Overview
Cambridge is home to the UK's most prestigious tech cluster — Silicon Fen — with world-leading biotechnology and AI companies.
The median salary in Cambridge is £42,000 per year. With a cost of living index of 92/100 (London = 100) and average rents of £1,450/month, residents typically retain £25,500 per year in real spending power after rent — an important figure that headline salaries don't reveal.
Cost of Living: Cambridge vs UK Cities
Cost of living index where London = 100. Lower score = more affordable. Cambridge is highlighted.
London
100
Edinburgh
79
Bristol
78
Manchester
72
Leeds
70
Birmingham
68
Cardiff
66
Liverpool
65
Sheffield
63
Newcastle
61
Best Paying Jobs in Cambridge
Full city salary breakdown coming soon. Browse all UK salary guides →
Cambridge Job Market at a Glance
| Median Annual Salary | £42,000 |
| Cost of Living Index | 92/100 |
| Average Rent (1 bed) | £1,450/mo |
| Real Take-Home After Rent | £25,500/yr |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% |
| Job Growth (YoY) | ↑ 5.2% |
| Population | 130,000 |
Top Industries in Cambridge
Technology
Biomedical
Education
Research
Finance
Major Employers in Cambridge
University of Cambridge
ARM Holdings
AstraZeneca
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Compare Cambridge with Other Cities
Cambridge vs London
£42,000 vs £52,800
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Cambridge vs Manchester
£42,000 vs £36,500
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Cambridge vs Birmingham
£42,000 vs £33,200
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Cambridge vs Edinburgh
£42,000 vs £38,900
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Cambridge vs Bristol
£42,000 vs £38,200
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Cambridge vs Leeds
£42,000 vs £34,800
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Data Sources
ONS Regional Stats 2026
HMRC PAYE Data
Rightmove Rental Index
Numbeo UK
Reed.co.uk