UK Salary Benchmarks & ComparisonsIs £30k a Good Salary in the UK? — Percentile, Take-Home and Cost of Living
Is £30,000 a good salary in the UK? See where you rank, your monthly take-home pay, what you can afford by region, and how it compares to the national average.
£30,000 is one of the most common salary levels in the UK. Here’s a full breakdown of what it means for your finances and lifestyle.
Where £30,000 Ranks
| Measure | Amount | £30k comparison |
|---|
| National Living Wage (full-time) | ~£23,400 | Well above |
| UK median full-time salary | ~£35,000 | Slightly below |
| UK mean full-time salary | ~£39,000 | Below average |
| 35th percentile | ~£30,000 | Around this level |
Your Take-Home Pay
| Deduction | Annual | Monthly |
|---|
| Gross salary | £30,000 | £2,500 |
| Income tax | £3,486 | £291 |
| National Insurance | £1,977 | £165 |
| Take-home | £24,537 | £2,045 |
With Student Loan
| Loan plan | Monthly repayment | Take-home |
|---|
| No loan | £0 | £2,045 |
| Plan 1 | £68 | £1,977 |
| Plan 2 | £57 | £1,988 |
| Plan 5 | £57 | £1,988 |
Monthly Budget at £30,000
| Expense | Outside London | London |
|---|
| Rent (1-bed flat) | £500-£800 | £1,100-£1,600 |
| Council tax | £100-£150 | £100-£170 |
| Utilities and broadband | £150-£200 | £150-£200 |
| Food and groceries | £200-£300 | £250-£350 |
| Transport | £60-£150 | £150-£200 |
| Phone | £20-£40 | £20-£40 |
| Insurance | £30-£60 | £30-£60 |
| Total essentials | £1,060-£1,700 | £1,800-£2,620 |
| Left over | £345-£985 | £0-£245 |
On £30,000, you can live alone comfortably in most UK cities outside London. In London, flat-sharing is almost essential.
Regional Comparison
| Region | Median salary | £30k vs median |
|---|
| London | ~£44,000 | 32% below |
| South East | ~£37,000 | 19% below |
| Scotland | ~£33,000 | 9% below |
| East of England | ~£34,000 | 12% below |
| North West | ~£32,000 | 6% below |
| West Midlands | ~£32,000 | 6% below |
| Yorkshire | ~£31,000 | 3% below |
| Wales | ~£30,000 | About right |
| North East | ~£30,000 | About right |
| Northern Ireland | ~£29,000 | Slightly above |
What £30,000 Can Afford
Housing
| Type | Affordable on £30k? |
|---|
| Mortgage (sole, £120-£135k property) | Yes, in affordable areas |
| Rent alone (outside London) | Yes, 1-bed flat possible |
| Rent alone (London) | Very tight — studio only |
| Shared house | Comfortable everywhere |
Lifestyle
| Category | Budget |
|---|
| Savings | £100-£300/month possible |
| Holidays | 1-2 per year (budget) |
| Car running costs | Affordable outside London |
| Eating out | Occasional |
| Gym membership | Affordable |
By Age — Is £30k Good for Your Age?
| Age | £30k percentile | Verdict |
|---|
| 21-25 | Above average | Good for early career |
| 26-30 | Average | Fairly typical |
| 31-35 | Slightly below | Peers often earning more |
| 36-45 | Below average | Consider career development |
| 46+ | Below average | May want to upskill |
What Jobs Pay £30,000 in the UK?
| Job title | Typical sector | Notes |
|---|
| Newly Qualified Nurse (Band 5) | NHS | Starting point for most registered nurses |
| Primary school teacher (NQT) | Education | Newly qualified outside London |
| Junior software developer | Technology | Outside London, 0–2 years’ experience |
| HR advisor | Business services | Generalist HR, 2–4 years’ experience |
| Marketing executive | Various | 2–4 years’ experience |
| Graduate engineer | Engineering | Entry-level civil, mechanical, or structural |
| Accounts assistant / junior accountant | Finance | Part-qualified ACCA/CIMA |
| Digital marketing specialist | Agencies / in-house | SEO, PPC, or social media focus |
These are broad benchmarks — actual salaries vary by employer size, location, and sector. London roles typically pay 15–25% more for the same title.
