Average salary in South Kesteven
The median full-time salary for jobs in South Kesteven is £33,868 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,325 a month.
Where South Kesteven ranks
South Kesteven ranks 281st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 23rd of 35 in East Midlands. Its average rent ranks 234th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,292 a month) ranks joint 121st of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in East Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,868 | 281st of 348 | 23rd of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £34,922 | 289th of 348 | 24th of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,325 | 281st of 348 | 23rd of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £845 | 234th of 316 | 19th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,260 | 276th of 348 | 35th of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,292 | joint 121st of 316 | 20th 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 South Kesteven: West Lancashire (£33,926), Cornwall (£33,889), Cotswold (£33,872), Oldham (£33,860), Darlington (£33,840) and Newark and Sherwood (£33,831). UK occupations with a median close to the South Kesteven median of £33,868: chemical and related process operatives (£33,959), stonemasons and related trades (£33,938), boat and ship builders and repairers (£33,896) and security guards and related occupations (£33,832).
Pay range for full-time jobs in South Kesteven
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in South Kesteven rose 3.4%, less 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 | £22,446 | £1,871 | £19,681 | £1,640 |
| 25th percentile | £27,240 | £2,270 | £23,132 | £1,928 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,868 | £2,822 | £27,905 | £2,325 |
| 75th percentile | £44,480 | £3,707 | £35,545 | £2,962 |
| 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 South Kesteven as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.1%.
People who work in South Kesteven and people who live there
The median for people who live in South Kesteven is £34,922, which is £1,054 (3.1%) higher than the £33,868 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 289th of 348 and the jobs median 281st of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a fall of 0.3%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in South Kesteven, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in South Kesteven, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for South Kesteven as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 11%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in South Kesteven (£33,868), the average rent of £845 takes 36.3% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,240) it takes 43.8%. 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 £42,057 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in South Kesteven 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 | £845 | 36.3% | £1,292 |
| 1 bedroom | £585 | 25.2% | £1,552 |
| 2 bedrooms | £756 | 32.5% | £1,381 |
Band D is £188 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.
South Kesteven and other areas in East Midlands
Among these 7 areas, South Kesteven has the 6th highest median and the 6th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £30,082 in South Holland to £39,406 in South Derbyshire.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Derbyshire | £39,406 | £882 | £1,581 |
| West Northamptonshire | £38,313 | £1,084 | £1,301 |
| Rutland | £38,186 | £961 | £1,395 |
| Amber Valley | £35,912 | £799 | £1,448 |
| West Lindsey | £35,748 | £741 | £1,501 |
| South Kesteven | £33,868 | £845 | £1,292 |
| South Holland | £30,082 | £775 | £1,133 |
The areas either side of South Kesteven 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 South Kesteven compares with East Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in South Kesteven is £1,732 (4.9%) lower than the East Midlands median, £5,430 (13.8%) lower than the England median and £5,171 (13.2%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Kesteven | £33,868 | £34,922 | £2,325 | £845 |
| 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 South Kesteven (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,446, a quarter pay less than £27,240, half pay less than £33,868 and a quarter pay more than £44,480. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,325 a month at 2026/27 rates.
South Kesteven ranks 281st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 23rd of 35 in East Midlands. Its median of £33,868 is £5,171 (13.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in South Kesteven was £845 in August 2026: £585 for one bedroom and £756 for two bedrooms. That is 36.3% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in South Kesteven is £2,260 for 2026/27, about £188 a month, which ranks 276th of 348 council areas and 35th of 35 in East Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.