Average salary in Luton
The median full-time salary for jobs in Luton is £36,936 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,509 a month.
Where Luton ranks
Luton ranks 178th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 30th of 45 in East of England. Its average rent ranks 119th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,084 a month) ranks 215th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East of England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £36,936 | 178th of 348 | 30th of 45 |
| Median pay, residents | £34,732 | 298th of 348 | 41st of 45 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,509 | 178th of 348 | 30th of 45 |
| Average rent a month | £1,222 | 119th of 316 | 24th of 45 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,439.93 | 157th of 348 | 17th of 45 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,084 | 215th of 316 | 29th of 45 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Luton: North Tyneside (£37,005), North Warwickshire (£36,943), Newport (£36,939), Redditch (£36,849), King's Lynn and West Norfolk (£36,801) and New Forest (£36,792). UK occupations with a median close to the Luton median of £36,936: metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations (£37,058), planning, process and production technicians (£36,895), clothing, fashion and accessories designers (£36,848) and production, factory and assembly supervisors (£36,777).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Luton
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Luton fell 2.4%, while the UK median for all full-time jobs rose 4.3%. For East of England as a whole it was a rise of 4.4%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £22,615 | £1,885 | £19,802 | £1,650 |
| 25th percentile | £26,805 | £2,234 | £22,819 | £1,902 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £36,936 | £3,078 | £30,114 | £2,509 |
| 75th percentile | £52,601 | £4,383 | £41,066 | £3,422 |
| 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 Luton as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.5%.
People who work in Luton and people who live there
The median for people who live in Luton is £34,732, which is £2,204 (6.0%) lower than the £36,936 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 298th of 348 and the jobs median 178th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 4.8%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Luton, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Luton, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Luton as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.2%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Luton (£36,936), the average rent of £1,222 takes 48.7% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£26,805) it takes 64.3%. 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 £66,074 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Luton 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 | £1,222 | 48.7% | £1,084 |
| 1 bedroom | £907 | 36.1% | £1,399 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,114 | 44.4% | £1,192 |
Band D is £203 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.
Luton and other areas in East of England
Among these 7 areas, Luton has the 4th highest median and the 6th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £34,843 in Maldon to £42,555 in North Hertfordshire.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Hertfordshire | £42,555 | £1,434 | £1,209 |
| Mid Suffolk | £39,404 | £1,005 | £1,460 |
| Huntingdonshire | £37,098 | £1,057 | £1,249 |
| Luton | £36,936 | £1,222 | £1,084 |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | £36,801 | £941 | £1,357 |
| Ipswich | £36,160 | £995 | £1,262 |
| Maldon | £34,843 | £1,139 | £1,051 |
The areas either side of Luton in the alphabetical list for East of England, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 45 in the East of England table.
How Luton compares with East of England and the UK
The median for jobs in Luton is £1,661 (4.3%) lower than the East of England median, £2,362 (6.0%) lower than the England median and £2,103 (5.4%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luton | £36,936 | £34,732 | £2,509 | £1,222 |
| East of England | £38,597 | £40,863 | £2,609 | £1,289 |
| 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 of England 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 Luton (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,615, a quarter pay less than £26,805, half pay less than £36,936 and a quarter pay more than £52,601. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,509 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Luton ranks 178th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 30th of 45 in East of England. Its median of £36,936 is £2,103 (5.4%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Luton was £1,222 in August 2026: £907 for one bedroom and £1,114 for two bedrooms. That is 48.7% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Luton is £2,439.93 for 2026/27, about £203 a month, which ranks 157th of 348 council areas and 17th of 45 in East of England. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.