Did you know that 38% of under-35s in the UK are considering emigrating in the next five years? The biggest motivations behind these moves are a better quality of life and a lower cost of living. So where can Brits earn the most while enjoying relatively low expenses? To find out, we analysed the average salary for the top 10 most in-demand jobs vs the cost of living across different cities.
More Young UK Workers are Considering Moving Abroad
According to the British Expat Report for 2024:
- 532,000 Brits emigrated last year
- 38% of 25 to 34-year-olds want to leave the UK in the next five years
- 11% of 25 to 34-year-olds are considering moving right now
- 36% of 18 to 24-year-olds are also considering making the move, with 10% wanting to leave right now
The top reasons motivating Brits to move away are:
- Wanting a better quality of life (45%)
- The cost of living crisis (39%)
- The weather (37%)
The top three professions leaving the country currently are:
- IT (48%)
- Healthcare (30%)
- Education (22%)
If you’re considering a move for your career and earning potential, success largely depends on the industry you work in. Looking at the top 10 most popular professions by global search volume, and the top 10 GDP cities around the world, some cities offer much higher earning potential than others.
Top Cities to Earn & Live: US Cities Lead the Way
Best City to Work per Industry
Looking at the top 10 cities by economic power and the 10 most in-demand jobs by search volume, the US cities of Dallas and Seattle lead the way in terms of cost of living vs earnings. Chemical engineers in Tokyo take home the most cash, with the gap between their total cost of living and their salary being just 5%.
| Industry | City | Salary per year | Total COL (Incl. COA) | Total COL vs. Salary | Total COL vs. Salary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineer | Tokyo | £358,610 | £19,698 | £338,912 | 5% |
| Architect | Dallas | £94,271 | £27,429 | £66,842 | 29% |
| Pharmacist | Dallas | £93,505 | £27,429 | £66,075 | 29% |
| Software Engineer | Seattle | £104,235 | £33,362 | £70,873 | 32% |
| Psychologist | Dallas | £78,942 | £27,429 | £51,513 | 35% |
| Mechanical Engineer | Dallas | £78,942 | £27,429 | £51,513 | 35% |
| Nurse | Dallas | £74,344 | £27,429 | £46,915 | 37% |
| Civil Engineer | Seattle | £83,541 | £33,362 | £50,179 | 40% |
| Surveyor | Seattle | £51,351 | £33,362 | £17,989 | 65% |
| Welder | Dallas | £41,388 | £27,429 | £13,958 | 66% |
Worst City to Work per Industry
London makes the most appearances on the “worst cities” list, with the highest total cost of living vs the lowest salaries for most of the top professions.
| Industry | City | Salary per year | Total COL (Incl. COA) | Total COL vs. Salary | Total COL vs. Salary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder | Tokyo | £6,209 | £19,698 | £-13,489 | 317% |
| Nurse | London | £34,000 | £38,698 | £-4,698 | 114% |
| Surveyor | New York | £49,818 | £52,859 | £-3,040 | 106% |
| Civil engineer | London | £37,000 | £38,698 | £-1,698 | 105% |
| Mechanical engineer | London | £38,000 | £38,698 | £-698 | 102% |
| Chemical engineer | London | £39,000 | £38,698 | £302 | 99% |
| Psychologist | London | £40,000 | £38,698 | £1,302 | 97% |
| Pharmacist | London | £44,000 | £38,698 | £1,302 | 88% |
| Architect | London | £45,000 | £38,698 | £6,302 | 86% |
| Software engineer | London | £58,000 | £38,698 | £19,302 | 67% |
Top Industries to Work in Globally
Looking at the most popular industries across the top countries, chemical engineers, architects and software engineers fare the best when it comes to earnings vs. expenses. Civil engineers, surveyors and welders are on the lower end of the spectrum globally.
| Industry | Average Salary per year | Average COL (Incl. COA)/year | Avg. COL vs. Avg. Salary | Avg. COL vs. Avg. Salary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical engineer | £98,019 | £34,666 | £63,353 | 35% |
| Architect | £82,607 | £34,666 | £47,941 | 42% |
| Software Engineer | £81,387 | £34,666 | £46,721 | 43% |
| Pharmacist | £75,914 | £34,666 | £41,248 | 46% |
| Mechanical Engineer | £72,000 | £34,666 | £37,334 | 48% |
| Psychologist | £69,799 | £34,666 | £35,133 | 50% |
| Nurse | £67,429 | £34,666 | £32,763 | 51% |
| Civil engineer | £63,171 | £34,666 | £28,505 | 55% |
| Surveyor | £40,728 | £34,666 | £6,062 | 85% |
| Welder | £34,525 | £34,666 | £-141 | 100% |
Best Cities to Work in per Top Industry
If you’re working in one of the most popular global industries and wondering where to base your operations, you could find yourself making your home in Dallas, Seattle or LA. Going by total salary vs total cost of living, here are the top 3 cities for those in the top 5 industries to work and live:
Best Cities to be a Civil Engineer
| City | Salary per year | Total COL (Incl. COA) | Total COL vs Salary | Total COL vs Salary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | £83,541 | £33,362 | £50,179 | 40% |
| Dallas | £65,147 | £27,429 | £37,717 | 42% |
| Los Angeles | £78,176 | £35,090 | £43,086 | 45% |
Best Cities to be a Mechanical Engineer
| City | Salary per year | Total COL (Incl. COA) | Total COL vs. Salary | Total COL vs Salary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | £78,942 | £27,429 | £51,513 | 35% |
| Seattle | £90,439 | £33,362 | £57,077 | 367% |
| San Jose | £103,468 | £9,046 | £64,422 | 38% |
Best Cities to be a Software Engineer
| City | Salary per year | Total COL (Incl. COA) | Total COL vs. Salary | Total COL vs Salary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | £104,235 | £33,362 | £70,873 | 32% |
| Dallas | £82,008 | £27,429 | £54,579 | 33% |
| Los Angeles | £95,804 | £35,090 | £60,713 | 37% |
Best Cities to be a Nurse
| City | Salary per year | Total COL (Incl. COA) | Total COL vs. Salary | Total COL vs Salary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | £74,344 | £27,429 | £46,915 | 37% |
| Los Angeles | £91,205 | £35,090 | £56,115 | 38% |
| San Jose | £99,636 | £39,046 | £60,590 | 39% |
Best Cities to be a Welder
| City | Salary per year | Total COL (Incl. COA) | Total COL vs. Salary | Total COL vs Salary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | £41,387 | £27,429 | £13,958 | 66% |
| Seattle | £43,687 | £33,362 | £10,325 | 76% |
| Chicago | £42,154 | £33,740 | £8,414 | 80% |
Seattle-based software engineers come out on top, with salary vs cost of living at 32%. Seattle is also the best-earning city for civil engineers.
So, what can expats expect when relocating to one of these top-paying cities?
Both Dallas and Seattle have a high quality of life index, a moderate safety index and a very high climate index. Both cities also rank well in terms of healthcare and purchasing power. However, Seattle has a high traffic commute time index and Dallas has a moderate pollution index.
According to Expat Insider 2024, the USA is ranked 22nd in the Working Abroad Index and has some great career prospects. 67% of respondents say that the local business culture supports flexibility, and 65% say they are happy in their job. However, expats rank the USA 46th out of 53 countries when it comes to quality of life, citing expensive healthcare and safety concerns. Most expats also agree that it can be difficult to settle in and find friends in a US city.
While taking home a substantial paycheck is a great benefit, it’s important to do your research before moving to one of these top-paying cities, so you can decide whether a higher salary will be worth the lack of other factors.
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