SpendVerdict

Salary guide · GB

Software Engineer salary in London: can you afford rent?

A Software Engineer in London typically earns £50,000£134,000/year, with a median around £80,000/year. Median 1-bedroom rent is £2,100/month.

Affordability verdict

Manageable

At a typical Software Engineer salary of £80,000/year, spending on median London rent (£2,100/mo) would take up 32% of gross income. That's above the 30% guideline but not uncommon — a manageable situation.

Software Engineer salary range in London

£50,000

Entry level

lower quartile

£80,000

Typical

median estimate

£134,000

Experienced

upper quartile

Software engineers design, build, and maintain applications and systems software. Figures are gross annual salary estimates for London.

How much rent can a Software Engineer afford?

25% of income (comfortable)£1,667/mo
30% of income (standard)£2,000/mo
35% of income (stretch)£2,333/mo
Median London rent£2,100/mo

Rent landscape in London

£1,500

Budget

cheapest 10%

£2,100

Median

most common

£3,500

Premium

top 10%

1-bedroom equivalent. ONS Private Rental Market Survey + English Housing Survey 2023/24 · 2023–2024

Check your own rent affordability →

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Explore London further

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