Average salary in Cheshire West and Chester
The median full-time salary for jobs in Cheshire West and Chester is £37,198 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,525 a month.
Where Cheshire West and Chester ranks
Cheshire West and Chester ranks 166th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 14th of 35 in North West. Its average rent ranks 174th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,324 a month) ranks joint 104th of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in North West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £37,198 | 166th of 348 | 14th of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £41,486 | 109th of 348 | 5th of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,525 | 165th of 348 | 14th of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £991 | 174th of 316 | 5th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,517.33 | 85th of 348 | 12th of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,324 | joint 104th of 316 | 18th 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 Cheshire West and Chester: East Ayrshire (£37,250), Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (£37,241), Dartford (£37,221), West Suffolk (£37,141), Medway (£37,128) and Huntingdonshire (£37,098). UK occupations with a median close to the Cheshire West and Chester median of £37,198: vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians (£37,458), buyers and procurement officers (£37,306), building and civil engineering technicians (£37,229) and metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations (£37,058).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Cheshire West and Chester
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Cheshire West and Chester rose 0.2%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. That is a change of less than 1%. 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 | £23,920 | £1,993 | £20,742 | £1,729 |
| 25th percentile | £28,109 | £2,342 | £23,758 | £1,980 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £37,198 | £3,100 | £30,302 | £2,525 |
| 75th percentile | £52,563 | £4,380 | £41,044 | £3,420 |
| 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 Cheshire West and Chester as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.6%.
People who work in Cheshire West and Chester and people who live there
The median for people who live in Cheshire West and Chester is £41,486, which is £4,288 (11.5%) higher than the £37,198 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 109th of 348 and the jobs median 166th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 5.4%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Cheshire West and Chester, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Cheshire West and Chester, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Cheshire West and Chester 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 Cheshire West and Chester (£37,198), the average rent of £991 takes 39.2% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£28,109) it takes 50.1%. 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 £50,168 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Cheshire West and Chester 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 | £991 | 39.2% | £1,324 |
| 1 bedroom | £725 | 28.7% | £1,590 |
| 2 bedrooms | £914 | 36.2% | £1,401 |
Band D is £210 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.
Cheshire West and Chester and other areas in North West
Among these 7 areas, Cheshire West and Chester has the 4th highest median and the 5th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,087 in Burnley to £45,127 in Fylde.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fylde | £45,127 | £870 | £1,924 |
| Cumberland | £42,808 | £681 | £1,972 |
| Cheshire East | £39,459 | £985 | £1,471 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | £37,198 | £991 | £1,324 |
| Chorley | £34,980 | £798 | £1,391 |
| Bury | £34,968 | £969 | £1,209 |
| Burnley | £31,087 | £631 | £1,316 |
The areas either side of Cheshire West and Chester 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 Cheshire West and Chester compares with North West and the UK
The median for jobs in Cheshire West and Chester is £163 (0.4%) lower than the North West median, £2,100 (5.3%) lower than the England median and £1,841 (4.7%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire West and Chester | £37,198 | £41,486 | £2,525 | £991 |
| 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 Cheshire West and Chester (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,920, a quarter pay less than £28,109, half pay less than £37,198 and a quarter pay more than £52,563. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,525 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Cheshire West and Chester ranks 166th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the upper half, and 14th of 35 in North West. Its median of £37,198 is £1,841 (4.7%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Cheshire West and Chester was £991 in August 2026: £725 for one bedroom and £914 for two bedrooms. That is 39.2% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Cheshire West and Chester is £2,517.33 for 2026/27, about £210 a month, which ranks 85th of 348 council areas and 12th of 35 in North West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.