Average salary in Sunderland
The median full-time salary for jobs in Sunderland is £32,015 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,214 a month.
Where Sunderland ranks
Sunderland ranks 327th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 11th of 12 in North East. Its average rent ranks 293rd of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,324 a month) ranks joint 104th of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in North East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £32,015 | 327th of 348 | 11th of 12 |
| Median pay, residents | £32,744 | 333rd of 348 | 11th of 12 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,214 | 327th of 348 | 11th of 12 |
| Average rent a month | £707 | 293rd of 316 | 6th of 12 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,197.14 | 289th of 348 | 12th of 12 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,324 | joint 104th of 316 | 9th of 12 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Sunderland: North Norfolk (£32,179), Scottish Borders (£32,164), South Hams (£32,086), Harborough (£31,890), Southend-on-Sea (£31,748) and South Tyneside (£31,604). UK occupations with a median close to the Sunderland median of £32,015: merchandisers (£32,155), finance officers (£31,943), assemblers (vehicles and metal goods) (£31,919) and roofers, roof tilers and slaters (£31,906).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Sunderland
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Sunderland fell 2.8%, while the UK median for all full-time jobs rose 4.3%. For North East as a whole it was a rise of 4.2%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £21,771 | £1,814 | £19,195 | £1,600 |
| 25th percentile | £25,807 | £2,151 | £22,101 | £1,842 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £32,015 | £2,668 | £26,570 | £2,214 |
| 75th percentile | £43,949 | £3,662 | £35,163 | £2,930 |
| 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 Sunderland as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.8%.
People who work in Sunderland and people who live there
The median for people who live in Sunderland is £32,744, which is £729 (2.3%) higher than the £32,015 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 333rd of 348 and the jobs median 327th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 0.1%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Sunderland, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Sunderland, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Sunderland as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.2%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Sunderland (£32,015), the average rent of £707 takes 31.9% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£25,807) it takes 38.4%. 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 £34,390 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Sunderland 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 | £707 | 31.9% | £1,324 |
| 1 bedroom | £523 | 23.6% | £1,508 |
| 2 bedrooms | £647 | 29.2% | £1,384 |
Band D is £183 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.
Sunderland and other areas in North East
Among these 7 areas, Sunderland has the 6th highest median and the 5th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,604 in South Tyneside to £36,599 in Stockton-on-Tees.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-on-Tees | £36,599 | £735 | £1,538 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | £35,278 | £644 | £1,554 |
| Darlington | £33,840 | £689 | £1,427 |
| Gateshead | £33,670 | £804 | £1,284 |
| County Durham | £32,945 | £650 | £1,401 |
| Sunderland | £32,015 | £707 | £1,324 |
| South Tyneside | £31,604 | £743 | £1,244 |
The areas either side of Sunderland in the alphabetical list for North East, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 12 in the North East table.
How Sunderland compares with North East and the UK
The median for jobs in Sunderland is £2,388 (6.9%) lower than the North East median, £7,283 (18.5%) lower than the England median and £7,024 (18.0%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | £32,015 | £32,744 | £2,214 | £707 |
| North East | £34,403 | £34,833 | £2,357 | £788 |
| 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 North 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 Sunderland (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £21,771, a quarter pay less than £25,807, half pay less than £32,015 and a quarter pay more than £43,949. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,214 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Sunderland ranks 327th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 11th of 12 in North East. Its median of £32,015 is £7,024 (18.0%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Sunderland was £707 in August 2026: £523 for one bedroom and £647 for two bedrooms. That is 31.9% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Sunderland is £2,197.14 for 2026/27, about £183 a month, which ranks 289th of 348 council areas and 12th of 12 in North East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.