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City of Edinburgh: senior pay and councillor allowances
Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.
In its draft statement of accounts for 2025-26, City of Edinburgh reports total remuneration of £213,914 for its chief executive (excluding employer pension contributions), 56 employees paid £100,000 or more, and £2,048,048 paid in members' allowances.
Key figures
- £213,914Chief Executive, 2025-26
- 56Staff paid £100,000 or more, 2025-26
- £2,048,048Members' allowances, 2025-26
- £25,982Basic allowance per councillor, 2025-26
Chief Executive
Total remuneration of £213,914 in 2025-26, excluding employer pension contributions. That is up 8.2% on 2024-25 (£197,711). The median among the 4 other Scottish councils collected so far is £201,192.
From the accounts: P. Lawrence, Chief Executive. 2025/26: salary, fees and allowances 213,014; non-cash expenses/benefits-in-kind 900; total remuneration 213,914 (2024/25 197,711). Excludes returning officer fees (£234 approved for 2025/26). In-year pension contributions shown separately: 37,490 (year to 31.03.2026) and 34,479 (year to 31.03.2025). A total including pension is not printed.
PDF pages 136 and 140 (printed pages 135 and 139)
Employees paid £50,000 or more
3,244 employees in 2025-26, up 14.8% on 2024-25 (2,827). 56 were paid £100,000 or more, 10.5 per 100,000 residents. The median among the 4 other Scottish councils collected so far is 9.8 per 100,000.
| Band | 2025-26 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
£50,000 to £54,999Details for £50,000 to £54,999 | 1,735 | 1,509 |
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£55,000 to £59,999Details for £55,000 to £59,999 | 412 | 298 |
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£60,000 to £64,999Details for £60,000 to £64,999 | 303 | 413 |
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£65,000 to £69,999Details for £65,000 to £69,999 | 275 | 186 |
| ||
£70,000 to £74,999Details for £70,000 to £74,999 | 163 | 170 |
| ||
£75,000 to £79,999Details for £75,000 to £79,999 | 150 | 82 |
| ||
£80,000 to £84,999Details for £80,000 to £84,999 | 79 | 65 |
| ||
£85,000 to £89,999Details for £85,000 to £89,999 | 29 | 31 |
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£90,000 to £94,999Details for £90,000 to £94,999 | 29 | 20 |
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£95,000 to £99,999Details for £95,000 to £99,999 | 13 | 28 |
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£100,000 to £104,999Details for £100,000 to £104,999 | 28 | 4 |
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£105,000 to £109,999Details for £105,000 to £109,999 | 7 | 6 |
| ||
£110,000 to £114,999Details for £110,000 to £114,999 | 3 | 0 |
| ||
£115,000 to £119,999Details for £115,000 to £119,999 | 1 | 1 |
| ||
£120,000 to £124,999Details for £120,000 to £124,999 | 1 | 1 |
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£125,000 to £129,999Details for £125,000 to £129,999 | 2 | 3 |
| ||
£130,000 to £134,999Details for £130,000 to £134,999 | 0 | 0 |
| ||
£135,000 to £139,999Details for £135,000 to £139,999 | 2 | 0 |
| ||
£140,000 to £144,999Details for £140,000 to £144,999 | 2 | 3 |
| ||
£145,000 to £149,999Details for £145,000 to £149,999 | 5 | 3 |
| ||
£150,000 to £164,999Details for £150,000 to £164,999 | 0 | 0 |
| ||
£165,000 to £169,999Details for £165,000 to £169,999 | 1 | 0 |
| ||
£170,000 to £174,999Details for £170,000 to £174,999 | 0 | 1 |
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£175,000 to £189,999Details for £175,000 to £189,999 | 0 | 0 |
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£190,000 to £194,999Details for £190,000 to £194,999 | 3 | 2 |
| ||
£195,000 to £199,999Details for £195,000 to £199,999 | 0 | 0 |
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£200,000 to £204,999Details for £200,000 to £204,999 | 0 | 1 |
| ||
£205,000 to £209,999Details for £205,000 to £209,999 | 0 | 0 |
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£210,000 to £214,999Details for £210,000 to £214,999 | 1 | 0 |
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£215,000 to £219,999Details for £215,000 to £219,999 | 0 | 0 |
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Includes senior officers. From the accounts: 'The total number of Council employees receiving more than £50,000 remuneration for the year (including early retirement / voluntary release costs)'. Note 1: 'The total number of Council employees in the table above includes the Council's Senior Officers'. Totals 3,244 (2025/26) and 2,827 (2024/25). The note does not say whether teachers are included.
Source: City of Edinburgh, Unaudited annual accounts 2025-26 – The City of Edinburgh Council (draft), PDF page 137 (printed page 136), Remuneration report. Read by hand; checked 2026-09-24.
Councillors' allowances
£2,048,048 in 2025-26, up 15.9% on 2024-25 (£1,766,456), or £3.85 per resident. The median among the 4 other Scottish councils collected so far is £5.58 per resident.
The basic allowance for each councillor is £25,982 a year (2025-26). It is set nationally: £25,982 for 2025-26.
From the accounts: "Salaries 2,017,640 (2024/25 1,730,980); Expenses claimed by councillors 0 (325); paid directly by the Council 30,408 (35,151); Total 2,048,048 (1,766,456)" (PDF page 135 (printed page 134), Remuneration report 'Members' Salaries and Expenses')
What this data does and doesn't show
- Every figure is as City of Edinburgh printed it, in accounts that have not yet been audited. Counts in the £100,000 figure are our sum of the council's bands.
- Comparisons are with the other Scottish councils read so far; no national figure is published for England.
- Scottish councillors are paid salaries under national regulations; there is no separate local basic allowance/SRA split. Basic rate is the national councillor remuneration for 2025-26 (SSI 2025/8). The accounts note the overall pay award for Senior Councillors in 2025/26 was 11.6%. The council's separate annual councillors' salaries and expenses publication was not located in the time available.