Average salary in Cornwall
The median full-time salary for jobs in Cornwall is £33,889 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,327 a month.
Where Cornwall ranks
Cornwall ranks 279th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 20th of 26 in South West. Its average rent ranks 168th of 316, a higher place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,111 a month) ranks 204th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,889 | 279th of 348 | 20th of 26 |
| Median pay, residents | £35,002 | 285th of 348 | 21st of 26 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,327 | 279th of 348 | 20th of 26 |
| Average rent a month | £1,000 | 168th of 316 | 18th of 26 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,590.93 | 44th of 348 | 10th of 26 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,111 | 204th of 316 | 17th 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 Cornwall: Rhondda Cynon Taf (£33,976), Kingston upon Hull (£33,946), West Lancashire (£33,926), Cotswold (£33,872), South Kesteven (£33,868) and Oldham (£33,860). UK occupations with a median close to the Cornwall median of £33,889: chemical and related process operatives (£33,959), stonemasons and related trades (£33,938), boat and ship builders and repairers (£33,896) and security guards and related occupations (£33,832).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Cornwall
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Cornwall rose 5.8%, 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 | £21,306 | £1,776 | £18,860 | £1,572 |
| 25th percentile | £26,615 | £2,218 | £22,682 | £1,890 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,889 | £2,824 | £27,920 | £2,327 |
| 75th percentile | £43,315 | £3,610 | £34,706 | £2,892 |
| 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 Cornwall as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.3%.
People who work in Cornwall and people who live there
The median for people who live in Cornwall is £35,002, which is £1,113 (3.3%) higher than the £33,889 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 285th of 348 and the jobs median 279th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 3.6%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Cornwall, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Cornwall, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Cornwall as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.5%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Cornwall (£33,889), the average rent of £1,000 takes 43.0% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£26,615) it takes 52.9%. 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 £50,764 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Cornwall 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 | £1,000 | 43.0% | £1,111 |
| 1 bedroom | £688 | 29.6% | £1,423 |
| 2 bedrooms | £880 | 37.8% | £1,231 |
Band D is £216 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.
Cornwall and other areas in South West
Among these 7 areas, Cornwall has the 6th highest median and the 4th 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 |
| East Devon | £40,224 | £968 | £1,523 |
| 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 Cornwall 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 Cornwall compares with South West and the UK
The median for jobs in Cornwall is £3,306 (8.9%) lower than the South West median, £5,409 (13.8%) lower than the England median and £5,150 (13.2%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | £33,889 | £35,002 | £2,327 | £1,000 |
| 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 Cornwall (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £21,306, a quarter pay less than £26,615, half pay less than £33,889 and a quarter pay more than £43,315. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,327 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Cornwall ranks 279th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 20th of 26 in South West. Its median of £33,889 is £5,150 (13.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Cornwall was £1,000 in August 2026: £688 for one bedroom and £880 for two bedrooms. That is 43.0% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Cornwall is £2,590.93 for 2026/27, about £216 a month, which ranks 44th of 348 council areas and 10th of 26 in South West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.