The average salary in Reading is £40,700 a year for a full-time worker (ONS, April 2025), £1,661 above the UK median (4.3% higher). That leaves about £32,824 after tax. Here is the full breakdown.
ONS data, April 2025After tax: £32,824Free, no signup
Average salary in Reading (median, full-time)
£40,700
a year before tax · about £32,824 take-home (£2,735 a month)
Yearly
Monthly
Gross salary
£40,700
£3,392
Income tax
−£5,626
−£469
National Insurance
−£2,250
−£188
Take-home pay
£32,824
£2,735
At £40,700, the average Reading salary is £1,661 above the UK median (4.3% higher). The mean for Reading is £49,799, higher than the median because a minority of large salaries lift the average.
ONS ASHE April 2025, full-time residents of the Reading (unitary authority). Income tax and National Insurance only. Verify at gov.uk. Not tax advice.
Reading, at the heart of the South East’s tech corridor, sits well above the UK median for full-time residents. On ONS figures for April 2025, the median full-time salary for Reading residents is £40,700, which is £1,661 above the UK median (4.3% higher). After income tax and National Insurance, that leaves about £32,824 a year, or roughly £2,735 a month. A student loan or pension contribution would reduce it further.
How Reading compares to the UK
The table sets the Reading average against the UK median so you can see the gap in both gross pay and take-home.
Area
Median
Mean
Median after tax
Reading
£40,700
£49,799
£32,824
United Kingdom
£39,039
£48,512
£31,628
Use the take-home pay calculator to add a student loan plan or pension and see your exact net pay on the Reading average, or any salary you like.
Work out your own take-home
Your salary
Your salary before tax, National Insurance and pension
£
Scotland sets its own income tax bands. National Insurance is the same across the UK.
Salary sacrifice, comes out before tax and NI
%
Take-home pay
£32,824
a year · £32,824 a year
Gross salary£40,700
Income tax−£5,626
National Insurance−£2,250
Take-home a year£32,824
Where your pay goes
Take-home 81%Tax 14%NI 6%
2026/27 estimate, England, Wales and Northern Ireland bands. Verify current figures at gov.uk; not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Reading?
The average salary in Reading is £40,700 a year for a full-time employee (median, ONS April 2025), which is £1,661 above the UK median (4.3% higher). On a mean basis the figure is £49,799, higher because top earners lift the average.
What is the average Reading salary after tax?
On the £40,700 median salary for Reading, take-home pay is about £32,824 a year, roughly £2,735 a month, after income tax and National Insurance (2026/27 rates). Student loan and pension would lower it further.
Is Reading a well-paid city?
Reading, at the heart of the South East’s tech corridor, sits well above the UK median for full-time residents. Compared with the UK median of £39,039, Reading residents earn £1,661 above the UK median (4.3% higher). Living costs matter too, so a higher or lower salary does not translate one-for-one into spending power.
Does this figure cover the city or the wider area?
It is the ONS figure for the Reading (unitary authority), on a place-of-residence basis, so it reflects what people who live there earn rather than the pay of jobs located in the city centre. It covers full-time employees only.
Simon is the founder of Orbit Money, a tool that helps people track subscriptions and recurring spend. He builds Orbit's free money calculators and writes about personal finance for UK and Australian readers.
Figures are ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (April 2025), full-time residents of the Reading (unitary authority). After-tax amounts are estimates for guidance, not tax advice.
