Average salary in Bolton
The median full-time salary for jobs in Bolton is £33,008 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,274 a month.
Where Bolton ranks
Bolton ranks 306th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 29th of 35 in North West. Its average rent ranks 215th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,180 a month) ranks joint 171st of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in North West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,008 | 306th of 348 | 29th of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £34,186 | 313th of 348 | 29th of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,274 | 306th of 348 | 29th of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £894 | 215th of 316 | 13th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,399.74 | 189th of 348 | 30th of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,180 | joint 171st of 316 | 28th of 35 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Bolton: Caerphilly (£33,137), Hyndburn (£33,089), Sefton (£33,028), Carmarthenshire (£32,982), Denbighshire (£32,981) and County Durham (£32,945). UK occupations with a median close to the Bolton median of £33,008: bricklayers (£33,030), printers (£33,019), managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services (£33,011) and national government administrative occupations (£33,000).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Bolton
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Bolton rose 8.4%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 67 of 345 council areas had a change this large in either direction. ONS figures for one area come from a sample, so they can move a lot from one year to the next. For North West as a whole it was a rise of 6.2%.
| 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 | £25,554 | £2,130 | £21,918 | £1,827 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,008 | £2,751 | £27,285 | £2,274 |
| 75th percentile | £44,130 | £3,678 | £35,293 | £2,941 |
| 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 Bolton as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8%.
People who work in Bolton and people who live there
The median for people who live in Bolton is £34,186, which is £1,178 (3.6%) higher than the £33,008 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 313th of 348 and the jobs median 306th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 2.1%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Bolton, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Bolton, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Bolton as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.1%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Bolton (£33,008), the average rent of £894 takes 39.3% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£25,554) it takes 48.9%. 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 £44,779 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Bolton 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 | £894 | 39.3% | £1,180 |
| 1 bedroom | £654 | 28.8% | £1,420 |
| 2 bedrooms | £815 | 35.8% | £1,259 |
Band D is £200 a month. This is the average Band D for the council area, including parish precepts, so the exact bill depends on your parish. Rents are ONS figures for August 2026 and may be revised.
Bolton and other areas in North West
Among these 7 areas, Bolton has the 4th highest median and the lowest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,087 in Burnley to £39,459 in Cheshire East.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire East | £39,459 | £985 | £1,471 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | £36,223 | £714 | £1,548 |
| Bury | £34,968 | £969 | £1,209 |
| Bolton | £33,008 | £894 | £1,180 |
| Blackpool | £32,553 | £719 | £1,318 |
| Wyre | £31,130 | £743 | £1,213 |
| Burnley | £31,087 | £631 | £1,316 |
The areas either side of Bolton in the alphabetical list for North West, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 35 in the North West table.
How Bolton compares with North West and the UK
The median for jobs in Bolton is £4,353 (11.7%) lower than the North West median, £6,290 (16.0%) lower than the England median and £6,031 (15.4%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton | £33,008 | £34,186 | £2,274 | £894 |
| North West | £37,361 | £37,445 | £2,535 | £969 |
| England | £39,298 | £39,243 | £2,651 | £1,459 |
| United Kingdom | £39,039 | £39,039 | £2,636 | £1,400 |
Related pages
Every area in the North West 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 set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (MHCLG, GOV.UK)
- 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 Bolton (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £25,554, half pay less than £33,008 and a quarter pay more than £44,130. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,274 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Bolton ranks 306th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 29th of 35 in North West. Its median of £33,008 is £6,031 (15.4%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Bolton was £894 in August 2026: £654 for one bedroom and £815 for two bedrooms. That is 39.3% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Bolton is £2,399.74 for 2026/27, about £200 a month, which ranks 189th of 348 council areas and 30th of 35 in North West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.