Salary Progression from £30,000
| Next milestone | Typical route | Timeline |
|---|
| £33,000–£35,000 | Annual pay reviews in current role | 1–3 years |
| £35,000–£40,000 | Job move to a larger employer | 1–2 years |
| £40,000+ | Gaining a qualification or moving to management | 2–5 years |
Growing Beyond £30,000
| Strategy | Expected impact |
|---|
| Negotiate a pay rise | 5-10% increase |
| Switch employer | 10-25% (biggest jumps) |
| Gain professional qualifications | £5,000-£15,000+ increase |
| Move to higher-paying sector | £5,000-£20,000+ |
| Take on management responsibility | £3,000-£10,000+ |
| freelance/contract (if applicable) | Potentially 20-50% more |
Jobs That Commonly Pay Around £30,000
£30,000 is a core professional salary level across the UK. Many graduate schemes and established public-sector roles sit near this level:
| Job Role | Typical Salary |
|---|
| Primary school teacher (early career) | £28,000–£32,000 |
| NHS Band 5 Nurse | £29,970–£36,483 |
| Police Constable (first full year) | £29,907–£36,000+ |
| Social Worker (qualified, new) | £30,000–£34,000 |
| HR Advisor | £28,000–£34,000 |
| Software Support Analyst | £26,000–£32,000 |
| Marketing Executive (2+ years exp) | £29,000–£34,000 |
| Project Coordinator | £27,000–£33,000 |
| Accounts Assistant (AAT qualified) | £28,000–£33,000 |
These roles share a characteristic: they’re heavily represented in the public sector and in companies where salaries are structured. Moving from £30k typically requires either a promotion, a professional qualification, or switching to an employer that pays more for the same skills.
The North-South Divide at £30,000
The same £30,000 salary feels very different depending on where you live. UK regions differ dramatically in housing costs, which is where most of the real income gap shows up:
| Region | Monthly rent (1-bed flat) | Remaining after rent (take-home ~£2,020/month) | Feel |
|---|
| North East (Newcastle, Sunderland) | £600–£750 | £1,270–£1,420 | Comfortable |
| Yorkshire (Sheffield, Leeds) | £700–£850 | £1,170–£1,320 | Manageable |
| West Midlands (Birmingham) | £800–£950 | £1,070–£1,220 | Tight |
| Greater Manchester | £850–£1,000 | £1,020–£1,170 | Tight |
| South West (Bristol, Exeter) | £1,000–£1,200 | £820–£1,020 | Very tight |
| London (Zone 2-3) | £1,400–£1,800 | £220–£620 | Barely viable |
Verdict: £30,000 in the North East is genuinely comfortable for a single person. In London, it’s a subsistence salary that leaves almost nothing after rent and travel. The same headline number masks a ~2x difference in actual purchasing power.
First-Time Buyer Potential on £30,000
With a 5x salary mortgage cap, a single applicant on £30,000 can typically borrow up to £150,000. That’s the basic ceiling; with a 10% deposit of £16,700, total purchase price would be around £166,700.
What does that buy?
- Realistic in most of northern England, parts of the Midlands, Wales, and rural Scotland
- A stretch in the South East and South West
- Very difficult in London and its commuter belt
For buyers in expensive areas, government schemes such as Shared Ownership allow purchase of 25%–75% of a property with a smaller mortgage, making homeownership more achievable at £30,000. See the Mortgage on £30k Guide for a full breakdown.
Savings Priorities on £30,000
With around £2,020 per month take-home, disciplined but realistic saving is achievable:
| Goal | Monthly amount | Time to reach |
|---|
| Emergency fund (3 months) (£6,000) | £250 | 24 months |
| Emergency fund (6 months) (£12,000) | £250 | 48 months |
| House deposit (10%, £16,000) | £333 | 48 months |
| ISA topped up (£20,000) | £333 | 60 months |
The foundation at this salary level is the emergency fund (ideally 3–6 months of expenses), followed by a pension contribution large enough to capture any employer match, and then savings toward a house deposit if that’s a goal. A Lifetime ISA (LISA) contributes a 25% government bonus on up to £4,000/year for first-time buyers — a powerful savings accelerator on £30,000.