Average salary in Northumberland
The median full-time salary for jobs in Northumberland is £35,323 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,413 a month.
Where Northumberland ranks
Northumberland ranks 229th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 4th of 12 in North East. Its average rent ranks 298th of 316, a lower place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,502 a month) ranks 30th of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in North East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £35,323 | 229th of 348 | 4th of 12 |
| Median pay, residents | £37,721 | 202nd of 348 | 1st of 12 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,413 | 229th of 348 | 4th of 12 |
| Average rent a month | £695 | 298th of 316 | 8th of 12 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,596.94 | 39th of 348 | 3rd of 12 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,502 | 30th of 316 | 3rd of 12 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Northumberland: South Ribble (£35,376), Wealden (£35,347), Gosport (£35,341), Dorset (£35,311), Dudley (£35,281) and Redcar and Cleveland (£35,278). UK occupations with a median close to the Northumberland median of £35,323: welding trades (£35,344), farmers (£35,295), IT operations technicians (£35,259) and CAD, drawing and architectural technicians (£35,221).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Northumberland
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Northumberland rose 9.2%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 55 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 East as a whole it was a rise of 4.2%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £23,516 | £1,960 | £20,451 | £1,704 |
| 25th percentile | £27,330 | £2,278 | £23,197 | £1,933 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £35,323 | £2,944 | £28,952 | £2,413 |
| 75th percentile | £45,453 | £3,788 | £36,246 | £3,020 |
| 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 Northumberland as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.9%.
People who work in Northumberland and people who live there
The median for people who live in Northumberland is £37,721, which is £2,398 (6.8%) higher than the £35,323 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 202nd of 348 and the jobs median 229th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 4.8%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Northumberland, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Northumberland, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Northumberland as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.4%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Northumberland (£35,323), the average rent of £695 takes 28.8% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,330) it takes 36.0%. 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 £33,723 a year. More than half of full-time jobs based in Northumberland 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 | £695 | 28.8% | £1,502 |
| 1 bedroom | £495 | 20.5% | £1,702 |
| 2 bedrooms | £630 | 26.1% | £1,567 |
Band D is £216 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.
Northumberland and other areas in North East
Among these 7 areas, Northumberland has the 4th highest median and the 3rd highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,604 in South Tyneside to £37,005 in North Tyneside.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Tyneside | £37,005 | £857 | £1,452 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | £36,726 | £1,215 | £1,070 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | £36,599 | £735 | £1,538 |
| Northumberland | £35,323 | £695 | £1,502 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | £35,278 | £644 | £1,554 |
| Middlesbrough | £34,000 | £698 | £1,423 |
| South Tyneside | £31,604 | £743 | £1,244 |
The areas either side of Northumberland in the alphabetical list for North East, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 12 in the North East table.
How Northumberland compares with North East and the UK
The median for jobs in Northumberland is £920 (2.7%) higher than the North East median, £3,975 (10.1%) lower than the England median and £3,716 (9.5%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northumberland | £35,323 | £37,721 | £2,413 | £695 |
| North East | £34,403 | £34,833 | £2,357 | £788 |
| 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 East 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 Northumberland (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,516, a quarter pay less than £27,330, half pay less than £35,323 and a quarter pay more than £45,453. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,413 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Northumberland ranks 229th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 4th of 12 in North East. Its median of £35,323 is £3,716 (9.5%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Northumberland was £695 in August 2026: £495 for one bedroom and £630 for two bedrooms. That is 28.8% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Northumberland is £2,596.94 for 2026/27, about £216 a month, which ranks 39th of 348 council areas and 3rd of 12 in North East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.