Average salary in Barking and Dagenham
The median full-time salary for jobs in Barking and Dagenham is £39,599 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,669 a month.
Where Barking and Dagenham ranks
Barking and Dagenham ranks 96th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 23rd of 32 in London. Its average rent ranks 40th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£788 a month) ranks joint 277th of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £39,599 | 96th of 348 | 23rd of 32 |
| Median pay, residents | £38,467 | 176th of 348 | 32nd of 32 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,669 | 96th of 348 | 23rd of 32 |
| Average rent a month | £1,698 | 40th of 316 | 26th of 32 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,198.51 | 287th of 348 | 15th of 32 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £788 | joint 277th of 316 | 10th of 32 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Barking and Dagenham: Surrey Heath (£39,904), Sutton (£39,874), Lewes (£39,798), Broxbourne (£39,583), Uttlesford (£39,491) and Ealing (£39,483). UK occupations with a median close to the Barking and Dagenham median of £39,599: water and sewerage plant operatives (£39,690), electricians and electrical fitters (£39,647), estimators, valuers and assessors (£39,634) and public services associate professionals (£39,537).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Barking and Dagenham
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Barking and Dagenham rose 11.8%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. Only 33 of 345 council areas had a change this large in either direction. ONS figures for one area come from a sample, so they can move a lot from one year to the next. For London as a whole it was a rise of 4.7%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £28,868 | £2,406 | £24,305 | £2,025 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £39,599 | £3,300 | £32,031 | £2,669 |
| 75th percentile | £51,021 | £4,252 | £40,150 | £3,346 |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England and Wales rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for jobs in Barking and Dagenham as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.6%.
People who work in Barking and Dagenham and people who live there
The median for people who live in Barking and Dagenham is £38,467, which is £1,132 (2.9%) lower than the £39,599 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 176th of 348 and the jobs median 96th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 0.4%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Barking and Dagenham, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Barking and Dagenham, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Barking and Dagenham as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.8%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Barking and Dagenham (£39,599), the average rent of £1,698 takes 63.6% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£28,868) it takes 83.8%. For the average rent to be 30% of take-home pay, the rule of thumb in our rent affordability calculator, you would need a salary of at least £98,902 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Barking and Dagenham pay more than that.
| Property | Average rent a month | Rent as a share of take-home | Left after rent and Band D council tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| All properties | £1,698 | 63.6% | £788 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,377 | 51.6% | £1,109 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,721 | 64.5% | £765 |
Band D is £183 a month. This is the average Band D for the council area, including parish precepts, so the exact bill depends on your parish. Rents are ONS figures for August 2026 and may be revised.
Barking and Dagenham and other areas in London
Among these 7 areas, Barking and Dagenham has the 3rd highest median and the highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £35,187 in Bexley to £53,923 in Westminster.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | £53,923 | £3,196 | £203 |
| Wandsworth | £43,035 | £2,632 | £157 |
| Barking and Dagenham | £39,599 | £1,698 | £788 |
| Brent | £38,311 | £2,014 | £392 |
| Barnet | £38,294 | £1,949 | £464 |
| Waltham Forest | £37,503 | £1,763 | £581 |
| Bexley | £35,187 | £1,537 | £671 |
The areas either side of Barking and Dagenham in the alphabetical list for London, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 32 in the London table.
How Barking and Dagenham compares with London and the UK
The median for jobs in Barking and Dagenham is £10,093 (20.3%) lower than the London median, £301 (0.8%) higher than the England median and £560 (1.4%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
| Area | Median, jobs there | Median, residents | Take-home a month (England and Wales rates) | Average rent, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | £39,599 | £38,467 | £2,669 | £1,698 |
| London | £49,692 | £46,414 | £3,275 | £2,332 |
| England | £39,298 | £39,243 | £2,651 | £1,459 |
| United Kingdom | £39,039 | £39,039 | £2,636 | £1,400 |
Related pages
Every area in the London table, salary by job, the take home pay calculator, rent affordability calculator and cost of living calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional. Take-home: 2026/27 England and Wales rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 8: earnings by place of residence, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, released 16 September 2026 (ONS)
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (MHCLG, GOV.UK)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
There is no official definition of a good salary. ONS figures for full-time jobs in Barking and Dagenham (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £28,868, half pay less than £39,599 and a quarter pay more than £51,021. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,669 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Barking and Dagenham ranks 96th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 23rd of 32 in London. Its median of £39,599 is £560 (1.4%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Barking and Dagenham was £1,698 in August 2026: £1,377 for one bedroom and £1,721 for two bedrooms. That is 63.6% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Barking and Dagenham is £2,198.51 for 2026/27, about £183 a month, which ranks 287th of 348 council areas and 15th of 32 in London. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.