Average salary in Cumberland
The median full-time salary for jobs in Cumberland is £42,808 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,862 a month.
Where Cumberland ranks
Cumberland ranks 40th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 3rd of 35 in North West. Its average rent ranks joint 306th of 316, a lower place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,972 a month) ranks 2nd of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in North West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £42,808 | 40th of 348 | 3rd of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £42,461 | joint 93rd of 348 | 3rd of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,862 | 40th of 348 | 3rd of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £681 | joint 306th of 316 | 32nd of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,511.32 | 90th of 348 | 14th of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,972 | 2nd of 316 | 2nd 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 Cumberland: Wandsworth (£43,035), Rugby (£42,966), Lewisham (£42,962), Orkney Islands (£42,639), Haringey (£42,609) and Solihull (£42,587). UK occupations with a median close to the Cumberland median of £42,808: residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors (£42,700), mental health nurses (£42,692), pipe fitters (£42,580) and health care practice managers (£42,559).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Cumberland
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Cumberland rose 14.5%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. Only 22 of 345 council areas had a change this large in either direction. ONS figures for one area come from a sample, so they can move a lot from one year to the next. 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 | £23,153 | £1,929 | £20,190 | £1,682 |
| 25th percentile | £29,684 | £2,474 | £24,892 | £2,074 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £42,808 | £3,567 | £34,341 | £2,862 |
| 75th percentile | £56,578 | £4,715 | £43,373 | £3,614 |
| 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 Cumberland as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.4%.
People who work in Cumberland and people who live there
The median for people who live in Cumberland is £42,461, which is £347 (0.8%) lower than the £42,808 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks joint 93rd of 348 and the jobs median 40th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 12.3%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Cumberland, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Cumberland, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Cumberland as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.7%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Cumberland (£42,808), the average rent of £681 takes 23.8% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£29,684) it takes 32.8%. 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 £32,945 a year. More than half of full-time jobs based in Cumberland 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 | £681 | 23.8% | £1,972 |
| 1 bedroom | £508 | 17.8% | £2,145 |
| 2 bedrooms | £643 | 22.5% | £2,010 |
Band D is £209 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.
Cumberland and other areas in North West
Among these 7 areas, Cumberland has the 2nd highest median and the highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £33,089 in Hyndburn 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 |
| Halton | £37,336 | £749 | £1,587 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | £37,198 | £991 | £1,324 |
| Chorley | £34,980 | £798 | £1,391 |
| Hyndburn | £33,089 | £648 | £1,426 |
The areas either side of Cumberland 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 Cumberland compares with North West and the UK
The median for jobs in Cumberland is £5,447 (14.6%) higher than the North West median, £3,510 (8.9%) higher than the England median and £3,769 (9.7%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | £42,808 | £42,461 | £2,862 | £681 |
| 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 Cumberland (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,153, a quarter pay less than £29,684, half pay less than £42,808 and a quarter pay more than £56,578. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,862 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Cumberland ranks 40th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 3rd of 35 in North West. Its median of £42,808 is £3,769 (9.7%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Cumberland was £681 in August 2026: £508 for one bedroom and £643 for two bedrooms. That is 23.8% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Cumberland is £2,511.32 for 2026/27, about £209 a month, which ranks 90th of 348 council areas and 14th of 35 in North West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.