Data Scientist salary: London vs Manchester
Manchester pays 25-35% below London for the same role — cost-of-living gap typically equalises real take-home for mid-level professionals.
Data Scientist median · London
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UK · live Adzuna
Data Scientist median · Manchester
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UK · live Adzuna
London market
London salaries are the highest in the UK and carry the largest cost-of-living adjustment. The London premium over the national median is roughly 15-30% depending on role. Remote-first employers have applied downward pressure on this premium, but in-office and hybrid roles in London still command a clear uplift; contract day rates run 20-35% above equivalent Manchester or Birmingham figures.
Manchester market
Manchester is the UK's largest tech hub outside London, with a growing ecosystem of scale-ups, fintech companies and digital agencies. Salaries sit 10-20% below London for the same role, but lower cost of living often gives comparable take-home purchasing power.
Data Scientist salary in London (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
Data Scientist salary in Manchester (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
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