Average salary in Harborough
The median full-time salary for jobs in Harborough is £31,890 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,207 a month.
Where Harborough ranks
Harborough ranks 328th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 30th of 35 in East Midlands. Its average rent ranks 181st of 316, a higher place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,035 a month) ranks 237th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £31,890 | 328th of 348 | 30th of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £42,423 | 95th of 348 | 3rd of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,207 | 328th of 348 | 30th of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £973 | 181st of 316 | 8th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,389.87 | 192nd of 348 | 22nd of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,035 | 237th of 316 | 34th of 35 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Harborough: Scottish Borders (£32,164), South Hams (£32,086), Sunderland (£32,015), Southend-on-Sea (£31,748), South Tyneside (£31,604) and Newcastle-under-Lyme (£31,507). UK occupations with a median close to the Harborough median of £31,890: assemblers (vehicles and metal goods) (£31,919), roofers, roof tilers and slaters (£31,906), houseparents and residential wardens (£31,871) and vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers (£31,851).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Harborough
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Harborough fell 3.0%, while the UK median for all full-time jobs rose 4.3%. For East Midlands as a whole it was a rise of 5.0%.
| 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 | £25,838 | £2,153 | £22,123 | £1,844 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £31,890 | £2,658 | £26,480 | £2,207 |
| 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 Harborough as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.9%.
People who work in Harborough and people who live there
The median for people who live in Harborough is £42,423, which is £10,533 (33.0%) higher than the £31,890 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 95th of 348 and the jobs median 328th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 4.7%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Harborough, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Harborough, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Harborough as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 10%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Harborough (£31,890), the average rent of £973 takes 44.1% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£25,838) it takes 52.8%. 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 £49,168 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Harborough 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 | £973 | 44.1% | £1,035 |
| 1 bedroom | £713 | 32.3% | £1,295 |
| 2 bedrooms | £911 | 41.3% | £1,097 |
Band D is £199 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.
Harborough and other areas in East Midlands
Among these 7 areas, Harborough has the 5th highest median and the lowest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,350 in East Lindsey to £38,796 in Hinckley and Bosworth.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinckley and Bosworth | £38,796 | £934 | £1,488 |
| Erewash | £35,073 | £834 | £1,367 |
| Leicester | £34,096 | £1,023 | £1,105 |
| High Peak | £32,945 | £937 | £1,134 |
| Harborough | £31,890 | £973 | £1,035 |
| Gedling | £31,503 | £904 | £1,062 |
| East Lindsey | £31,350 | £704 | £1,280 |
The areas either side of Harborough in the alphabetical list for East Midlands, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 35 in the East Midlands table.
How Harborough compares with East Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in Harborough is £3,710 (10.4%) lower than the East Midlands median, £7,408 (18.9%) lower than the England median and £7,149 (18.3%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harborough | £31,890 | £42,423 | £2,207 | £973 |
| East Midlands | £35,600 | £36,194 | £2,429 | £922 |
| 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 Midlands 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 Harborough (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £25,838 and half pay less than £31,890. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,207 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Harborough ranks 328th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 30th of 35 in East Midlands. Its median of £31,890 is £7,149 (18.3%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Harborough was £973 in August 2026: £713 for one bedroom and £911 for two bedrooms. That is 44.1% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Harborough is £2,389.87 for 2026/27, about £199 a month, which ranks 192nd of 348 council areas and 22nd of 35 in East Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.