Average salary in Cambridge
The median full-time salary for jobs in Cambridge is £45,762 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £3,039 a month.
Where Cambridge ranks
Cambridge ranks 20th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 5th of 45 in East of England. Its average rent ranks 34th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,028 a month) ranks 239th of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East of England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £45,762 | 20th of 348 | 5th of 45 |
| Median pay, residents | £43,741 | 69th of 348 | 15th of 45 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £3,039 | 19th of 348 | 5th of 45 |
| Average rent a month | £1,805 | 34th of 316 | 6th of 45 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,467.02 | 128th of 348 | 10th of 45 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,028 | 239th of 316 | 32nd 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 Cambridge: Shetland Islands (£46,290), South Cambridgeshire (£46,007), Stevenage (£46,006), Kensington and Chelsea (£45,600), Vale of White Horse (£45,194) and Fylde (£45,127). UK occupations with a median close to the Cambridge median of £45,762: primary education teaching professionals (£45,939), aircraft maintenance and related trades (£45,779), arts officers, producers and directors (£45,534) and speech and language therapists (£45,511).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Cambridge
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Cambridge rose 5.9%, more 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 | £27,878 | £2,323 | £23,592 | £1,966 |
| 25th percentile | £34,243 | £2,854 | £28,175 | £2,348 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £45,762 | £3,814 | £36,468 | £3,039 |
| 75th percentile | £64,988 | £5,416 | £48,250 | £4,021 |
| 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 Cambridge as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.7%.
People who work in Cambridge and people who live there
The median for people who live in Cambridge is £43,741, which is £2,021 (4.4%) lower than the £45,762 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 69th of 348 and the jobs median 20th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a fall of 2.0%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Cambridge, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Cambridge, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Cambridge as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.9%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Cambridge (£45,762), the average rent of £1,805 takes 59.4% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£34,243) it takes 76.9%. 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 £109,586 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Cambridge 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 | £1,805 | 59.4% | £1,028 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,256 | 41.3% | £1,577 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,613 | 53.1% | £1,220 |
Band D is £206 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.
Cambridge and other areas in East of England
Among these 7 areas, Cambridge has the highest median and the 4th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £36,715 in Castle Point to £45,762 in Cambridge.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | £45,762 | £1,805 | £1,028 |
| Broxbourne | £39,583 | £1,685 | £791 |
| Brentwood | £38,821 | £1,620 | £815 |
| Chelmsford | £38,181 | £1,439 | £953 |
| Broadland | £37,937 | £938 | £1,429 |
| Central Bedfordshire | £37,704 | £1,250 | £1,096 |
| Castle Point | £36,715 | £1,262 | £1,041 |
The areas either side of Cambridge 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 Cambridge compares with East of England and the UK
The median for jobs in Cambridge is £7,165 (18.6%) higher than the East of England median, £6,464 (16.4%) higher than the England median and £6,723 (17.2%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | £45,762 | £43,741 | £3,039 | £1,805 |
| 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 Cambridge (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £27,878, a quarter pay less than £34,243, half pay less than £45,762 and a quarter pay more than £64,988. On the median, take-home pay is about £3,039 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Cambridge ranks 20th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 5th of 45 in East of England. Its median of £45,762 is £6,723 (17.2%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Cambridge was £1,805 in August 2026: £1,256 for one bedroom and £1,613 for two bedrooms. That is 59.4% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Cambridge is £2,467.02 for 2026/27, about £206 a month, which ranks 128th of 348 council areas and 10th of 45 in East of England. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.