Average salary in Kensington and Chelsea
The median full-time salary for jobs in Kensington and Chelsea is £45,600 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £3,029 a month.
Where Kensington and Chelsea ranks
Kensington and Chelsea ranks 21st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 9th of 32 in London. Its average rent ranks 1st of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (−£800 a month) ranks 316th of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £45,600 | 21st of 348 | 9th of 32 |
| Median pay, residents | £52,576 | 6th of 348 | 5th of 32 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £3,029 | 20th of 348 | 9th of 32 |
| Average rent a month | £3,690 | 1st of 316 | 1st of 32 |
| Band D council tax a year | £1,666.65 | 333rd of 348 | 29th of 32 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | −£800 | 316th of 316 | 32nd of 32 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Kensington and Chelsea: South Cambridgeshire (£46,007), Stevenage (£46,006), Cambridge (£45,762), Vale of White Horse (£45,194), Fylde (£45,127) and Hertsmere (£45,103). UK occupations with a median close to the Kensington and Chelsea median of £45,600: aircraft maintenance and related trades (£45,779), arts officers, producers and directors (£45,534), speech and language therapists (£45,511) and biological scientists (£45,382).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Kensington and Chelsea
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Kensington and Chelsea rose 2.9%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For London as a whole it was a rise of 4.7%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,740 | £2,228 | £22,772 | £1,898 |
| 25th percentile | £33,510 | £2,793 | £27,647 | £2,304 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £45,600 | £3,800 | £36,352 | £3,029 |
| 75th percentile | £61,591 | £5,133 | £46,280 | £3,857 |
| 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 Kensington and Chelsea as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.7%.
People who work in Kensington and Chelsea and people who live there
The median for people who live in Kensington and Chelsea is £52,576, which is £6,976 (15.3%) higher than the £45,600 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 6th of 348 and the jobs median 21st of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 0.2%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Kensington and Chelsea, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Kensington and Chelsea, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Kensington and Chelsea as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 9.4%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Kensington and Chelsea (£45,600), the average rent of £3,690 takes 121.8% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£33,510) it takes 160.2%. 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 £256,253 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Kensington and Chelsea 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 | £3,690 | 121.8% | −£800 |
| 1 bedroom | £2,640 | 87.1% | £250 |
| 2 bedrooms | £3,428 | 113.2% | −£538 |
Band D is £139 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.
Kensington and Chelsea and other areas in London
Among these 7 areas, Kensington and Chelsea has the 3rd highest median and the lowest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £41,422 in Hillingdon to £53,185 in Islington.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islington | £53,185 | £2,868 | £406 |
| Lambeth | £48,690 | £2,525 | £519 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | £45,600 | £3,690 | −£800 |
| Hounslow | £43,068 | £1,952 | £743 |
| Lewisham | £42,962 | £1,829 | £856 |
| Kingston upon Thames | £42,346 | £1,811 | £806 |
| Hillingdon | £41,422 | £1,570 | £1,039 |
The areas either side of Kensington and Chelsea in the alphabetical list for London, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 32 in the London table.
How Kensington and Chelsea compares with London and the UK
The median for jobs in Kensington and Chelsea is £4,092 (8.2%) lower than the London median, £6,302 (16.0%) higher than the England median and £6,561 (16.8%) higher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea | £45,600 | £52,576 | £3,029 | £3,690 |
| London | £49,692 | £46,414 | £3,275 | £2,332 |
| 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 London 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 Kensington and Chelsea (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £26,740, a quarter pay less than £33,510, half pay less than £45,600 and a quarter pay more than £61,591. On the median, take-home pay is about £3,029 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Kensington and Chelsea ranks 21st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 9th of 32 in London. Its median of £45,600 is £6,561 (16.8%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Kensington and Chelsea was £3,690 in August 2026: £2,640 for one bedroom and £3,428 for two bedrooms. That is 121.8% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Kensington and Chelsea is £1,666.65 for 2026/27, about £139 a month, which ranks 333rd of 348 council areas and 29th of 32 in London. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.