Average salary in Brighton and Hove
The median full-time salary for jobs in Brighton and Hove is £39,137 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,642 a month.
Where Brighton and Hove ranks
Brighton and Hove ranks 110th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 32nd of 64 in South East. Its average rent ranks 33rd of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£619 a month) ranks 296th of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £39,137 | 110th of 348 | 32nd of 64 |
| Median pay, residents | £39,347 | 155th of 348 | 42nd of 64 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,642 | 110th of 348 | 32nd of 64 |
| Average rent a month | £1,808 | 33rd of 316 | 4th of 64 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,580.54 | 49th of 348 | 15th of 64 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £619 | 296th of 316 | 63rd of 64 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Brighton and Hove: South Lanarkshire (£39,260), Stirling (£39,220), Harrow (£39,192), Knowsley (£39,064), Eastleigh (£38,983) and Test Valley (£38,976). UK occupations with a median close to the Brighton and Hove median of £39,137: marine and waterways transport operatives (£39,358), other educational professionals n.e.c (£39,114), security system installers and repairers (£39,002) and inspectors of standards and regulations (£38,963).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Brighton and Hove
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Brighton and Hove rose 4.7%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For South East as a whole it was a rise of 2.4%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £24,959 | £2,080 | £21,490 | £1,791 |
| 25th percentile | £30,061 | £2,505 | £25,164 | £2,097 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £39,137 | £3,261 | £31,698 | £2,642 |
| 75th percentile | £52,343 | £4,362 | £40,916 | £3,410 |
| 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 Brighton and Hove as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.1%.
People who work in Brighton and Hove and people who live there
The median for people who live in Brighton and Hove is £39,347, which is £210 (0.5%) higher than the £39,137 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 155th of 348 and the jobs median 110th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 1.8%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Brighton and Hove, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Brighton and Hove, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Brighton and Hove as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.9%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Brighton and Hove (£39,137), the average rent of £1,808 takes 68.4% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£30,061) it takes 86.2%. 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 £109,902 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Brighton and Hove 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 | £1,808 | 68.4% | £619 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,189 | 45.0% | £1,238 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,518 | 57.5% | £909 |
Band D is £215 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.
Brighton and Hove and other areas in South East
Among these 7 areas, Brighton and Hove has the 4th highest median and the lowest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £33,979 in Ashford to £44,883 in Bracknell Forest.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bracknell Forest | £44,883 | £1,462 | £1,335 |
| Basingstoke and Deane | £41,470 | £1,309 | £1,285 |
| Buckinghamshire | £40,365 | £1,475 | £1,029 |
| Brighton and Hove | £39,137 | £1,808 | £619 |
| Cherwell | £38,768 | £1,304 | £1,100 |
| Canterbury | £36,558 | £1,280 | £1,005 |
| Ashford | £33,979 | £1,248 | £883 |
The areas either side of Brighton and Hove in the alphabetical list for South East, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 64 in the South East table.
How Brighton and Hove compares with South East and the UK
The median for jobs in Brighton and Hove is £846 (2.1%) lower than the South East median, £161 (0.4%) lower than the England median and £98 (0.3%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton and Hove | £39,137 | £39,347 | £2,642 | £1,808 |
| South East | £39,983 | £41,618 | £2,692 | £1,426 |
| 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 South East 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 Brighton and Hove (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £24,959, a quarter pay less than £30,061, half pay less than £39,137 and a quarter pay more than £52,343. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,642 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Brighton and Hove ranks 110th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 32nd of 64 in South East. Its median of £39,137 is £98 (0.3%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Brighton and Hove was £1,808 in August 2026: £1,189 for one bedroom and £1,518 for two bedrooms. That is 68.4% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Brighton and Hove is £2,580.54 for 2026/27, about £215 a month, which ranks 49th of 348 council areas and 15th of 64 in South East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.