Is 30k a good salary UK 2026?

£30,000 is slightly below the UK median full-time salary of around £35,000. It's a decent salary that allows a comfortable life in many parts of the UK, though it's tighter in London and the South East. You're earning more than roughly 35% of full-time workers. For your early to mid-twenties, it's a solid starting point.

What is the take-home pay on £30,000?

On a £30,000 salary, your take-home pay is approximately £2,005 per month (£24,060 per year) after income tax and National Insurance. This is based on the standard tax code with no student loan. With a Plan 2 student loan, take-home drops to around £1,967 per month.

Can you get a mortgage on 30k salary?

Yes — most lenders offer 4-4.5 times salary, giving you a mortgage of £120,000-£135,000 on a sole application. With a 10% deposit, you could buy a property up to £133,000-£150,000. This is enough for many areas outside London and the South East. A joint application would significantly increase your borrowing power.

Is 30k a good starting salary UK?

Yes — £30,000 is a good starting salary for graduate roles, particularly outside London. The average graduate starting salary is around £25,000-£30,000. Sectors like technology, finance, engineering, and consulting often start higher (£28,000-£45,000), while public sector and creative roles may start lower.

Is £30k a Good Salary in the UK? — Percentile, Take-Home and Cost of Living | PocketWise

Is £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.

By PocketWise · 8 April 2026 · 4 min read

£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

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.

Take-Home Pay Calculator — work out your exact pay
Can I Get a Mortgage on £30k? — borrowing power
Budgeting Guide — manage your finances
Average Salary by Job UK — compare by profession
Lifetime ISA Guide — first-time buyer bonus
£30,000 After Tax 2026/27 — exact take-home