Living and Working in Sussex

New to Sussex and keen to find a great career, or need advice about whether moving to Sussex is a good option? Discover insights and stats on life and work opportunities in East and West Sussex.

Sussex is a fantastic place to live and work, with contrasts between the vibrancy and bustle of cities like Brighton and Crawley, the serenity of the South Downs National Park next to Chichester, the high-growth markets in most Sussex market towns, and the picturesque villages – many of which have now upgraded to ultra-fast internet.

Unemployment ratings are low, compared with high average salaries and buoyant property markets, albeit with more affordable living costs than those in other parts of the southeast and with excellent living standards that appeal to families, professionals and graduates alike.

Today, we'll provide an overview of life and work in Sussex, with information about the highest-growth sectors, the roles in greatest demand, the areas where you might find your ideal job, and the pros and cons of applying for vacancies with varied employers.

Interested in applying for your first job in Sussex, relocating to either West or East Sussex with your family, or looking at vacancies and salaries to see whether this part of the southeast would be a great match for your career aspirations?

We’ll share handy advice about transport links, flexible working and optimising your job search.

Exploring Jobs and Career Opportunities in Sussex

Sussex is a unique part of the UK, home to an incredibly busy international airport, award-winning vineyards, beautiful countryside and coastlines, historic attractions and architecture alongside well-regarded universities, schools and colleges.

The lower population density, coupled with some of the lowest nationwide crime rates, means that hundreds of people choose to relocate or begin their career in Sussex, with some of the most popular locations for employment including:

• Burgess Hill: A well-connected, charming town with direct train links into London Bridge and London Victoria. It is often ranked one of the best places to live and work in terms of healthcare, education, environment, and housing.
• East Grinstead: A multicultural town packed with leisure amenities and with great train connections. Tudor buildings line the high street within an area of outstanding natural beauty tucked between two river valleys.
• Crawley: A modern town with competitive housing prices, ample aerospace industry job opportunities, family-friendly green spaces, and a strong local economy.
• Horsham: A pretty town that blends cobbled streets with modern retail facilities. It is within easy distance of Brighton and London and has a great community feel.
• Haywards Heath: Adjacent to the national park, the town is just 15 miles from Brighton with an acclaimed local hospital and several highly rated schools as a popular commuter town with connections to Gatwick Airport.

The balance between living standards, amenities, convenience and housing prices attracts young people, professionals and those with children, whether you’d love to live and work in the elegant city of Chichester, want to buy an affordable coastal property along Bexhill seafront, or would like to relocate to the historic town of Lewes.

Insights Into the Sussex Job Market

Sussex has a dynamic mixture of sectors and businesses, with some of the largest employers including EDF Energy, which has a head office in Hove; Nestle, which has a complex in South Crawley; and TUI, the travel company.

Fast-growing Sussex businesses also include freight forwarders, IT companies specialising in data centres, car rental brands, professional training services and industrial waste management organisations focused on sustainability and carbon reduction.

There are, therefore, hundreds of potential jobs at both entry, middle and more senior levels across the sectors, depending on whether you'd love to work for a large, well-known company with ample routes to upskill and apply for internal promotions or would prefer to work for a smaller family-owned business or start-up.

Much of the appeal of Sussex for companies and employees alike is that there are great locations that provide affordability, access to transport connections and a strong recruitment pool without the significant overheads that are so common in more expensive regions in and around Greater London.

Of course, choosing who to work for may depend on your long-term aspirations, the income you expect to generate, and your current experience. However, you can choose between freelance and remote work, in-house jobs, private or public sector jobs, and vacancies with funded training and qualifications to enhance your ongoing career prospects.

To help with your decision-making, we’ve put together some pointers to showcase the pros and cons of each option.

Working for a Large Sussex Company

Generally, bigger companies offer higher average salaries, with greater job security and perks like generous pension schemes, holiday and family leave. The downsides can mean that it is difficult to be noticed or recognised for your efforts, and although there can be options to apply for a higher-paid role, these tend to require at least five years of experience before you’ll be considered.

Applying for Remote Work Roles

Remote and hybrid working is attractive to those for whom working in a physical workplace can be challenging due to mobility restrictions, family commitments, or their location. The lack of a commute can mean your expenses are lower, and you can work more flexibly. However, in some jobs, communication is complex, there is little scope to advance, and employees may feel isolated working independently without a team around them.

Search: Remote Jobs in Sussex

Job Vacancies With Sussex Start-Ups

New start-ups are often found in Sussex, especially around the bigger cities. They offer the ability to be more creative and flexible while welcoming input and suggestions from employees at all seniority levels. Pitfalls often include a lower salary and remuneration since even the most ambitious start-up will have a smaller budget and the potential that the company won't succeed, which may mean you have to return to your job search again.

