Average salary in Birmingham
The median full-time salary for jobs in Birmingham is £38,556 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,607 a month.
Where Birmingham ranks
Birmingham ranks 124th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 6th of 30 in West Midlands. Its average rent ranks 145th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,311 a month) ranks 116th of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in West Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £38,556 | 124th of 348 | 6th of 30 |
| Median pay, residents | £35,989 | joint 255th of 348 | 19th of 30 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,607 | 124th of 348 | 6th of 30 |
| Average rent a month | £1,099 | 145th of 316 | 5th of 30 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,362.90 | 210th of 348 | 18th of 30 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,311 | 116th of 316 | 15th of 30 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Birmingham: Watford (£38,746), West Devon (£38,696), Trafford (£38,682), Salford (£38,492), Merton (£38,471) and Liverpool (£38,430). UK occupations with a median close to the Birmingham median of £38,556: office managers (£38,630), data analysts (£38,572), managers and directors in retail and wholesale (£38,447) and nannies and au pairs (£38,447).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Birmingham
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Birmingham rose 3.4%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For West Midlands as a whole it was a rise of 6.1%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £23,592 | £1,966 | £20,506 | £1,709 |
| 25th percentile | £29,405 | £2,450 | £24,691 | £2,058 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,556 | £3,213 | £31,280 | £2,607 |
| 75th percentile | £54,657 | £4,555 | £42,258 | £3,522 |
| 90th percentile | £77,586 | £6,466 | £55,557 | £4,630 |
Take-home at England and Wales rates. ONS rates the median for jobs in Birmingham as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 2.6%.
People who work in Birmingham and people who live there
The median for people who live in Birmingham is £35,989, which is £2,567 (6.7%) lower than the £38,556 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks joint 255th of 348 and the jobs median 124th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 6.0%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Birmingham, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Birmingham, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Birmingham as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 2.7%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Birmingham (£38,556), the average rent of £1,099 takes 42.2% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£29,405) it takes 53.4%. 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 £57,591 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Birmingham 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 | £1,099 | 42.2% | £1,311 |
| 1 bedroom | £830 | 31.8% | £1,580 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,003 | 38.5% | £1,407 |
Band D is £197 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.
Birmingham and other areas in West Midlands
Among these 7 areas, Birmingham has the 2nd highest median and the 5th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £32,183 in Wyre Forest to £41,278 in Coventry.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry | £41,278 | £1,020 | £1,540 |
| Birmingham | £38,556 | £1,099 | £1,311 |
| Worcester | £37,459 | £977 | £1,364 |
| Wychavon | £36,768 | £954 | £1,347 |
| Cannock Chase | £36,211 | £867 | £1,401 |
| Bromsgrove | £34,019 | £992 | £1,135 |
| Wyre Forest | £32,183 | £825 | £1,190 |
The areas either side of Birmingham in the alphabetical list for West Midlands, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 30 in the West Midlands table.
How Birmingham compares with West Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in Birmingham is £1,492 (4.0%) higher than the West Midlands median, £742 (1.9%) lower than the England median and £483 (1.2%) lower 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | £38,556 | £35,989 | £2,607 | £1,099 |
| West Midlands | £37,064 | £37,048 | £2,517 | £982 |
| 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 West Midlands 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 Birmingham (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,592, a quarter pay less than £29,405, half pay less than £38,556, a quarter pay more than £54,657 and one in ten pay more than £77,586. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,607 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Birmingham ranks 124th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 6th of 30 in West Midlands. Its median of £38,556 is £483 (1.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Birmingham was £1,099 in August 2026: £830 for one bedroom and £1,003 for two bedrooms. That is 42.2% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Birmingham is £2,362.90 for 2026/27, about £197 a month, which ranks 210th of 348 council areas and 18th of 30 in West Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.