Average salary in Carmarthenshire
The median full-time salary for jobs in Carmarthenshire is £32,982 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,272 a month.
Where Carmarthenshire ranks
Carmarthenshire ranks 307th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 15th of 22 in Wales. Its average rent ranks 304th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,389 a month) ranks 74th of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £32,982 | 307th of 348 | 15th of 22 |
| Median pay, residents | £37,405 | 211th of 348 | 5th of 22 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,272 | 307th of 348 | 15th of 22 |
| Average rent a month | £687 | 304th of 316 | 20th of 22 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,351.20 | 220th of 348 | 11th of 22 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,389 | 74th of 316 | 10th 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 Carmarthenshire: Hyndburn (£33,089), Sefton (£33,028), Bolton (£33,008), Denbighshire (£32,981), County Durham (£32,945) and High Peak (£32,945). UK occupations with a median close to the Carmarthenshire median of £32,982: 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 Carmarthenshire
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Carmarthenshire fell 0.9%, while the UK median for all full-time jobs rose 4.3%. That is a change of less than 1%. 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 | £23,232 | £1,936 | £20,247 | £1,687 |
| 25th percentile | £27,404 | £2,284 | £23,250 | £1,938 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £32,982 | £2,749 | £27,267 | £2,272 |
| 75th percentile | £42,425 | £3,535 | £34,066 | £2,839 |
| 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 Carmarthenshire as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.6%.
People who work in Carmarthenshire and people who live there
The median for people who live in Carmarthenshire is £37,405, which is £4,423 (13.4%) higher than the £32,982 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 211th of 348 and the jobs median 307th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 4.0%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Carmarthenshire, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Carmarthenshire, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Carmarthenshire as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.8%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Carmarthenshire (£32,982), the average rent of £687 takes 30.2% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,404) it takes 35.5%. 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 £33,279 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Carmarthenshire 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 | £687 | 30.2% | £1,389 |
| 1 bedroom | £500 | 22.0% | £1,576 |
| 2 bedrooms | £647 | 28.5% | £1,429 |
Band D is £196 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.
Carmarthenshire and other areas in Wales
Among these 7 areas, Carmarthenshire has the 4th highest median and the 2nd highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £32,484 in Conwy 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 |
| Bridgend | £35,951 | £763 | £1,481 |
| Caerphilly | £33,137 | £747 | £1,361 |
| Carmarthenshire | £32,982 | £687 | £1,389 |
| Denbighshire | £32,981 | £718 | £1,359 |
| Ceredigion | £32,688 | £723 | £1,330 |
| Conwy | £32,484 | £796 | £1,240 |
The areas either side of Carmarthenshire 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 Carmarthenshire compares with Wales and the UK
The median for jobs in Carmarthenshire is £2,814 (7.9%) lower than the Wales median and £6,057 (15.5%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmarthenshire | £32,982 | £37,405 | £2,272 | £687 |
| 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 Carmarthenshire (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,232, a quarter pay less than £27,404, half pay less than £32,982 and a quarter pay more than £42,425. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,272 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Carmarthenshire ranks 307th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 15th of 22 in Wales. Its median of £32,982 is £6,057 (15.5%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Carmarthenshire was £687 in August 2026: £500 for one bedroom and £647 for two bedrooms. That is 30.2% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Carmarthenshire is £2,351.20 for 2026/27, about £196 a month, which ranks 220th of 348 council areas and 11th of 22 in Wales. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.