Average salary in Reading, UK
ONS data for April 2025 · Page updated
Reading's full-time median is one of the highest in the UK outside central London, almost level with London's as a whole. It's the main town of the Thames Valley technology corridor, and its upper quartile is well above the UK's.
- Median full-time pay
- £49,062
- Change on a year earlier
- +7%
- Compared with the UK
- +26%
- Full-time jobs
- 72k
How pay is spread in Reading
Line: 10th to 90th percentile. Bar: the middle half of earners (25th to 75th). Mark and label: median. Where ONS doesn't publish the 90th percentile, the line stops at the highest published point.
| Full-time annual pay | Reading | South East | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,668 | £24,138 | £23,990 |
| 25th percentile | £33,980 | £29,704 | £29,262 |
| Median | £49,062 | £39,983 | £39,039 |
| 75th percentile | £70,510 | £55,000 | £54,009 |
| 90th percentile | – | £77,370 | £76,903 |
| Mean | £61,467 | £47,619 | £48,512 |
– ONS doesn't publish this figure because the sample is too small to be reliable.
These are gross annual earnings for full-time employee jobs based in Reading, wherever the employee lives. The median is the middle salary: half of full-time jobs pay more, half pay less. The mean is pulled up by a small number of very high earners, so the median is the better guide to a typical salary. Figures cover Reading Borough Council's area.
What that means after tax
| Gross salary | Income tax | National Insurance | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £49,062 | £7,298 | £2,919 | £38,844 | £3,237 |
| £70,510 | £15,636 | £3,421 | £51,453 | £4,288 |
The median and 75th percentile salaries above, for the 2026/27 tax year: tax code 1257L, no pension contributions, student loan or benefits in kind. Pension contributions through salary sacrifice would reduce both tax and take-home pay.
Who employs people in Reading
Technology, telecoms and software companies, insurers, consultancies and the regional offices of national employers are concentrated in and around Reading, helped by fast rail links to London.
Negotiating pay in Reading
Negotiate as if you were in London. Thames Valley employers compete directly with London for the same candidates, and Reading pay reflects that. London adverts for the same role are fair evidence, particularly for technology and consulting jobs.
Car allowances and commuting. Many Thames Valley roles involve driving or travel to client sites. Car allowances, mileage rates and travel time can be negotiated alongside salary; see total compensation in the UK.
A city median is a starting point, not a target. What you should ask for depends on your role, level and the employer. Check the pay ranges by role, or see where your salary sits in Reading.
Negotiating a job or pay rise in Reading?
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Pay in nearby cities
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 7.7a (work geography). Gross annual pay for full-time employee jobs, April 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See how we use this data.