Average salary in Cotswold
The median full-time salary for jobs in Cotswold is £33,872 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,326 a month.
Where Cotswold ranks
Cotswold ranks 280th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 21st of 26 in South West. Its average rent ranks 111th of 316, a higher place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£875 a month) ranks 265th of 316, in the bottom quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,872 | 280th of 348 | 21st of 26 |
| Median pay, residents | £41,267 | 115th of 348 | 3rd of 26 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,326 | 280th of 348 | 21st of 26 |
| Average rent a month | £1,252 | 111th of 316 | 7th of 26 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,391.65 | 191st of 348 | 22nd of 26 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £875 | 265th of 316 | 24th 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 Cotswold: Kingston upon Hull (£33,946), West Lancashire (£33,926), Cornwall (£33,889), South Kesteven (£33,868), Oldham (£33,860) and Darlington (£33,840). UK occupations with a median close to the Cotswold median of £33,872: 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 Cotswold
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Cotswold rose 6.5%, 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 | £22,402 | £1,867 | £19,649 | £1,637 |
| 25th percentile | £28,299 | £2,358 | £23,895 | £1,991 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,872 | £2,823 | £27,907 | £2,326 |
| 75th percentile | £45,259 | £3,772 | £36,106 | £3,009 |
| 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 Cotswold as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.7%.
People who work in Cotswold and people who live there
The median for people who live in Cotswold is £41,267, which is £7,395 (21.8%) higher than the £33,872 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 115th of 348 and the jobs median 280th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 1.4%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Cotswold, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Cotswold, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Cotswold as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 11%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Cotswold (£33,872), the average rent of £1,252 takes 53.8% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£28,299) it takes 62.9%. 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 £68,143 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Cotswold 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 | £1,252 | 53.8% | £875 |
| 1 bedroom | £870 | 37.4% | £1,257 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,105 | 47.5% | £1,022 |
Band D is £199 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.
Cotswold and other areas in South West
Among these 7 areas, Cotswold has the lowest median and the 6th 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 |
| Exeter | £35,968 | £1,318 | £925 |
| 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 Cotswold 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 Cotswold compares with South West and the UK
The median for jobs in Cotswold is £3,323 (8.9%) lower than the South West median, £5,426 (13.8%) lower than the England median and £5,167 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotswold | £33,872 | £41,267 | £2,326 | £1,252 |
| 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 Cotswold (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,402, a quarter pay less than £28,299, half pay less than £33,872 and a quarter pay more than £45,259. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,326 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Cotswold ranks 280th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 21st of 26 in South West. Its median of £33,872 is £5,167 (13.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Cotswold was £1,252 in August 2026: £870 for one bedroom and £1,105 for two bedrooms. That is 53.8% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Cotswold is £2,391.65 for 2026/27, about £199 a month, which ranks 191st of 348 council areas and 22nd of 26 in South West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.