Can a Programmers and software development professionals afford to rent in the UK?
Can a Programmers and software development professionals afford to rent in the UK?
A Programmers and software development professionals earns a full-time median of £56,914 per year (ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025). Across 11 UK regions, rent is affordable (below 30% of gross income) in 9 out of 11. North East is most affordable at a Gera Affordability Ratio of 16.5%; London is least affordable at 36.6%.
Gera Affordability Ratio
North East is most affordable for a Programmers and software development professionals. 9 of 11 regions are below the 30% ONS threshold.
How this is calculatedProgrammers and software development professionals — salary and affordability summary
National median
£56,914
ONS ASHE 2025, FT
Monthly gross
£4,743
Before tax
Affordable regions
9/11
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | £56,340 | £776 | 16.5% | 14.6% | 2.9× |
| Wales | £48,346 | £836 | 20.8% | 19.1% | 4.4× |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £47,908 | £856 | 21.4% | 19.1% | 4.3× |
| East Midlands | £49,685 | £914 | 22.1% | 19.8% | 4.9× |
| North West | £50,336 | £954 | 22.7% | 20.7% | 4.3× |
| West Midlands | £49,081 | £966 | 23.6% | 21.3% | 5.1× |
| Scotland | £48,930 | £1,009 | 24.7% | 22.3% | 3.9× |
| East of England | £60,989 | £1,280 | 25.2% | 22.4% | 5.5× |
| South West | £53,438 | £1,234 | 27.7% | 23.7% | 5.7× |
| South East | £52,798 | £1,418 | 32.2% | 28.8% | 7.1× |
| London | £75,296 | £2,294 | 36.6% | 35.0% | 7.3× |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for a Programmers and software development professionals?
- According to ONS ASHE 2025 provisional data (reference period April 2025), the UK median gross annual pay for a Programmers and software development professionals working full-time is £56,914, which equals £4,743 per month before tax.
- Which UK region is most affordable for a Programmers and software development professionals to rent?
- North East is the most affordable region for a Programmers and software development professionals to rent, with a Gera Affordability Ratio of 16.5% — average monthly rent £776 against a regional median salary of £56,340 (ONS ASHE 2025, April 2025).
- Where is it hardest for a Programmers and software development professionals to afford rent?
- London is the least affordable region, with a Gera Affordability Ratio of 36.6% — average monthly rent £2,294 versus regional median salary £75,296 for this occupation.
- Can a Programmers and software development professionals afford to buy a home in the UK?
- At the national median salary of £56,914, buying in North East would require a price-to-income ratio of 2.9× (average house price £163,190 ÷ regional salary £56,340). 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 Programmers and software development professionals?
- 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 Programmers and software development professionals jobs in affordable regions
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