Average salary in Braintree
The median full-time salary for jobs in Braintree is £37,704 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,556 a month.
Where Braintree ranks
Braintree ranks joint 151st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and joint 23rd of 45 in East of England. Its average rent ranks 122nd of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,153 a month) ranks 186th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East of England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £37,704 | joint 151st of 348 | joint 23rd of 45 |
| Median pay, residents | £39,712 | 148th of 348 | 28th of 45 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,556 | joint 151st of 348 | joint 23rd of 45 |
| Average rent a month | £1,213 | 122nd of 316 | 25th of 45 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,280.34 | 266th of 348 | 40th of 45 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,153 | 186th of 316 | 22nd of 45 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Braintree: West Dunbartonshire (£37,824), Leeds (£37,821), Dacorum (£37,773), Central Bedfordshire (£37,704), Rushcliffe (£37,704) and Warwick (£37,588). UK occupations with a median close to the Braintree median of £37,704: mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. (£37,864), therapy professionals n.e.c. (£37,599), nursery education teaching professionals (£37,593) and public relations professionals (£37,563).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Braintree
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Braintree rose 1.7%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For East of England as a whole it was a rise of 4.4%.
| 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 | £28,057 | £2,338 | £23,721 | £1,977 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £37,704 | £3,142 | £30,666 | £2,556 |
| 75th percentile | £52,405 | £4,367 | £40,952 | £3,413 |
| 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 Braintree as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.4%.
People who work in Braintree and people who live there
The median for people who live in Braintree is £39,712, which is £2,008 (5.3%) higher than the £37,704 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 148th of 348 and the jobs median joint 151st of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a fall of 1.4%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Braintree, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Braintree, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Braintree as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.8%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Braintree (£37,704), the average rent of £1,213 takes 47.5% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£28,057) it takes 61.4%. 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 £65,453 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Braintree 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 | £1,213 | 47.5% | £1,153 |
| 1 bedroom | £850 | 33.3% | £1,516 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,099 | 43.0% | £1,267 |
Band D is £190 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.
Braintree and other areas in East of England
Among these 7 areas, Braintree has the 4th highest median and the 4th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £30,929 in Babergh to £38,821 in Brentwood.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood | £38,821 | £1,620 | £815 |
| Bedford | £37,994 | £1,173 | £1,194 |
| Broadland | £37,937 | £938 | £1,429 |
| Braintree | £37,704 | £1,213 | £1,153 |
| Basildon | £37,539 | £1,424 | £928 |
| Breckland | £33,621 | £928 | £1,179 |
| Babergh | £30,929 | £965 | £989 |
The areas either side of Braintree in the alphabetical list for East of England, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 45 in the East of England table.
How Braintree compares with East of England and the UK
The median for jobs in Braintree is £893 (2.3%) lower than the East of England median, £1,594 (4.1%) lower than the England median and £1,335 (3.4%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braintree | £37,704 | £39,712 | £2,556 | £1,213 |
| East of England | £38,597 | £40,863 | £2,609 | £1,289 |
| 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 East of England 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 Braintree (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £28,057, half pay less than £37,704 and a quarter pay more than £52,405. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,556 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Braintree ranks joint 151st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and joint 23rd of 45 in East of England. Its median of £37,704 is £1,335 (3.4%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Braintree was £1,213 in August 2026: £850 for one bedroom and £1,099 for two bedrooms. That is 47.5% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Braintree is £2,280.34 for 2026/27, about £190 a month, which ranks 266th of 348 council areas and 40th of 45 in East of England. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.