Public vs Private Sector Sussex Jobs

Many of the higher-demand roles in Sussex are within the public sector, including schools, hospitals, community services and the police force, with good job security, stable salaries and often job satisfaction if you feel that your work makes a difference. However, pay rates can vary in comparison to the private sector. Many public sector organisations are overly bureaucratic, and pay scales may have an upper limit which you cannot move beyond.

A Summary of the Largest Employment Sectors in Sussex

In recent years, a greater proportion of corporations and multinational businesses have moved away from the convention of having a head office in London.

This is partly because of the costs and overheads associated with owning or renting a commercial premise in the capital, as we’ve mentioned. The spread of talent and access to flexible working frequently means it is more cost-effective to move elsewhere in the southeast.

Although some corners of Sussex, such as the marine industries in and around Chichester and the ancient fishing fleet in Hastings, have vacancies particular to the area, other sectors are prevalent and have been on an upward trajectory for a number of years.

Engineering and Manufacturing

Pockets of Sussex are heavily populated by manufacturing and engineering businesses, especially advanced engineering. Regular job opportunities arise for automotive engineers and designers, and electrical and mechanical engineers, alongside civil engineering, and construction jobs, civil design, and water resource engineering.

Tourist and Visitor Economy

Seaside destinations, cultural visitor attractions and historical sites such as Hastings Castle, Lewes Castle, Fishbourne Roman Palace, Michelham Priory and Battle Abbey, thought to be the site of the famous 1066 battle, mean Sussex welcomes 62 million visitors a year – leading to a strong tourism sector encompassing hotels, attractions, leisure parks, restaurants, bars and other accommodations.

Finance and Professional Services

The concentration of financial institutions and service-based businesses is higher than the UK average across the southeast, with a spike of employers within this sector based in Brighton and Hove—American Express, a company with 10,000+ global employees, has three offices in Brighton alone.

Aerospace and Defence

Organisations and businesses around Gatwick Airport comprise a high proportion of the companies in this sector, many based in Crawley. Vacancies often include aircraft cabin crews and technicians, positions with the Civil Aviation Authority at Gatwick and inspection and testing roles.

In-Demand Skills and Jobs in Sussex

Like most UK regions, there are shortages in some skills, qualifications, and jobs. Applicants are very likely to find great-paying roles and vacancies that match their requirements due to a need for their abilities within the local workforce.

Depending on your location, these may include:

• Chefs and cooks
• Graphic designers
• HGV and Class 1 Drivers
• Software engineers
• Software programmers
• Teachers and tutors

You may also find that some locations in Sussex have a significant need for certain professions – we’ve summarised the top ten, by town or city, in the table below.

Another strategy might be to look at the occupations that are growing the fastest, often owing to new businesses and start-ups or increasing demand.

For example, property and housing managers, assistants and clerks working within pensions and insurance sectors, and electricians are becoming more in demand as these sectors grow across Sussex.

Travel Links and Public Transport in Sussex

Sussex covers a large area but benefits from reliable transport links and roadway networks that stretch north, east, and west. It is also within a short distance of major EU gateways like the Eurostar service, the Port of Dover, and Ashford International.

The railway networks have three main operators: South Eastern, Southern, and South Western. However, Sussex residents can also use direct services or connect with Gatwick Express, Thameslink Railway, and Great Western Railway with ease.

Trains run directly to London Charing Cross and London Victoria from the furthest starting points at Hastings and Brighton. It takes around 60 to 90 minutes to travel from most locations in Sussex to central London and roughly 30 minutes to get from Brighton to Gatwick Airport.

The airport itself is located in West Sussex, just 12 minutes’ drive from central Crawley. Sussex is a great location for those who travel internationally on a regular basis and for job seekers interested in working in aviation or one of the associated industries in and around the UK's second-busiest airport.

Other public transport services and connections include:

• Flexibus, regular bus and school transport services.
• Accessible and disabled parking facilities in most towns.
• Travelwise schemes, including car sharing and cycle-to-work initiatives.
• Regional ferries operating from Newhaven.

Drivers can travel freely around and out of Sussex. The M23 runs between Hooley, Surrey, and Crawley, West Sussex, connecting with the A23 at either end. Other major routes include the A21, A22, and A23, all of which run north from Sussex and connect with the M25.

There are numerous electric vehicle charging stations in public facilities, including supermarkets, multi-storey car parks and petrol stations, with funding via the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVI) awarded by the government to East Sussex, which is investing over £4.4 million in scaling up on-street charge points.

West Sussex County Council is also installing new facilities, with 18 new bays planned in Eastbourne and 64 in Lewes, as a couple of examples.

Access to Healthcare in Sussex

Sussex has a good healthcare infrastructure. Although pressures within NHS services are well documented, most residents find that there are plenty of local GPs, dentists, hospitals, clinics, and healthcare centres, including walk-in centres, which can assist if you're new to the area and haven't yet registered with a GP.

Many Sussex cities and towns also have Urgent Treatment Centres, which differ from A&E departments in that they can handle less urgent health conditions or injuries with significantly shorter waiting times. This ensures that only the most serious emergencies are directed to A&E, meaning you'll be able to seek help quicker if, for instance, you have a minor fall or cut.

