Average salary in Lincoln
The median full-time salary for jobs in Lincoln is £35,509 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,424 a month.
Where Lincoln ranks
Lincoln ranks 220th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 14th of 35 in East Midlands. Its average rent ranks joint 195th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,288 a month) ranks 126th of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £35,509 | 220th of 348 | 14th of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £34,301 | 311th of 348 | 26th of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,424 | 220th of 348 | 14th of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £942 | joint 195th of 316 | joint 11th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,323.08 | 239th of 348 | 30th of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,288 | 126th of 316 | 22nd 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 Lincoln: North Northamptonshire (£35,745), Wolverhampton (£35,740), Barnsley (£35,629), Wirral (£35,483), Redbridge (£35,464) and Somerset (£35,440). UK occupations with a median close to the Lincoln median of £35,509: metal machining setters and setter-operators (£35,718), other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c. (£35,670), legal professionals n.e.c. (£35,507) and welding trades (£35,344).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Lincoln
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Lincoln rose 3.1%, less 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 | £22,071 | £1,839 | £19,411 | £1,618 |
| 25th percentile | £27,368 | £2,281 | £23,225 | £1,935 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £35,509 | £2,959 | £29,086 | £2,424 |
| 75th percentile | £45,218 | £3,768 | £36,077 | £3,006 |
| 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 Lincoln as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.2%.
People who work in Lincoln and people who live there
The median for people who live in Lincoln is £34,301, which is £1,208 (3.4%) lower than the £35,509 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 311th of 348 and the jobs median 220th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 4.5%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Lincoln, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Lincoln, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Lincoln as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Lincoln (£35,509), the average rent of £942 takes 38.9% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,368) it takes 48.7%. 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 £47,445 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Lincoln 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 | £942 | 38.9% | £1,288 |
| 1 bedroom | £659 | 27.2% | £1,571 |
| 2 bedrooms | £828 | 34.2% | £1,402 |
Band D is £194 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.
Lincoln and other areas in East Midlands
Among these 7 areas, Lincoln has the 2nd highest median and the 4th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £32,945 in High Peak 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 |
| Newark and Sherwood | £33,831 | £818 | £1,281 |
| Melton | £33,656 | £806 | £1,305 |
| High Peak | £32,945 | £937 | £1,134 |
The areas either side of Lincoln 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 Lincoln compares with East Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in Lincoln is £91 (0.3%) lower than the East Midlands median, £3,789 (9.6%) lower than the England median and £3,530 (9.0%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | £35,509 | £34,301 | £2,424 | £942 |
| 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 Lincoln (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,071, a quarter pay less than £27,368, half pay less than £35,509 and a quarter pay more than £45,218. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,424 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Lincoln ranks 220th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 14th of 35 in East Midlands. Its median of £35,509 is £3,530 (9.0%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Lincoln was £942 in August 2026: £659 for one bedroom and £828 for two bedrooms. That is 38.9% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Lincoln is £2,323.08 for 2026/27, about £194 a month, which ranks 239th of 348 council areas and 30th of 35 in East Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.