Humza Yousaf's salary: How much does the First Minister of Scotland get paid?

The Scottish National Party (SNP) came in the middle of a political scandal after Nicola Sturgeon suddenly resigned as the First Minister of Scotland quoting her desire to spend more time with the family.

What followed was the arrest of Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell and other top executives over the SNP finance probe, leaked videos and even speculations about the state of her marriage.

Meanwhile, a young but experienced politician Humza Yousaf won the SNP leadership contest and became the new First Minister of Scotland.

Experts believe that Yousaf is facing the difficult task to unite the party and rebuild its credibility, and time is yet to show if the 38-year-old has what it takes to do it. But he certainly has one of the top-paid salaries in the country, with a six-figure number that raises eyebrows as Brits are struggling to cope with the cost of living crisis.

Find out how much Humza Yousaf gets paid.

Who is Humza Yousaf and how did he come to power in Scotland?

According to Yousaf’s biography on the Scottish Government’s website, he was born in Glasgow on April 7, 1985.

At a press conference in February, he said his late grandfather came to Scotland from a small town in Pakistan in 1962 with barely a word of English.

He added:

I don’t imagine in his wildest dreams that his grandson would one day be running to be First Minister of Scotland.

Humza Yousaf was educated at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, a co-educational, independent school in the south side of Glasgow and he went on to study politics at the University of Glasgow, graduating with an MA in 2007.

He undertook a lot of charity work in his youth and always took pride in his Scottish and Pakistani heritage.

After being elected in 2011 as a Glasgow region MSP, he took his oath to the Queen in English and in Urdu. When re-elected five years later, he wore both a kilt and sherwani.

He became the first Muslim to be appointed to the Scottish government in 2012.

He has held a number of ministerial positions in the Scottish Government since then and joined the cabinet in June 2018 as Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

He was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in May 2021.

Humza Yousaf is married to 39-year-old Nadia El-Nakla, a Scottish psychotherapist and political activist. They raise two daughters, one of them from El-Nakla’s previous relationship.

Read more:

⋙ Nicola Sturgeon: This is really why she resigned as Scotland's First Minister

⋙ Nicola Sturgeon’s latest interview sparks speculations about her marriage: ‘Where is her wedding ring?’

How much does Humza Yousaf get paid?

According to the Scottish Parliament's website, a typical MSP's annual salary is £67,662 - which works out at just over £5600 a month before tax is removed.

Humza Yousaf earns his standard level MSP salary, however, as the First Minister, he also receives an additional pocket of £98,016 - taking the total to £165,678.

For comparison, the average annual salary in the UK ranges between £25,000 and £27,000.

The next highest-paid politicians in Scotland are Lord Advocate with £134,092, Cabinet Secretary with £118,511 and a Minister with £99,516 per year.

Read more:

⋙ Boris Johnson's wife announces third baby: How many children does the former PM have?

⋙ Matt Hancock: Is he still in a relationship with Gina Coladangelo?

Sources used:

- The Scottish Parliament: 'MSP salaries'

- Herald Scotland: 'How much does Nicola Sturgeon earn? First Minister and MSP salaries in full'

- Scottish Government: 'Biography: Humza Yousaf'

- Evening Standard: 'Who is Humza Yousaf? New SNP leader is announced'