Average salary in Test Valley
The median full-time salary for jobs in Test Valley is £38,976 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,632 a month.
Where Test Valley ranks
Test Valley ranks 113th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 34th of 64 in South East. Its average rent ranks 116th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,205 a month) ranks 165th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £38,976 | 113th of 348 | 34th of 64 |
| Median pay, residents | £40,576 | 128th of 348 | 38th of 64 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,632 | 113th of 348 | 34th of 64 |
| Average rent a month | £1,235 | 116th of 316 | 50th of 64 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,305.52 | 251st of 348 | 59th of 64 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,205 | 165th of 316 | 16th 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 Test Valley: Brighton and Hove (£39,137), Knowsley (£39,064), Eastleigh (£38,983), Monmouthshire (£38,844), Brentwood (£38,821) and Portsmouth (£38,815). UK occupations with a median close to the Test Valley median of £38,976: other educational professionals n.e.c (£39,114), security system installers and repairers (£39,002), inspectors of standards and regulations (£38,963) and road construction operatives (£38,833).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Test Valley
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Test Valley rose 5.4%, 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 | £26,401 | £2,200 | £22,528 | £1,877 |
| 25th percentile | £30,429 | £2,536 | £25,428 | £2,119 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,976 | £3,248 | £31,582 | £2,632 |
| 75th percentile | £50,858 | £4,238 | £40,055 | £3,338 |
| 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 Test Valley as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.5%.
People who work in Test Valley and people who live there
The median for people who live in Test Valley is £40,576, which is £1,600 (4.1%) higher than the £38,976 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 128th of 348 and the jobs median 113th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 4.7%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Test Valley, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Test Valley, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Test Valley as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.4%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Test Valley (£38,976), the average rent of £1,235 takes 46.9% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£30,429) it takes 58.3%. 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 £66,970 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Test Valley 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 | £1,235 | 46.9% | £1,205 |
| 1 bedroom | £888 | 33.7% | £1,552 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,144 | 43.5% | £1,296 |
Band D is £192 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.
Test Valley and other areas in South East
Among these 7 areas, Test Valley has the 2nd highest median and the highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £34,735 in Tonbridge and Malling to £39,904 in Surrey Heath.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Heath | £39,904 | £1,503 | £970 |
| Test Valley | £38,976 | £1,235 | £1,205 |
| Tunbridge Wells | £37,303 | £1,533 | £794 |
| Tandridge | £37,024 | £1,637 | £662 |
| Thanet | £34,891 | £1,118 | £1,061 |
| Swale | £34,776 | £1,114 | £1,066 |
| Tonbridge and Malling | £34,735 | £1,489 | £682 |
The areas either side of Test Valley 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 Test Valley compares with South East and the UK
The median for jobs in Test Valley is £1,007 (2.5%) lower than the South East median, £322 (0.8%) lower than the England median and £63 (0.2%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test Valley | £38,976 | £40,576 | £2,632 | £1,235 |
| 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 Test Valley (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £26,401, a quarter pay less than £30,429, half pay less than £38,976 and a quarter pay more than £50,858. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,632 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Test Valley ranks 113th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 34th of 64 in South East. Its median of £38,976 is £63 (0.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Test Valley was £1,235 in August 2026: £888 for one bedroom and £1,144 for two bedrooms. That is 46.9% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Test Valley is £2,305.52 for 2026/27, about £192 a month, which ranks 251st of 348 council areas and 59th of 64 in South East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.