Are you better off working north of the border? These professions are

While jobs such as doctors, waiters, cleaners and electricians may not have much in common in a professional capacity, the latest research from finance experts, RIFT, has found that they are all better off working north of the border when it comes to the average salary even after taking tax into account.

RIFT analysed the current earnings of 17 of the nation’s most popular and prominent professions, looking at their net earnings after tax in both England and Scotland, to see which side of the border is better when it comes to their take home pay.*

Generally speaking, England is that little bit better when it comes to the tax paid on our earnings. With the average gross UK salary currently sitting at £35,404, those in England would pay £6,394 per year in tax – £65 less than the £6,459 paid by the average Scot.

However, even after taking tax into account, the research by RIFT shows that no less of the 12 professions analysed are better off working north of the border when it comes to their annual net earnings.

Take doctors for example. A medical practitioner earns an average gross salary of £61,900 a year in England – £46,459 after tax. In Scotland, they earn an average of £87,295 per year and although they pay almost £14,000 more a year in tax, they still take home £58,477 a year – £12,000 more than the average doctor in England.

The average earnings of a social worker comes in at £35,227 in Scotland, and while they pay £909 a year more in tax than their English counterparts, their net income of £28,885 is over £2,000 more.

Police officers also make more north of the border, earning a gross annual income of £43,387 versus £41,547 in England, with the average income after tax of £34,613 sitting £1,180 above English bobbies on the beat.

The average nurse in Scotland also earns £1,121 more per year after tax, while cleaners (£611), teachers (£591), accountants (£526) and hairdressers (£521) earn over £500 more per year after tax compared to their English counterparts.

The average income of electricians (£347), chefs (£261) and plumbers (£33) also comes in higher in Scotland, but not every profession is better off north of the border.

The average solicitor earns £5,125 more in England after tax, with vets (£3,250), postmen (£864), florists (£311) and bus drivers (£259) also better off south of the border.

Bradley Post, MD of RIFT, commented:

“While it may be part of the UK, the Scottish income tax system differs to that found in England and so too does the average earnings on offer from one profession to the next.

Although inflation may be easing, many households are still struggling with the higher cost of living and so a move north of the border could be the right one for you if you’re looking to boost your paycheck.”