Average salary in Dartford
The median full-time salary for jobs in Dartford is £37,221 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,527 a month.
Where Dartford ranks
Dartford ranks 165th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 42nd of 64 in South East. Its average rent ranks 52nd of 316, a higher place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£754 a month) ranks 281st of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £37,221 | 165th of 348 | 42nd of 64 |
| Median pay, residents | £44,091 | 62nd of 348 | 19th of 64 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,527 | 164th of 348 | 42nd of 64 |
| Average rent a month | £1,575 | 52nd of 316 | 13th of 64 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,375.15 | 203rd of 348 | 50th of 64 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £754 | 281st of 316 | 57th 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 Dartford: Tunbridge Wells (£37,303), East Ayrshire (£37,250), Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (£37,241), Cheshire West and Chester (£37,198), West Suffolk (£37,141) and Medway (£37,128). UK occupations with a median close to the Dartford median of £37,221: vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians (£37,458), buyers and procurement officers (£37,306), building and civil engineering technicians (£37,229) and metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations (£37,058).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Dartford
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Dartford fell 4.2%, while the UK median for all full-time jobs rose 4.3%. 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 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £29,981 | £2,498 | £25,106 | £2,092 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £37,221 | £3,102 | £30,319 | £2,527 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 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 Dartford as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 11%.
People who work in Dartford and people who live there
The median for people who live in Dartford is £44,091, which is £6,870 (18.5%) higher than the £37,221 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 62nd of 348 and the jobs median 165th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 1.7%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Dartford, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Dartford, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Dartford as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8.2%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Dartford (£37,221), the average rent of £1,575 takes 62.3% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£29,981) it takes 75.3%. 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 £90,419 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Dartford 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 | £1,575 | 62.3% | £754 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,092 | 43.2% | £1,237 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,419 | 56.2% | £910 |
Band D is £198 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.
Dartford and other areas in South East
Among these 7 areas, Dartford has the 4th highest median and the lowest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £33,692 in Chichester to £41,977 in Crawley.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawley | £41,977 | £1,488 | £1,122 |
| Cherwell | £38,768 | £1,304 | £1,100 |
| Dover | £37,968 | £1,021 | £1,345 |
| Dartford | £37,221 | £1,575 | £754 |
| Eastbourne | £37,015 | £1,169 | £1,124 |
| East Hampshire | £36,379 | £1,262 | £1,019 |
| Chichester | £33,692 | £1,333 | £776 |
The areas either side of Dartford 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 Dartford compares with South East and the UK
The median for jobs in Dartford is £2,762 (6.9%) lower than the South East median, £2,077 (5.3%) lower than the England median and £1,818 (4.7%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford | £37,221 | £44,091 | £2,527 | £1,575 |
| 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 Dartford (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £29,981 and half pay less than £37,221. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,527 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Dartford ranks 165th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 42nd of 64 in South East. Its median of £37,221 is £1,818 (4.7%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Dartford was £1,575 in August 2026: £1,092 for one bedroom and £1,419 for two bedrooms. That is 62.3% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Dartford is £2,375.15 for 2026/27, about £198 a month, which ranks 203rd of 348 council areas and 50th of 64 in South East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.