Workers in the North of the UK have become more likely to receive a pay rise than their Southern counterparts, according to the new Salary Trends Report 2025 from Totaljobs.
The research, drawing on 17.5 million online job adverts and a survey of 3,000 people, found that 84% of employees in the North East benefited from a boost in pay last year, compared with just 69% in the South East.
Excluding London, Northern regions outperformed the South for salary growth, with 83% of workers in Northern Ireland receiving a pay rise, followed by Scotland (78%), the North West (77%) and Yorkshire (73%). Meanwhile, the South West of England also lagged behind, seeing 70% of employees enjoy a pay increase.
Despite these trends, London remains the best-paid region overall, with 77% of those in the capital reporting a salary bump. Totaljobs said the figures point to a shifting economic landscape, in which Northern hubs such as Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh are gaining prominence as cost-of-living advantages attract more talent.
The highest paying sectors in Newcastle, the largest employment hub in the North East, are Legal (£44.2k average salary), Technology (£43.8k) and Engineering (£42.7k). In Belfast, top-earning jobs include Technology (£42.5k), Property (£41.1k) and Education (£40.4k). North of the border, Edinburgh offers especially strong prospects in Technology (£49.8k), Insurance (£48.4k) and Construction (£45.2k).
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