Average salary in Southwark
The median full-time salary for jobs in Southwark is £50,000 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £3,293 a month.
Where Southwark ranks
Southwark ranks 7th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 6th of 32 in London. Its average rent ranks 9th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£655 a month) ranks 295th of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £50,000 | 7th of 348 | 6th of 32 |
| Median pay, residents | £48,681 | 21st of 348 | 12th of 32 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £3,293 | 7th of 348 | 6th of 32 |
| Average rent a month | £2,474 | 9th of 316 | 9th of 32 |
| Band D council tax a year | £1,967.26 | 309th of 348 | 26th of 32 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £655 | 295th of 316 | 15th of 32 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Southwark: Islington (£53,185), Three Rivers (£50,931), Hammersmith and Fulham (£50,435), Mole Valley (£49,889), Stratford-on-Avon (£49,476) and Ribble Valley (£49,351). UK occupations with a median close to the Southwark median of £50,000: quality assurance and regulatory professionals (£50,083), chartered and certified accountants (£50,062), taxation experts (£49,850) and waste disposal and environmental services managers (£49,763).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Southwark
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Southwark rose 4.0%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For London as a whole it was a rise of 4.7%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £28,495 | £2,375 | £24,036 | £2,003 |
| 25th percentile | £35,952 | £2,996 | £29,405 | £2,450 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £50,000 | £4,167 | £39,520 | £3,293 |
| 75th percentile | £67,567 | £5,631 | £49,746 | £4,146 |
| 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 Southwark as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 2.8%.
People who work in Southwark and people who live there
The median for people who live in Southwark is £48,681, which is £1,319 (2.6%) lower than the £50,000 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 21st of 348 and the jobs median 7th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 11.3%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Southwark, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Southwark, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Southwark as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.5%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Southwark (£50,000), the average rent of £2,474 takes 75.1% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£35,952) it takes 101.0%. 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 £164,479 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Southwark 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 | £2,474 | 75.1% | £655 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,876 | 57.0% | £1,253 |
| 2 bedrooms | £2,348 | 71.3% | £781 |
Band D is £164 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.
Southwark and other areas in London
Among these 7 areas, Southwark has the 2nd highest median and the 4th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £35,464 in Redbridge to £66,686 in Tower Hamlets.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower Hamlets | £66,686 | £2,453 | £1,497 |
| Southwark | £50,000 | £2,474 | £655 |
| Newham | £44,347 | £1,928 | £864 |
| Richmond upon Thames | £41,037 | £2,333 | £216 |
| Sutton | £39,874 | £1,556 | £932 |
| Waltham Forest | £37,503 | £1,763 | £581 |
| Redbridge | £35,464 | £1,726 | £504 |
The areas either side of Southwark in the alphabetical list for London, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 32 in the London table.
How Southwark compares with London and the UK
The median for jobs in Southwark is £308 (0.6%) higher than the London median, £10,702 (27.2%) higher than the England median and £10,961 (28.1%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwark | £50,000 | £48,681 | £3,293 | £2,474 |
| London | £49,692 | £46,414 | £3,275 | £2,332 |
| 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 London 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 Southwark (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £28,495, a quarter pay less than £35,952, half pay less than £50,000 and a quarter pay more than £67,567. On the median, take-home pay is about £3,293 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Southwark ranks 7th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 6th of 32 in London. Its median of £50,000 is £10,961 (28.1%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Southwark was £2,474 in August 2026: £1,876 for one bedroom and £2,348 for two bedrooms. That is 75.1% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Southwark is £1,967.26 for 2026/27, about £164 a month, which ranks 309th of 348 council areas and 26th of 32 in London. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.