Average salary in Eastbourne
The median full-time salary for jobs in Eastbourne is £37,015 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,514 a month.
Where Eastbourne ranks
Eastbourne ranks 174th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 45th of 64 in South East. Its average rent ranks joint 132nd of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,124 a month) ranks joint 199th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £37,015 | 174th of 348 | 45th of 64 |
| Median pay, residents | £37,236 | 216th of 348 | 53rd of 64 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,514 | 174th of 348 | 45th of 64 |
| Average rent a month | £1,169 | joint 132nd of 316 | joint 56th of 64 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,654.28 | 15th of 348 | 6th of 64 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,124 | joint 199th of 316 | 23rd 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 Eastbourne: Wrexham (£37,053), East Suffolk (£37,025), Tandridge (£37,024), North Tyneside (£37,005), North Warwickshire (£36,943) and Newport (£36,939). UK occupations with a median close to the Eastbourne median of £37,015: building and civil engineering technicians (£37,229), metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations (£37,058), planning, process and production technicians (£36,895) and clothing, fashion and accessories designers (£36,848).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Eastbourne
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Eastbourne rose 12.0%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. Only 29 of 345 council areas had a change this large in either direction. ONS figures for one area come from a sample, so they can move a lot from one year to the next. 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 | £22,829 | £1,902 | £19,956 | £1,663 |
| 25th percentile | £26,505 | £2,209 | £22,603 | £1,884 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £37,015 | £3,085 | £30,170 | £2,514 |
| 75th percentile | £46,770 | £3,898 | £37,194 | £3,100 |
| 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 Eastbourne as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8.7%.
People who work in Eastbourne and people who live there
The median for people who live in Eastbourne is £37,236, which is £221 (0.6%) higher than the £37,015 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 216th of 348 and the jobs median 174th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 3.8%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Eastbourne, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Eastbourne, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Eastbourne as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.5%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Eastbourne (£37,015), the average rent of £1,169 takes 46.5% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£26,505) it takes 62.1%. 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 £62,419 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Eastbourne 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 | £1,169 | 46.5% | £1,124 |
| 1 bedroom | £819 | 32.6% | £1,474 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,079 | 42.9% | £1,214 |
Band D is £221 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.
Eastbourne and other areas in South East
Among these 7 areas, Eastbourne has the 6th highest median and the 3rd highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £36,379 in East Hampshire to £41,309 in Elmbridge.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elmbridge | £41,309 | £1,891 | £668 |
| Epsom and Ewell | £40,636 | £1,690 | £830 |
| Eastleigh | £38,983 | £1,214 | £1,223 |
| 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 |
The areas either side of Eastbourne 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 Eastbourne compares with South East and the UK
The median for jobs in Eastbourne is £2,968 (7.4%) lower than the South East median, £2,283 (5.8%) lower than the England median and £2,024 (5.2%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | £37,015 | £37,236 | £2,514 | £1,169 |
| 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 Eastbourne (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,829, a quarter pay less than £26,505, half pay less than £37,015 and a quarter pay more than £46,770. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,514 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Eastbourne ranks 174th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 45th of 64 in South East. Its median of £37,015 is £2,024 (5.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Eastbourne was £1,169 in August 2026: £819 for one bedroom and £1,079 for two bedrooms. That is 46.5% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Eastbourne is £2,654.28 for 2026/27, about £221 a month, which ranks 15th of 348 council areas and 6th of 64 in South East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.