Average salary in Nottingham
The median full-time salary for jobs in Nottingham is £34,868 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,385 a month.
Where Nottingham ranks
Nottingham ranks 248th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 18th of 35 in East Midlands. Its average rent ranks 162nd of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,141 a month) ranks 191st of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £34,868 | 248th of 348 | 18th of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £30,798 | 346th of 348 | 34th of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,385 | 248th of 348 | 18th of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £1,014 | 162nd of 316 | 5th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,755.39 | 3rd of 348 | 1st of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,141 | 191st of 316 | 27th 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 Nottingham: Calderdale (£34,966), Moray (£34,920), Thanet (£34,891), Maldon (£34,843), North Somerset (£34,838) and Stafford (£34,832). UK occupations with a median close to the Nottingham median of £34,868: vehicle body builders and repairers (£34,999), personal assistants and other secretaries (£34,954), construction and building trades n.e.c. (£34,822) and air transport operatives (£34,700).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Nottingham
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Nottingham rose 5.6%, 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 | £23,427 | £1,952 | £20,387 | £1,699 |
| 25th percentile | £26,622 | £2,219 | £22,687 | £1,891 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £34,868 | £2,906 | £28,625 | £2,385 |
| 75th percentile | £49,993 | £4,166 | £39,515 | £3,293 |
| 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 Nottingham as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.1%.
People who work in Nottingham and people who live there
The median for people who live in Nottingham is £30,798, which is £4,070 (11.7%) lower than the £34,868 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 346th of 348 and the jobs median 248th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 2.7%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Nottingham, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Nottingham, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Nottingham as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.3%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Nottingham (£34,868), the average rent of £1,014 takes 42.5% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£26,622) it takes 53.6%. 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 £51,729 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Nottingham 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 | £1,014 | 42.5% | £1,141 |
| 1 bedroom | £735 | 30.8% | £1,420 |
| 2 bedrooms | £914 | 38.3% | £1,241 |
Band D is £230 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.
Nottingham and other areas in East Midlands
Among these 7 areas, Nottingham has the 4th highest median and the 6th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £30,293 in Oadby and Wigston to £38,186 in Rutland.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutland | £38,186 | £961 | £1,395 |
| Rushcliffe | £37,704 | £1,047 | £1,289 |
| North Northamptonshire | £35,745 | £992 | £1,244 |
| Nottingham | £34,868 | £1,014 | £1,141 |
| North Kesteven | £34,457 | £824 | £1,342 |
| North West Leicestershire | £33,551 | £914 | £1,190 |
| Oadby and Wigston | £30,293 | £1,024 | £886 |
The areas either side of Nottingham 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 Nottingham compares with East Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in Nottingham is £732 (2.1%) lower than the East Midlands median, £4,430 (11.3%) lower than the England median and £4,171 (10.7%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham | £34,868 | £30,798 | £2,385 | £1,014 |
| 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 Nottingham (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,427, a quarter pay less than £26,622, half pay less than £34,868 and a quarter pay more than £49,993. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,385 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Nottingham ranks 248th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 18th of 35 in East Midlands. Its median of £34,868 is £4,171 (10.7%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Nottingham was £1,014 in August 2026: £735 for one bedroom and £914 for two bedrooms. That is 42.5% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Nottingham is £2,755.39 for 2026/27, about £230 a month, which ranks 3rd of 348 council areas and 1st of 35 in East Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.