Public sector jobs in Scotland

Scotland runs its own NHS, schools, councils and devolved government, with separate pay deals and job sites from the rest of the UK. NHS jobs are on the NHS Scotland jobs site, council and most school jobs are on myjobscotland, and the Scottish Government and its agencies recruit through their own careers pages. Pay for nurses and teachers is generally higher than in England, but Scottish income tax takes a bigger share above about £30,000.

Where to find jobs

Most Scottish public sector vacancies sit on a few sites. myjobscotland carries jobs for every Scottish council, including teaching and school support roles, plus some other public bodies. NHS Scotland jobs, for all territorial and special health boards, are on the NHS Scotland recruitment site rather than NHS Jobs. The Scottish Government, Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and agencies such as Transport Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service each advertise on their own sites. UK Civil Service jobs based in Scotland, for example in HMRC or DWP, appear on Civil Service Jobs.

Applications follow familiar patterns: a supporting statement against a person specification for NHS jobs, and an application form with competency or values questions for councils.

Teachers

Teaching in Scotland is governed by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), not the English STPCD. There are no academies; schools are run by councils. Under a two-year deal, pay rose by 3.25 per cent from 1 August 2026:

Post	From 1 August 2026
Probationer	£36,159
Main grade	£43,383 to £54,453
Principal teacher	£59,367 to £76,617
Depute and head teacher	£67,332 to £124,365

New teachers do their probation year in a Scottish school and must register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). Teachers qualified elsewhere in the UK can apply to GTCS for registration. Details are in teacher pay in Scotland.

NHS Scotland

NHS Scotland uses Agenda for Change bands with fewer pay points and higher values than England. From 1 April 2026, band 5 runs from £34,494 to £42,977 and band 6 from £43,169 to £52,603, after a 3.75 per cent award. If average CPI for 2026 exceeds 2.75 per cent, a top-up is due in March 2027. Staff join the NHS Pension Scheme (Scotland), with contribution tiers starting at 5.7 per cent. The structure of health boards is covered in health services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Councils

Scottish council staff are covered by the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) for local government employees, not the NJC Green Book used in England and Wales. Pay spines, grades and leave differ, so do not assume English figures apply. Council staff join the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland), a separate scheme with its own contribution bands. Check each council’s grading and the SJC agreement for current rates.

Police, fire and the Civil Service

Policing in Scotland is run by a single national force, Police Scotland, with its own recruitment, training at the Scottish Police College and pay negotiated through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland. English police pay scales do not apply. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is also a single national service; firefighter pay follows the UK-wide NJC for fire and rescue, which set 3.8 per cent from 1 July 2026, giving £31,539 in development and £40,358 once competent.

Scottish Government civil servants are part of the UK Home Civil Service but recruit and set pay separately. UK departments with big Scottish sites, including HMRC, DWP and the Office for National Statistics, advertise on Civil Service Jobs and pay UK departmental rates, though staff living in Scotland still pay Scottish income tax.

Tax, student loans and checks

If you live in Scotland you pay Scottish income tax, and your tax code starts with S. In 2026/27 there are six bands:

• 19 per cent starter rate from £12,571 to £16,537
• 20 per cent basic from £16,538 to £29,526
• 21 per cent intermediate from £29,527 to £43,662
• 42 per cent higher from £43,663 to £75,000
• 45 per cent advanced from £75,001 to £125,140
• 48 per cent top rate above £125,140

National Insurance is the same as the rest of the UK. Graduates who studied in Scotland usually repay a Plan 4 loan, with a threshold of £33,795 a year. More in Scottish S tax codes and rates and student loan Plan 4.

Background checks use Disclosure Scotland. Roles with children or protected adults need PVG membership, £59 to join and £18 to renew, free for volunteers. A five-year PVG membership model started on 1 April 2026, so existing members will be asked to renew periodically.

Moving from England to a Scottish job

Changing from an English trust or council to a Scottish employer means a new employer, a new pension scheme and a different tax code. Ask HMRC to update your address so the S code is applied; moving to or from Scotland explains what happens. NMC and HCPC registration work UK-wide, but teachers need GTCS registration before taking up a permanent post.