Average salary in Dudley
The median full-time salary for jobs in Dudley is £35,281 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,410 a month.
Where Dudley ranks
Dudley ranks 231st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 15th of 30 in West Midlands. Its average rent ranks joint 225th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,373 a month) ranks 82nd of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in West Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £35,281 | 231st of 348 | 15th of 30 |
| Median pay, residents | £35,486 | 266th of 348 | 22nd of 30 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,410 | 231st of 348 | 15th of 30 |
| Average rent a month | £858 | joint 225th of 316 | joint 23rd of 30 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,144.84 | 297th of 348 | 30th of 30 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,373 | 82nd of 316 | 9th of 30 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Dudley: Gosport (£35,341), Northumberland (£35,323), Dorset (£35,311), Redcar and Cleveland (£35,278), Derbyshire Dales (£35,253) and Bradford (£35,213). UK occupations with a median close to the Dudley median of £35,281: welding trades (£35,344), farmers (£35,295), IT operations technicians (£35,259) and CAD, drawing and architectural technicians (£35,221).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Dudley
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Dudley rose 3.1%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For West Midlands as a whole it was a rise of 6.1%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £23,378 | £1,948 | £20,352 | £1,696 |
| 25th percentile | £27,810 | £2,318 | £23,543 | £1,962 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £35,281 | £2,940 | £28,922 | £2,410 |
| 75th percentile | £46,737 | £3,895 | £37,170 | £3,098 |
| 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 Dudley as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.1%.
People who work in Dudley and people who live there
The median for people who live in Dudley is £35,486, which is £205 (0.6%) higher than the £35,281 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 266th of 348 and the jobs median 231st of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 2.0%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Dudley, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Dudley, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Dudley as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.6%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Dudley (£35,281), the average rent of £858 takes 35.6% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,810) it takes 43.7%. 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 £42,779 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Dudley 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 | £858 | 35.6% | £1,373 |
| 1 bedroom | £611 | 25.4% | £1,620 |
| 2 bedrooms | £782 | 32.4% | £1,449 |
Band D is £179 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.
Dudley and other areas in West Midlands
Among these 7 areas, Dudley has the 3rd highest median and the 3rd highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £33,685 in Herefordshire to £41,278 in Coventry.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry | £41,278 | £1,020 | £1,540 |
| Cannock Chase | £36,211 | £867 | £1,401 |
| Dudley | £35,281 | £858 | £1,373 |
| Lichfield | £34,657 | £1,103 | £1,074 |
| East Staffordshire | £34,210 | £858 | £1,292 |
| Bromsgrove | £34,019 | £992 | £1,135 |
| Herefordshire | £33,685 | £821 | £1,278 |
The areas either side of Dudley in the alphabetical list for West Midlands, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 30 in the West Midlands table.
How Dudley compares with West Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in Dudley is £1,783 (4.8%) lower than the West Midlands median, £4,017 (10.2%) lower than the England median and £3,758 (9.6%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley | £35,281 | £35,486 | £2,410 | £858 |
| West Midlands | £37,064 | £37,048 | £2,517 | £982 |
| 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 West Midlands 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 Dudley (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,378, a quarter pay less than £27,810, half pay less than £35,281 and a quarter pay more than £46,737. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,410 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Dudley ranks 231st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 15th of 30 in West Midlands. Its median of £35,281 is £3,758 (9.6%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Dudley was £858 in August 2026: £611 for one bedroom and £782 for two bedrooms. That is 35.6% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Dudley is £2,144.84 for 2026/27, about £179 a month, which ranks 297th of 348 council areas and 30th of 30 in West Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.