Can a Civil engineers afford to rent in the UK?
Can a Civil engineers afford to rent in the UK?
A Civil engineers earns a full-time median of £51,366 per year (ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025). Across 10 UK regions, rent is affordable (below 30% of gross income) in 7 out of 10. West Midlands is most affordable at a Gera Affordability Ratio of 20.2%; London is least affordable at 52.0%.
Gera Affordability Ratio
West Midlands is most affordable for a Civil engineers. 7 of 10 regions are below the 30% ONS threshold.
How this is calculatedCivil engineers — salary and affordability summary
National median
£51,366
ONS ASHE 2025, FT
Monthly gross
£4,281
Before tax
Affordable regions
7/10
GAR ≤ 30%
Rent affordability by UK region
Gera Affordability Ratio = (monthly rent ÷ regional median monthly salary) × 100. Sorted most affordable first. Click a region for a detailed breakdown.
| Region | Salary | Avg rent / mo | GAR | GAR 2-bed | Buy ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | £57,522 | £966 | 20.2% | 18.2% | 4.4× |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £48,751 | £856 | 21.1% | 18.7% | 4.3× |
| Scotland | £55,172 | £1,009 | 21.9% | 19.8% | 3.5× |
| North East | £39,722 | £776 | 23.4% | 20.7% | 4.1× |
| North West | £48,087 | £954 | 23.8% | 21.7% | 4.5× |
| Wales | £41,581 | £836 | 24.1% | 22.3% | 5.1× |
| South West | £58,827 | £1,234 | 25.2% | 21.5% | 5.1× |
| South East | £55,451 | £1,418 | 30.7% | 27.4% | 6.8× |
| East of England | £45,651 | £1,280 | 33.6% | 29.9% | 7.4× |
| London | £52,970 | £2,294 | 52.0% | 49.7% | 10.4× |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for a Civil engineers?
- According to ONS ASHE 2025 provisional data (reference period April 2025), the UK median gross annual pay for a Civil engineers working full-time is £51,366, which equals £4,281 per month before tax.
- Which UK region is most affordable for a Civil engineers to rent?
- West Midlands is the most affordable region for a Civil engineers to rent, with a Gera Affordability Ratio of 20.2% — average monthly rent £966 against a regional median salary of £57,522 (ONS ASHE 2025, April 2025).
- Where is it hardest for a Civil engineers to afford rent?
- London is the least affordable region, with a Gera Affordability Ratio of 52.0% — average monthly rent £2,294 versus regional median salary £52,970 for this occupation.
- Can a Civil engineers afford to buy a home in the UK?
- At the national median salary of £51,366, buying in North East would require a price-to-income ratio of 4.1× (average house price £163,190 ÷ regional salary £39,722). That is rated "Accessible" — Under 5× salary — historically accessible range. The full buy-ratio across all regions is shown in the table below.
- How is the Gera Affordability Ratio calculated for a Civil engineers?
- GAR = (monthly_rent ÷ regional_median_monthly_salary) × 100. Salary from ONS ASHE 2025 (Table 15(4).7a, region × occupation, full-time median). Rent from ONS PIPR May 2026 (regional average monthly private rent). A ratio ≤ 30% is "affordable" per ONS guidance. Full methodology: https://gerajobs.com/affordability/methodology.
Data sources
Salary: Office for National Statistics — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 provisional · Open Government Licence v3.0
Rent: Office for National Statistics — Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), May 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
House prices: HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index (UKHPI), April 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
Find Civil engineers jobs in affordable regions
GeraJobs lists live Civil engineers vacancies with salary ranges — filter by your target region to find roles where the maths works.