Average salary in Reading
The median full-time salary for jobs in Reading is £49,062 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £3,237 a month.
Where Reading ranks
Reading ranks 11th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 2nd of 64 in South East. Its average rent ranks 53rd of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,445 a month) ranks joint 51st of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £49,062 | 11th of 348 | 2nd of 64 |
| Median pay, residents | £40,700 | 126th of 348 | 37th of 64 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £3,237 | 11th of 348 | 2nd of 64 |
| Average rent a month | £1,574 | 53rd of 316 | 14th of 64 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,612.77 | 27th of 348 | 8th of 64 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,445 | joint 51st of 316 | 2nd of 64 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Reading: Mole Valley (£49,889), Stratford-on-Avon (£49,476), Ribble Valley (£49,351), Hackney (£48,724), Lambeth (£48,690) and Welwyn Hatfield (£47,956). UK occupations with a median close to the Reading median of £49,062: financial accounts managers (£48,980), advertising accounts managers and creative directors (£48,977), IT network professionals (£48,907) and engineering professionals n.e.c. (£48,776).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Reading
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Reading rose 7.0%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For South East as a whole it was a rise of 2.4%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,668 | £2,222 | £22,721 | £1,893 |
| 25th percentile | £33,980 | £2,832 | £27,985 | £2,332 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £49,062 | £4,089 | £38,844 | £3,237 |
| 75th percentile | £70,510 | £5,876 | £51,453 | £4,288 |
| 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 Reading as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.6%.
People who work in Reading and people who live there
The median for people who live in Reading is £40,700, which is £8,362 (17.0%) lower than the £49,062 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 126th of 348 and the jobs median 11th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a fall of 1.1%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Reading, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Reading, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Reading as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.7%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Reading (£49,062), the average rent of £1,574 takes 48.6% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£33,980) it takes 67.5%. 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 £90,350 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Reading 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 | £1,574 | 48.6% | £1,445 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,116 | 34.5% | £1,903 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,393 | 43.0% | £1,626 |
Band D is £218 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.
Reading and other areas in South East
Among these 7 areas, Reading has the highest median and the highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £32,661 in Rother to £49,062 in Reading.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | £49,062 | £1,574 | £1,445 |
| Runnymede | £46,455 | £1,586 | £1,287 |
| Oxford | £43,502 | £1,963 | £717 |
| Reigate and Banstead | £43,296 | £1,640 | £1,037 |
| Portsmouth | £38,815 | £1,368 | £1,063 |
| New Forest | £36,792 | £1,244 | £1,055 |
| Rother | £32,661 | £1,165 | £863 |
The areas either side of Reading in the alphabetical list for South East, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 64 in the South East table.
How Reading compares with South East and the UK
The median for jobs in Reading is £9,079 (22.7%) higher than the South East median, £9,764 (24.8%) higher than the England median and £10,023 (25.7%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | £49,062 | £40,700 | £3,237 | £1,574 |
| South East | £39,983 | £41,618 | £2,692 | £1,426 |
| 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 South 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 Reading (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £26,668, a quarter pay less than £33,980, half pay less than £49,062 and a quarter pay more than £70,510. On the median, take-home pay is about £3,237 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Reading ranks 11th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 2nd of 64 in South East. Its median of £49,062 is £10,023 (25.7%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Reading was £1,574 in August 2026: £1,116 for one bedroom and £1,393 for two bedrooms. That is 48.6% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Reading is £2,612.77 for 2026/27, about £218 a month, which ranks 27th of 348 council areas and 8th of 64 in South East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.