Average salary in Manchester
The median full-time salary for jobs in Manchester is £40,479 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,722 a month.
Where Manchester ranks
Manchester ranks 78th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 6th of 35 in North West. Its average rent ranks 86th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,156 a month) ranks joint 183rd of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in North West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £40,479 | 78th of 348 | 6th of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £36,278 | 247th of 348 | 21st of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,722 | 76th of 348 | 6th of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £1,373 | 86th of 316 | 1st of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,312.04 | 246th of 348 | 33rd of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,156 | joint 183rd 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 Manchester: Glasgow City (£40,554), Westmorland and Furness (£40,529), Falkirk (£40,519), Buckinghamshire (£40,365), Rushmoor (£40,334) and Fareham (£40,287). UK occupations with a median close to the Manchester median of £40,479: metal working production and maintenance fitters (£40,760), welfare professionals n.e.c. (£40,594), conservation professionals (£40,083) and precision instrument makers and repairers (£40,062).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Manchester
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Manchester rose 9.1%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 57 of 345 council areas had a change this large in either direction. ONS figures for one area come from a sample, so they can move a lot from one year to the next. For North West as a whole it was a rise of 6.2%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,247 | £2,104 | £21,697 | £1,808 |
| 25th percentile | £30,693 | £2,558 | £25,619 | £2,135 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £40,479 | £3,373 | £32,664 | £2,722 |
| 75th percentile | £55,381 | £4,615 | £42,678 | £3,557 |
| 90th percentile | £80,442 | £6,704 | £57,214 | £4,768 |
Take-home at England and Wales rates. ONS rates the median for jobs in Manchester as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3%.
People who work in Manchester and people who live there
The median for people who live in Manchester is £36,278, which is £4,201 (10.4%) lower than the £40,479 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 247th of 348 and the jobs median 78th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 11.0%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Manchester, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Manchester, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Manchester as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.1%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Manchester (£40,479), the average rent of £1,373 takes 50.4% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£30,693) 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 £76,488 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Manchester 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 | £1,373 | 50.4% | £1,156 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,003 | 36.8% | £1,526 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,233 | 45.3% | £1,296 |
Band D is £193 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.
Manchester and other areas in North West
Among these 7 areas, Manchester has the highest median and the lowest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £30,981 in Pendle to £40,479 in Manchester.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | £40,479 | £1,373 | £1,156 |
| Knowsley | £39,064 | £858 | £1,572 |
| Liverpool | £38,430 | £913 | £1,463 |
| Preston | £38,066 | £790 | £1,572 |
| Lancaster | £34,731 | £823 | £1,345 |
| Oldham | £33,860 | £942 | £1,166 |
| Pendle | £30,981 | £670 | £1,262 |
The areas either side of Manchester in the alphabetical list for North West, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 35 in the North West table.
How Manchester compares with North West and the UK
The median for jobs in Manchester is £3,118 (8.3%) higher than the North West median, £1,181 (3.0%) higher than the England median and £1,440 (3.7%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | £40,479 | £36,278 | £2,722 | £1,373 |
| North West | £37,361 | £37,445 | £2,535 | £969 |
| 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 North West 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 Manchester (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £25,247, a quarter pay less than £30,693, half pay less than £40,479, a quarter pay more than £55,381 and one in ten pay more than £80,442. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,722 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Manchester ranks 78th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 6th of 35 in North West. Its median of £40,479 is £1,440 (3.7%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Manchester was £1,373 in August 2026: £1,003 for one bedroom and £1,233 for two bedrooms. That is 50.4% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Manchester is £2,312.04 for 2026/27, about £193 a month, which ranks 246th of 348 council areas and 33rd of 35 in North West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.