Average salary in Rugby
The median full-time salary for jobs in Rugby is £42,966 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,871 a month.
Where Rugby ranks
Rugby ranks 38th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 2nd of 30 in West Midlands. Its average rent ranks 153rd of 316, a lower place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,615 a month) ranks 10th of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in West Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £42,966 | 38th of 348 | 2nd of 30 |
| Median pay, residents | £47,191 | 29th of 348 | 2nd of 30 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,871 | 38th of 348 | 2nd of 30 |
| Average rent a month | £1,049 | 153rd of 316 | 6th of 30 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,483.05 | 116th of 348 | 10th of 30 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,615 | 10th of 316 | 2nd of 30 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Rugby: Winchester (£43,195), Hounslow (£43,068), Wandsworth (£43,035), Lewisham (£42,962), Cumberland (£42,808) and Orkney Islands (£42,639). UK occupations with a median close to the Rugby median of £42,966: environment professionals (£43,362), residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors (£42,700), mental health nurses (£42,692) and pipe fitters (£42,580).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Rugby
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Rugby rose 14.7%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. Only 21 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 West Midlands as a whole it was a rise of 6.1%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,756 | £2,146 | £22,064 | £1,839 |
| 25th percentile | £32,105 | £2,675 | £26,635 | £2,220 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £42,966 | £3,581 | £34,455 | £2,871 |
| 75th percentile | £59,388 | £4,949 | £45,002 | £3,750 |
| 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 Rugby as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.7%.
People who work in Rugby and people who live there
The median for people who live in Rugby is £47,191, which is £4,225 (9.8%) higher than the £42,966 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 29th of 348 and the jobs median 38th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 19.6%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Rugby, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Rugby, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Rugby as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.8%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Rugby (£42,966), the average rent of £1,049 takes 36.5% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£32,105) it takes 47.3%. 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 £54,143 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Rugby 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 | £1,049 | 36.5% | £1,615 |
| 1 bedroom | £755 | 26.3% | £1,909 |
| 2 bedrooms | £933 | 32.5% | £1,731 |
Band D is £207 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.
Rugby and other areas in West Midlands
Among these 7 areas, Rugby has the highest median and the highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £33,636 in Sandwell to £42,966 in Rugby.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rugby | £42,966 | £1,049 | £1,615 |
| Solihull | £42,587 | £1,279 | £1,387 |
| North Warwickshire | £36,943 | £982 | £1,317 |
| Redditch | £36,849 | £976 | £1,323 |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth | £34,283 | £925 | £1,216 |
| Shropshire | £34,232 | £823 | £1,313 |
| Sandwell | £33,636 | £953 | £1,171 |
The areas either side of Rugby in the alphabetical list for West Midlands, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 30 in the West Midlands table.
How Rugby compares with West Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in Rugby is £5,902 (15.9%) higher than the West Midlands median, £3,668 (9.3%) higher than the England median and £3,927 (10.1%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rugby | £42,966 | £47,191 | £2,871 | £1,049 |
| West Midlands | £37,064 | £37,048 | £2,517 | £982 |
| 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 West 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 Rugby (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £25,756, a quarter pay less than £32,105, half pay less than £42,966 and a quarter pay more than £59,388. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,871 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Rugby ranks 38th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 2nd of 30 in West Midlands. Its median of £42,966 is £3,927 (10.1%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Rugby was £1,049 in August 2026: £755 for one bedroom and £933 for two bedrooms. That is 36.5% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Rugby is £2,483.05 for 2026/27, about £207 a month, which ranks 116th of 348 council areas and 10th of 30 in West Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.