However, in an emergency, the NHS South East Coast Ambulance Service has an impressive track record, with a 90% success rate of reaching an urgent 999 call within 15 minutes, with an average response time of seven minutes.

There are seven NHS trusts in Sussex, alongside partners like the county councils, but these are coordinated by Sussex Health and Care, meaning standards, accessibility, and quality of services are consistent across most of the region.

Residents can also contact the Sussex Dental Helpline if they haven't registered with a dentist or found a surgery in their immediate area and need an appointment. This service is part of Sussex Health and Care and means anybody can request support.

Searching for a Sussex Job

The size of East and West Sussex and the contrasts in business density between larger cities and smaller towns means there is equally a massive array of jobs you might consider, and we've illustrated some of the busiest and most prevalent sectors above to showcase the variety of career opportunities you may find.

If you're unsure where to start, our separate guide on How to Find a Job in Sussex is a valuable resource that provides tips and hints on where to search for vacancies, how to position your CV and application favourably, and ways to ensure you are prepared well in advance of an interview.

However, as a quick summary, we'd suggest you first verify the locations you'd like to work in, checking that either the driving distance or public transport links are viable or ensuring you stick within a geographical job search area that you’d happily be able to manage during the working week.

From there, it’s worth browsing Sussex Jobs alongside any other job listings you may wish to use since we publicise local jobs specifically for people living within Sussex and ensure you won’t waste time reading job descriptions or submitting applications for roles that are a little too far away.

Another approach, especially if you don’t already live in Sussex and are planning a move, is to consider the areas with the highest average salaries or the types of jobs with the most generous pay packages – if, of course, you have the freedom to decide where to live based on the job you find!

Another publication within our resource hub, Average Salary in Sussex, examines the towns and cities with the highest mean and median average salaries and compares average wages to the local housing market, which could help guide your decision-making.

You’ll find that the highest salaries in Sussex tend to be within:

• Crawley, Adur and Horsham in West Sussex and Mid Sussex.
• Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne and Wealden in West Sussex.

However, more affordable house prices mean that if you're moving and wish to buy a home rather than rent, your salary will also stretch further in Eastbourne, Crawley, Hastings, Worthing and Rother.

Average salaries in Sussex are higher than the national average at £37,550. Still, you can narrow down your job search depending on whether you have a specific sector or skill that will dictate the jobs you want to apply for or would prefer a lower salary in return for on-the-job training or other non-financial perks.

Flexible Working Conditions in Sussex

Most businesses and organisations in Sussex are modern, versatile, and family-friendly workplaces. There is a growing focus on providing flexibility to attract talented, ambitious, or reliable candidates who are prepared to work hard and be committed to a role that fits around their family obligations, hobbies, or commitments elsewhere.

Part of the shift has been led by public sector bodies, including county councils and local universities, which offer job sharing, flexitime, career breaks, and term time positions across public sector roles, such as teaching, admin, project management, community support roles, cleaning, and transport positions.

Being in the high-paced Sussex business space means there is a wide range of organisations and businesses, from multinationals and household name brands headquartered within the London commuter belt to heritage businesses and start-ups dotted across the region.

The vast majority of employers promote inclusion and diversity, with localised organisations such as Culture East Sussex actively working to encourage more accessible work conditions and a more relaxed, informal, and friendly environment than you'll find in most City of London corporates.

Across the southeast, the adult population considered 'economically active' is significantly higher than the UK average at 82.3%, which also means a sizeable proportion are parents with a great level of understanding about how working parents need to juggle childcare, and a wider number of available early-years places and even workplaces with in-house nurseries than you'll find in other regions.

Working in one of the larger cities might mean you have better access to public transport links. Colleagues are more likely to grab a deli sandwich or head to a cafe for lunch than in quieter towns. However, café culture is alive and well with most Sussex town centres offering a great combination of traditional pubs and modern coffee houses for lunch breaks.

Generally, you’ll find working in Sussex a smooth transition, provided you respect timekeeping and ensure you are as productive when working at home as you would be in the office.

Find Your Dream Job in Sussex Today

Living and working in Sussex is aspirational for many, with high living standards, more affordable housing prices, access to some of the top schools and universities in the UK, and within a relatively short distance of London for those who want to remain within proximity.

The vibrant coastal villages and tourist resorts, affluent market towns and cities, and hundreds of rural and semi-rural locations provide opportunities to buy or rent in an area with a warm, welcoming community feel or invest in a modern apartment with views over the coastline.

Whether you’re looking for a stable, long-term career with ample routes to progression as you gain experience, want to relocate to Sussex with your family, or have just finished full-time education and are looking for a well-paying job, Sussex Jobs is here to help.

Browse hundreds of vacancies across every sector and industry, filter by locations, pay rates and specialisms, or register your CV to position yourself in front of Sussex employers and recruiters from across the region!