Average salary in Leicester
The median full-time salary for jobs in Leicester is £34,096 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,339 a month.
Where Leicester ranks
Leicester ranks 271st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 21st of 35 in East Midlands. Its average rent ranks 158th of 316, a higher place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,105 a month) ranks 206th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £34,096 | 271st of 348 | 21st of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £32,281 | 340th of 348 | 32nd of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,339 | 271st of 348 | 21st of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £1,023 | 158th of 316 | 4th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,528.75 | 78th of 348 | 11th of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,105 | 206th of 316 | 30th 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 Leicester: East Staffordshire (£34,210), North Lincolnshire (£34,129), East Cambridgeshire (£34,117), Mansfield (£34,047), Bromsgrove (£34,019) and Middlesbrough (£34,000). UK occupations with a median close to the Leicester median of £34,096: plasterers (£34,016), carpenters and joiners (£34,014), quality assurance technicians (£33,972) and chemical and related process operatives (£33,959).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Leicester
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Leicester rose 6.7%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 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 | £22,365 | £1,864 | £19,622 | £1,635 |
| 25th percentile | £27,005 | £2,250 | £22,963 | £1,914 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £34,096 | £2,841 | £28,069 | £2,339 |
| 75th percentile | £44,884 | £3,740 | £35,836 | £2,986 |
| 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 Leicester as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 2.9%.
People who work in Leicester and people who live there
The median for people who live in Leicester is £32,281, which is £1,815 (5.3%) lower than the £34,096 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 340th of 348 and the jobs median 271st of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 8.3%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Leicester, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Leicester, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Leicester as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 2.9%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Leicester (£34,096), the average rent of £1,023 takes 43.7% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,005) it takes 53.5%. 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 £52,350 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Leicester 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 | £1,023 | 43.7% | £1,105 |
| 1 bedroom | £716 | 30.6% | £1,412 |
| 2 bedrooms | £892 | 38.1% | £1,236 |
Band D is £211 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.
Leicester and other areas in East Midlands
Among these 7 areas, Leicester has the 3rd highest median and the 6th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,890 in Harborough 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 |
| Lincoln | £35,509 | £942 | £1,288 |
| Leicester | £34,096 | £1,023 | £1,105 |
| Mansfield | £34,047 | £790 | £1,329 |
| Melton | £33,656 | £806 | £1,305 |
| High Peak | £32,945 | £937 | £1,134 |
| Harborough | £31,890 | £973 | £1,035 |
The areas either side of Leicester 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 Leicester compares with East Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in Leicester is £1,504 (4.2%) lower than the East Midlands median, £5,202 (13.2%) lower than the England median and £4,943 (12.7%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester | £34,096 | £32,281 | £2,339 | £1,023 |
| 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 Leicester (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,365, a quarter pay less than £27,005, half pay less than £34,096 and a quarter pay more than £44,884. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,339 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Leicester ranks 271st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 21st of 35 in East Midlands. Its median of £34,096 is £4,943 (12.7%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Leicester was £1,023 in August 2026: £716 for one bedroom and £892 for two bedrooms. That is 43.7% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Leicester is £2,528.75 for 2026/27, about £211 a month, which ranks 78th of 348 council areas and 11th of 35 in East Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.