Data Scientist · Scotland · 2026
Data Scientist salary in Scotland
Data scientists apply statistics and machine learning to build models that predict, classify and optimise. In the UK the title concentrates in tech, finance and increasingly in AI-focused teams. Across Scotland, hiring concentrates in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee. This guide also covers Machine Learning Engineer roles — titles UK official statistics class within the same occupation.
The ladder
| Level | Range | Lower end | Median | Upper end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | £24,000 | £28,500 | £43,000 | |
| Mid | £39,000 | £46,000 | £69,000 | |
| Senior | £51,500 | £60,500 | £91,000 | |
| Lead | £67,000 | £79,000 | £118,500 |
About these figures: the medians are ONS ASHE 2025 figures for Scotland, aligned to the “Actuaries, economists and statisticians” occupation (SOC 2433). The lower and upper ends, and the junior-to-lead steps, are modelled from those medians with fixed ratios rather than measured separately. Inside Morganson, the salary check also blends in live salaries from employers' own job ads.
By region vs the UK median
| London | £62,000 | +29% |
|---|---|---|
| South East England | £52,000 | +8% |
| North West England | £47,000 | −2% |
| Yorkshire | £44,000 | −8% |
| Scotland | £46,000 | −4% |
Scotland's mid-level median of £46,000 sits 4% below the UK-wide £48,000. The senior median is 2.1× the junior one, and the top of the ladder reaches £118,500 — a level about one in ten lead roles passes.
Data Scientist pay across the UK →
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