Jobs hold steady in West Kent as median pay reaches £2,912 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 164,756 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+93 workers)
- Annual change
- +0.2% (+273 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,912/month (YoY: +4.7%, £130 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +5.1% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£41 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in West Kent continued to grow in June 2026, with workers up 0.2% year-on-year, 273 more than a year ago, and rising a further 0.1% on the month.
Across the South East, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. West Kent ranked 4th of 20 sub-regional areas in the South East by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in West Kent stood at £2,912 in June 2026, up 4.7% over the past year and ahead of inflation at 2.82%. After a period of sharp inflation from 2022 that eroded real earnings, wages have been recovering. Workers in West Kent are now £41 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £2,314 a month. The total pay bill in West Kent rose 5.1% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
West Kent outperformed the UK as a whole, where payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. Across the UK, 599,257 workers entered payrolled employment in May 2026, the most recently available flow data, while 596,423 left, a net gain of 2,834 workers.
“The employment picture in West Kent is genuinely encouraging. More people in work and real pay rising means households have more money in their pockets. That kind of momentum matters for local businesses and public services alike.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, Campaign Salience
South East — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medway | 131,876 | +0.3% | £2,723 | +5.3% |
| 2 | Kent Thames Gateway | 174,626 | +0.2% | £2,763 | +5.3% |
| 3 | South Hampshire | 206,260 | +0.2% | £2,659 | +4.7% |
| 4 | West Kent | 164,756 | +0.2% | £2,912 | +4.7% |
| 5 | North Hampshire | 195,285 | +0.2% | £2,961 | +3.8% |
| 6 | East Sussex CC | 217,837 | +0.0% | £2,478 | +5.0% |
| 7 | Central Hampshire | 247,382 | +0.0% | £2,716 | +4.6% |
| 8 | Mid Kent | 148,661 | -0.1% | £2,671 | +4.8% |
| 9 | West Sussex (South West) | 195,583 | -0.1% | £2,526 | +4.7% |
| 10 | West Sussex (North East) | 201,905 | -0.2% | £2,837 | +4.7% |
| 11 | West Surrey | 378,387 | -0.2% | £3,078 | +3.8% |
| 12 | East Surrey | 188,295 | -0.2% | £3,125 | +4.8% |
| 13 | Milton Keynes | 146,158 | -0.2% | £2,756 | +4.8% |
| 14 | Southampton | 116,395 | -0.2% | £2,568 | +4.6% |
| 15 | Oxfordshire CC | 349,309 | -0.4% | £2,952 | +5.4% |
| 16 | Isle of Wight | 52,147 | -0.4% | £2,283 | +4.7% |
| 17 | Buckinghamshire | 259,241 | -0.4% | £2,939 | +4.5% |
| 18 | East Kent | 208,674 | -0.4% | £2,497 | +4.8% |
| 19 | Brighton and Hove | 127,098 | -0.9% | £2,634 | +4.8% |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 94,737 | -1.1% | £2,530 | +5.0% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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