Average salary in Tunbridge Wells
The median full-time salary for jobs in Tunbridge Wells is £37,303 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,531 a month.
Where Tunbridge Wells ranks
Tunbridge Wells ranks 162nd of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 41st of 64 in South East. Its average rent ranks joint 60th of 316, a higher place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£794 a month) ranks 275th of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £37,303 | 162nd of 348 | 41st of 64 |
| Median pay, residents | £47,896 | 24th of 348 | 6th of 64 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,531 | 162nd of 348 | 41st of 64 |
| Average rent a month | £1,533 | joint 60th of 316 | 17th of 64 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,446.15 | 149th of 348 | 39th of 64 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £794 | 275th of 316 | 54th 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 Tunbridge Wells: Halton (£37,336), South Norfolk (£37,336), Chesterfield (£37,319), East Ayrshire (£37,250), Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (£37,241) and Dartford (£37,221). UK occupations with a median close to the Tunbridge Wells median of £37,303: managers in storage and warehousing (£37,470), vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians (£37,458), buyers and procurement officers (£37,306) and building and civil engineering technicians (£37,229).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Tunbridge Wells
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Tunbridge Wells fell 0.1%, while the UK median for all full-time jobs rose 4.3%. That is a change of less than 1%. 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 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £28,093 | £2,341 | £23,747 | £1,979 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £37,303 | £3,109 | £30,378 | £2,531 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 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 Tunbridge Wells as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 11%.
People who work in Tunbridge Wells and people who live there
The median for people who live in Tunbridge Wells is £47,896, which is £10,593 (28.4%) higher than the £37,303 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 24th of 348 and the jobs median 162nd of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 6.3%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Tunbridge Wells, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Tunbridge Wells, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Tunbridge Wells as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 15%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Tunbridge Wells (£37,303), the average rent of £1,533 takes 60.6% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£28,093) it takes 77.5%. 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 £87,522 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Tunbridge Wells 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 | £1,533 | 60.6% | £794 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,056 | 41.7% | £1,271 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,405 | 55.5% | £922 |
Band D is £204 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.
Tunbridge Wells and other areas in South East
Among these 7 areas, Tunbridge Wells has the 4th highest median and the 6th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £34,735 in Tonbridge and Malling to £45,194 in Vale of White Horse.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vale of White Horse | £45,194 | £1,352 | £1,438 |
| Waverley | £41,248 | £1,459 | £1,092 |
| Test Valley | £38,976 | £1,235 | £1,205 |
| Tunbridge Wells | £37,303 | £1,533 | £794 |
| Wealden | £35,347 | £1,262 | £925 |
| Thanet | £34,891 | £1,118 | £1,061 |
| Tonbridge and Malling | £34,735 | £1,489 | £682 |
The areas either side of Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells compares with South East and the UK
The median for jobs in Tunbridge Wells is £2,680 (6.7%) lower than the South East median, £1,995 (5.1%) lower than the England median and £1,736 (4.4%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunbridge Wells | £37,303 | £47,896 | £2,531 | £1,533 |
| 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 Tunbridge Wells (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £28,093 and half pay less than £37,303. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,531 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Tunbridge Wells ranks 162nd of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 41st of 64 in South East. Its median of £37,303 is £1,736 (4.4%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Tunbridge Wells was £1,533 in August 2026: £1,056 for one bedroom and £1,405 for two bedrooms. That is 60.6% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Tunbridge Wells is £2,446.15 for 2026/27, about £204 a month, which ranks 149th of 348 council areas and 39th of 64 in South East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.