | Citi, Kainos, Rapid7 |
| Leeds | £35,000-£48,000 | Sky, NHS Digital, TPP |
Financial Services
| City | Average Finance Salary | Notable Employers |
|---|---|---|
| London | £55,000-£80,000 | All major banks, insurers, funds |
| Edinburgh | £40,000-£55,000 | RBS, Standard Life, Baillie Gifford |
| Manchester | £38,000-£50,000 | Barclays, BNY Mellon, AJ Bell |
| Birmingham | £35,000-£48,000 | HSBC UK, Deutsche Bank |
| Leeds | £33,000-£45,000 | First Direct, Yorkshire Building Society |
| Glasgow | £32,000-£45,000 | Morgan Stanley, Barclays |
Healthcare (NHS)
NHS salaries are largely the same nationally (Agenda for Change), with London weighting being the main differentiator.
| City | Band 5 (Nurse) | Band 7 (Senior) | Band 8a (Manager) |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (Inner) | £35,964+ | £50,952+ | £58,972+ |
| London (Outer) | £33,964+ | £48,952+ | £56,972+ |
| Other England | £29,970+ | £46,148+ | £53,755+ |
| Scotland (all) | Similar + Scottish terms | Similar | Similar |
Best Cities for Graduates
| City | Typical Graduate Salary | Rent (1-bed) | After Rent | Best Graduate Sectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | £24,000-£30,000 | £800-£1,100 | £700-£900 | Finance, tech |
| Manchester | £24,000-£30,000 | £700-£950 | £800-£1,000 | Media, tech, finance |
| Leeds | £23,000-£28,000 | £650-£850 | £800-£950 | Legal, digital, finance |
| Bristol | £24,000-£28,000 | £800-£1,100 | £650-£850 | Tech, aerospace, creative |
| Belfast | £21,000-£25,000 | £500-£700 | £850-£1,050 | Tech, finance |
| London | £28,000-£35,000 | £1,300-£1,800 | £400-£650 | All sectors |
Belfast and Leeds offer the best graduate value. London ranks last despite having the highest starting salaries.
Best Cities for Home Ownership
| City | Average House Price | Salary Needed (4.5x single) | Median Salary | Affordable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | ~£185,000 | ~£37,000 | ~£30,000 | Yes (with deposit) |
| Newcastle | ~£195,000 | ~£39,000 | ~£30,000 | Yes (with deposit) |
| Glasgow | ~£180,000 | ~£36,000 | ~£33,000 | Yes |
| Sheffield | ~£200,000 | ~£40,000 | ~£30,500 | Stretching |
| Cardiff | ~£250,000 | ~£50,000 | ~£31,000 | Couple needed |
| Manchester | ~£240,000 | ~£48,000 | ~£34,000 | Couple needed |
| Leeds | ~£250,000 | ~£50,000 | ~£33,000 | Couple needed |
| Edinburgh | ~£310,000 | ~£62,000 | ~£36,000 | Couple needed |
| Bristol | ~£320,000 | ~£64,000 | ~£35,000 | Difficult solo |
| London | ~£530,000 | ~£106,000 | ~£45,000 | Very difficult |
The Verdict — Best Cities for Different Priorities
| Priority | Best City | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Highest headline salary | London | 25-40% premium on most salaries |
| Best purchasing power | Belfast | Lowest UK living costs, competitive pay |
| Best for tech careers | Edinburgh or Manchester | Strong tech scenes, good value |
| Best for finance careers | London or Edinburgh | Dominates sector, Edinburgh is strong 2nd |
| Best for home ownership | Belfast or Glasgow | Achievable on median salary |
| Best for graduates | Leeds or Belfast | Good starting pay relative to costs |
| Best all-rounder | Manchester | Strong salary + good affordability + career options |