Southampton jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,568 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 116,395 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.2% (+250 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.3% (-292 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,568/month (YoY: +4.6%, £113 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.6% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£73 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Southampton fell 0.3% over the year to June 2026, with 116,395 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 250 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the South East, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. Southampton ranked 14th of 20 sub-regional areas in the South East by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Southampton stood at £2,568 in June 2026, up 4.6% 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 Southampton are now £73 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,998 a month. The total pay bill in Southampton rose 4.6% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Nationally, 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.
“After a sustained period of pressure on household finances, we’re starting to see the dial turn in Southampton. Employment is holding up and pay is beginning to outpace inflation. It’s early, but these are the right signals.”
— 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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