Average salary in Chelmsford
The median full-time salary for jobs in Chelmsford is £38,181 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,584 a month.
Where Chelmsford ranks
Chelmsford ranks 135th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 18th of 45 in East of England. Its average rent ranks 75th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£953 a month) ranks 253rd of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East of England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £38,181 | 135th of 348 | 18th of 45 |
| Median pay, residents | £46,179 | 39th of 348 | 8th of 45 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,584 | 135th of 348 | 18th of 45 |
| Average rent a month | £1,439 | 75th of 316 | 14th of 45 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,300.18 | 254th of 348 | 36th of 45 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £953 | 253rd of 316 | 36th 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 Chelmsford: Highland (£38,272), Cardiff (£38,225), Rutland (£38,186), Greenwich (£38,128), Preston (£38,066) and Bath and North East Somerset (£38,040). UK occupations with a median close to the Chelmsford median of £38,181: mining and quarry workers and related operatives (£38,301), managers and proprietors in agriculture and horticulture (£38,182), librarians (£38,068) and publicans and managers of licensed premises (£38,043).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Chelmsford
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Chelmsford fell 2.6%, while the UK median for all full-time jobs rose 4.3%. 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 | £23,743 | £1,979 | £20,615 | £1,718 |
| 25th percentile | £28,923 | £2,410 | £24,344 | £2,029 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,181 | £3,182 | £31,010 | £2,584 |
| 75th percentile | £49,590 | £4,133 | £39,224 | £3,269 |
| 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 Chelmsford as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.6%.
People who work in Chelmsford and people who live there
The median for people who live in Chelmsford is £46,179, which is £7,998 (20.9%) higher than the £38,181 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 39th of 348 and the jobs median 135th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 16.0%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Chelmsford, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Chelmsford, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Chelmsford as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8.6%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Chelmsford (£38,181), the average rent of £1,439 takes 55.7% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£28,923) it takes 70.9%. 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 £81,039 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Chelmsford 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 | £1,439 | 55.7% | £953 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,059 | 41.0% | £1,333 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,291 | 50.0% | £1,101 |
Band D is £192 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.
Chelmsford and other areas in East of England
Among these 7 areas, Chelmsford has the 3rd highest median and the 6th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £34,117 in East Cambridgeshire 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 |
| Colchester | £38,758 | £1,197 | £1,232 |
| Chelmsford | £38,181 | £1,439 | £953 |
| Dacorum | £37,773 | £1,594 | £765 |
| Central Bedfordshire | £37,704 | £1,250 | £1,096 |
| Castle Point | £36,715 | £1,262 | £1,041 |
| East Cambridgeshire | £34,117 | £1,038 | £1,095 |
The areas either side of Chelmsford 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 Chelmsford compares with East of England and the UK
The median for jobs in Chelmsford is £416 (1.1%) lower than the East of England median, £1,117 (2.8%) lower than the England median and £858 (2.2%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelmsford | £38,181 | £46,179 | £2,584 | £1,439 |
| 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 Chelmsford (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,743, a quarter pay less than £28,923, half pay less than £38,181 and a quarter pay more than £49,590. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,584 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Chelmsford ranks 135th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 18th of 45 in East of England. Its median of £38,181 is £858 (2.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Chelmsford was £1,439 in August 2026: £1,059 for one bedroom and £1,291 for two bedrooms. That is 55.7% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Chelmsford is £2,300.18 for 2026/27, about £192 a month, which ranks 254th of 348 council areas and 36th of 45 in East of England. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.