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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Revealed: The key UK cities where workers are underpaid

…With those in the North being most likely to believe they are

Ever felt as if you’re not getting paid what you deserve? You’re not alone. New research from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, has found that two-thirds (65.3%) of Brits believe that they’re underpaid.
What’s more, the survey of over 1,200 UK workers reveals the cities where workers were most likely to believe that they’re underpaid, including:
  • Aberdeen - 93.8%
  • Edinburgh - 75.9%
  • Newcastle - 71.4%
  • Glasgow - 68.8%
  • Liverpool - 67.2%
  • Bristol – 66.7%
  • Leeds – 65.8%
  • Manchester – 65.1%
  • London – 64.8%
  • Sheffield – 61.1%
Further analysis from CV-Library looked at average pay within each of these UK cities and explored how they fared against the UK’s average salary of £33,200*. This is outlined in more detail below:
City
Salary**
Percentage difference in pay against national average
Aberdeen
£37,325 (Overpaid)
+12%
Edinburgh
£32,147 (Underpaid)
-3%
Newcastle
£29,847 (Underpaid)
-10%
Glasgow
£32,361 (Underpaid)
-3%
Liverpool
£31,474 (Underpaid)
-5%
Bristol
£34,329 (Overpaid)
+3%
Leeds
£30,706 (Underpaid)
-8%
Manchester
£31,682 (Underpaid)
-5%
London
£38,315 (Overpaid)
+15%
Sheffield
£29,686 (Underpaid)
-11%
 
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments: “We often hear that candidates look for a new job to secure a higher salary, so we wanted to explore how true this sentiment is in the UK, comparing the insights against our own salary data. It certainly confirms that the vast majority of workers believe that they’re underpaid and it’s clear that this feeling is more apparent in the North.
 
“London continues to offer the highest salaries, though living costs in the capital should be taken into account as these can impact take home pay massively. What’s more, the fact that the cost of living in Aberdeen is considerably lower and average pay only falls behind London by £990, suggests that those looking to earn more could consider a move to North-East Scotland!”
If in doubt, always check the average pay for your role by using an online salary guide.