Average salary in Folkestone and Hythe
The median full-time salary for jobs in Folkestone and Hythe is £38,755 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,619 a month.
Where Folkestone and Hythe ranks
Folkestone and Hythe ranks 120th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 37th of 64 in South East. Its average rent ranks 127th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,229 a month) ranks 152nd of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £38,755 | 120th of 348 | 37th of 64 |
| Median pay, residents | £38,864 | 165th of 348 | 45th of 64 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,619 | 120th of 348 | 37th of 64 |
| Average rent a month | £1,178 | 127th of 316 | 54th of 64 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,538.75 | 72nd of 348 | 22nd of 64 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,229 | 152nd of 316 | 13th 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 Folkestone and Hythe: Hinckley and Bosworth (£38,796), Cherwell (£38,768), Colchester (£38,758), Watford (£38,746), West Devon (£38,696) and Trafford (£38,682). UK occupations with a median close to the Folkestone and Hythe median of £38,755: inspectors of standards and regulations (£38,963), road construction operatives (£38,833), office managers (£38,630) and data analysts (£38,572).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Folkestone and Hythe
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Folkestone and Hythe rose 12.1%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. Only 28 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 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £27,541 | £2,295 | £23,349 | £1,946 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,755 | £3,230 | £31,423 | £2,619 |
| 75th percentile | £49,283 | £4,107 | £39,003 | £3,250 |
| 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 Folkestone and Hythe as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 11%.
People who work in Folkestone and Hythe and people who live there
The median for people who live in Folkestone and Hythe is £38,864, which is £109 (0.3%) higher than the £38,755 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 165th of 348 and the jobs median 120th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 6.9%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Folkestone and Hythe, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Folkestone and Hythe, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe (£38,755), the average rent of £1,178 takes 45.0% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,541) it takes 60.5%. 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 £63,039 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Folkestone and Hythe 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 | £1,178 | 45.0% | £1,229 |
| 1 bedroom | £805 | 30.7% | £1,602 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,031 | 39.4% | £1,376 |
Band D is £212 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.
Folkestone and Hythe and other areas in South East
Among these 7 areas, Folkestone and Hythe has the 6th highest median and the 2nd highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £35,341 in Gosport to £45,061 in Guildford.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guildford | £45,061 | £1,736 | £1,049 |
| Elmbridge | £41,309 | £1,891 | £668 |
| Epsom and Ewell | £40,636 | £1,690 | £830 |
| Gravesham | £40,619 | £1,336 | £1,193 |
| Fareham | £40,287 | £1,176 | £1,346 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | £38,755 | £1,178 | £1,229 |
| Gosport | £35,341 | £1,169 | £1,050 |
The areas either side of Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe compares with South East and the UK
The median for jobs in Folkestone and Hythe is £1,228 (3.1%) lower than the South East median, £543 (1.4%) lower than the England median and £284 (0.7%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folkestone and Hythe | £38,755 | £38,864 | £2,619 | £1,178 |
| 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 Folkestone and Hythe (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £27,541, half pay less than £38,755 and a quarter pay more than £49,283. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,619 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Folkestone and Hythe ranks 120th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 37th of 64 in South East. Its median of £38,755 is £284 (0.7%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Folkestone and Hythe was £1,178 in August 2026: £805 for one bedroom and £1,031 for two bedrooms. That is 45.0% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Folkestone and Hythe is £2,538.75 for 2026/27, about £212 a month, which ranks 72nd of 348 council areas and 22nd of 64 in South East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.