Average salary in Blaenau Gwent
The median full-time salary for jobs in Blaenau Gwent is £32,294 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,231 a month.
Where Blaenau Gwent ranks
Blaenau Gwent ranks 320th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 20th of 22 in Wales. Its average rent ranks joint 306th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,339 a month) ranks 97th of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £32,294 | 320th of 348 | 20th of 22 |
| Median pay, residents | £34,797 | 294th of 348 | 19th of 22 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,231 | 320th of 348 | 20th of 22 |
| Average rent a month | £681 | joint 306th of 316 | 21st of 22 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,531.26 | 76th of 348 | 3rd of 22 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,339 | 97th of 316 | 16th of 22 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Blaenau Gwent: Conwy (£32,484), Broxtowe (£32,308), Hartlepool (£32,302), Arun (£32,213), North Devon (£32,199) and Wyre Forest (£32,183). UK occupations with a median close to the Blaenau Gwent median of £32,294: careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists (£32,418), sheet metal workers (£32,207), events managers and organisers (£32,163) and merchandisers (£32,155).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Blaenau Gwent
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Blaenau Gwent rose 1.3%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For Wales as a whole it was a rise of 4.5%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £25,542 | £2,129 | £21,910 | £1,826 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £32,294 | £2,691 | £26,771 | £2,231 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England and Wales rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for jobs in Blaenau Gwent as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 14%.
People who work in Blaenau Gwent and people who live there
The median for people who live in Blaenau Gwent is £34,797, which is £2,503 (7.8%) higher than the £32,294 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 294th of 348 and the jobs median 320th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a fall of 1.0%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Blaenau Gwent, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Blaenau Gwent, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Blaenau Gwent as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.1%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Blaenau Gwent (£32,294), the average rent of £681 takes 30.5% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£25,542) it takes 37.3%. For the average rent to be 30% of take-home pay, the rule of thumb in our rent affordability calculator, you would need a salary of at least £32,945 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Blaenau Gwent pay more than that.
| Property | Average rent a month | Rent as a share of take-home | Left after rent and Band D council tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| All properties | £681 | 30.5% | £1,339 |
| 1 bedroom | £503 | 22.5% | £1,517 |
| 2 bedrooms | £605 | 27.1% | £1,415 |
Band D is £211 a month. This is the average Band D for the council area, including police and an average community council charge. Rents are ONS figures for August 2026 and may be revised.
Blaenau Gwent and other areas in Wales
Among these 7 areas, Blaenau Gwent has the lowest median and the 5th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £32,294 in Blaenau Gwent to £38,225 in Cardiff.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff | £38,225 | £1,177 | £1,242 |
| Wrexham | £37,053 | £770 | £1,554 |
| Torfaen | £36,068 | £862 | £1,415 |
| Bridgend | £35,951 | £763 | £1,481 |
| Vale of Glamorgan | £35,204 | £982 | £1,238 |
| Caerphilly | £33,137 | £747 | £1,361 |
| Blaenau Gwent | £32,294 | £681 | £1,339 |
The areas either side of Blaenau Gwent in the alphabetical list for Wales, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 22 in the Wales table.
How Blaenau Gwent compares with Wales and the UK
The median for jobs in Blaenau Gwent is £3,502 (9.8%) lower than the Wales median and £6,745 (17.3%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
| Area | Median, jobs there | Median, residents | Take-home a month (England and Wales rates) | Average rent, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blaenau Gwent | £32,294 | £34,797 | £2,231 | £681 |
| Wales | £35,796 | £36,354 | £2,441 | £846 |
| United Kingdom | £39,039 | £39,039 | £2,636 | £1,400 |
Related pages
Every area in the Wales table, salary by job, the take home pay calculator, rent affordability calculator and cost of living calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional. Take-home: 2026/27 England and Wales rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 8: earnings by place of residence, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, released 16 September 2026 (ONS)
- Council Tax levels: 2026/27 (Welsh Government)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
There is no official definition of a good salary. ONS figures for full-time jobs in Blaenau Gwent (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £25,542 and half pay less than £32,294. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,231 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Blaenau Gwent ranks 320th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 20th of 22 in Wales. Its median of £32,294 is £6,745 (17.3%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Blaenau Gwent was £681 in August 2026: £503 for one bedroom and £605 for two bedrooms. That is 30.5% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Blaenau Gwent is £2,531.26 for 2026/27, about £211 a month, which ranks 76th of 348 council areas and 3rd of 22 in Wales. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.