Average salary in Cheltenham
The median full-time salary for jobs in Cheltenham is £41,147 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,762 a month.
Where Cheltenham ranks
Cheltenham ranks 66th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 4th of 26 in South West. Its average rent ranks 109th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,304 a month) ranks 118th of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £41,147 | 66th of 348 | 4th of 26 |
| Median pay, residents | £41,399 | 111th of 348 | 2nd of 26 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,762 | 65th of 348 | 4th of 26 |
| Average rent a month | £1,261 | 109th of 316 | 6th of 26 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,369.52 | 206th of 348 | 24th of 26 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,304 | 118th of 316 | 7th of 26 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Cheltenham: Waverley (£41,248), Midlothian (£41,161), Warrington (£41,159), Havering (£41,054), Woking (£41,054) and Richmond upon Thames (£41,037). UK occupations with a median close to the Cheltenham median of £41,147: prison service officers (below principal officer) (£41,287), air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers (£41,166), business and related research professionals (£41,128) and community nurses (£40,897).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Cheltenham
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Cheltenham rose 5.3%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For South West as a whole it was a rise of 4.6%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,868 | £2,156 | £22,145 | £1,845 |
| 25th percentile | £30,573 | £2,548 | £25,532 | £2,128 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £41,147 | £3,429 | £33,145 | £2,762 |
| 75th percentile | £59,891 | £4,991 | £45,294 | £3,775 |
| 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 Cheltenham as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.7%.
People who work in Cheltenham and people who live there
The median for people who live in Cheltenham is £41,399, which is £252 (0.6%) higher than the £41,147 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 111th of 348 and the jobs median 66th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 3.5%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Cheltenham, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Cheltenham, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Cheltenham as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8.5%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Cheltenham (£41,147), the average rent of £1,261 takes 45.7% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£30,573) it takes 59.3%. 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 £68,764 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Cheltenham 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 | £1,261 | 45.7% | £1,304 |
| 1 bedroom | £869 | 31.5% | £1,696 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,096 | 39.7% | £1,469 |
Band D is £197 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.
Cheltenham and other areas in South West
Among these 7 areas, Cheltenham has the 2nd highest median and the highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £33,872 in Cotswold to £42,160 in Bristol.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | £42,160 | £1,883 | £714 |
| Cheltenham | £41,147 | £1,261 | £1,304 |
| Bath and North East Somerset | £38,040 | £1,885 | £492 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | £37,241 | £1,398 | £927 |
| Dorset | £35,311 | £1,056 | £1,126 |
| Cornwall | £33,889 | £1,000 | £1,111 |
| Cotswold | £33,872 | £1,252 | £875 |
The areas either side of Cheltenham in the alphabetical list for South West, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 26 in the South West table.
How Cheltenham compares with South West and the UK
The median for jobs in Cheltenham is £3,952 (10.6%) higher than the South West median, £1,849 (4.7%) higher than the England median and £2,108 (5.4%) higher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham | £41,147 | £41,399 | £2,762 | £1,261 |
| South West | £37,195 | £37,543 | £2,525 | £1,245 |
| 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 South 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 Cheltenham (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £25,868, a quarter pay less than £30,573, half pay less than £41,147 and a quarter pay more than £59,891. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,762 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Cheltenham ranks 66th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 4th of 26 in South West. Its median of £41,147 is £2,108 (5.4%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Cheltenham was £1,261 in August 2026: £869 for one bedroom and £1,096 for two bedrooms. That is 45.7% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Cheltenham is £2,369.52 for 2026/27, about £197 a month, which ranks 206th of 348 council areas and 24th of 26 in South West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.