Average salary in Forest of Dean
The median full-time salary for jobs in Forest of Dean is £33,474 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,302 a month.
Where Forest of Dean ranks
Forest of Dean ranks 299th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 23rd of 26 in South West. Its average rent ranks 240th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,270 a month) ranks 136th of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,474 | 299th of 348 | 23rd of 26 |
| Median pay, residents | £42,326 | 97th of 348 | 1st of 26 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,302 | 299th of 348 | 23rd of 26 |
| Average rent a month | £828 | 240th of 316 | 25th of 26 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,443.42 | 152nd of 348 | 18th of 26 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,270 | 136th of 316 | 9th 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 Forest of Dean: Rochdale (£33,558), Na h-Eileanan Siar (£33,552), North West Leicestershire (£33,551), Rotherham (£33,419), St Helens (£33,379) and Great Yarmouth (£33,355). UK occupations with a median close to the Forest of Dean median of £33,474: transport and distribution clerks and assistants (£33,508), ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) (£33,465), marketing associate professionals (£33,412) and office supervisors (£33,174).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Forest of Dean
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Forest of Dean rose 6.4%, 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 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £27,720 | £2,310 | £23,478 | £1,957 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,474 | £2,790 | £27,621 | £2,302 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 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 Forest of Dean as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 14%.
People who work in Forest of Dean and people who live there
The median for people who live in Forest of Dean is £42,326, which is £8,852 (26.4%) higher than the £33,474 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 97th of 348 and the jobs median 299th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 12.9%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Forest of Dean, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Forest of Dean, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Forest of Dean as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.9%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Forest of Dean (£33,474), the average rent of £828 takes 36.0% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,720) it takes 42.3%. 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 £41,112 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Forest of Dean 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 | £828 | 36.0% | £1,270 |
| 1 bedroom | £594 | 25.8% | £1,504 |
| 2 bedrooms | £800 | 34.8% | £1,298 |
Band D is £204 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.
Forest of Dean and other areas in South West
Among these 7 areas, Forest of Dean has the 6th highest median and the 3rd highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £32,199 in North Devon to £40,224 in East Devon.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Devon | £40,224 | £968 | £1,523 |
| Exeter | £35,968 | £1,318 | £925 |
| Mid Devon | £35,391 | £878 | £1,318 |
| Dorset | £35,311 | £1,056 | £1,126 |
| Gloucester | £34,779 | £1,116 | £1,068 |
| Forest of Dean | £33,474 | £828 | £1,270 |
| North Devon | £32,199 | £846 | £1,159 |
The areas either side of Forest of Dean 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 Forest of Dean compares with South West and the UK
The median for jobs in Forest of Dean is £3,721 (10.0%) lower than the South West median, £5,824 (14.8%) lower than the England median and £5,565 (14.3%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest of Dean | £33,474 | £42,326 | £2,302 | £828 |
| 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 Forest of Dean (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £27,720 and half pay less than £33,474. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,302 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Forest of Dean ranks 299th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 23rd of 26 in South West. Its median of £33,474 is £5,565 (14.3%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Forest of Dean was £828 in August 2026: £594 for one bedroom and £800 for two bedrooms. That is 36.0% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Forest of Dean is £2,443.42 for 2026/27, about £204 a month, which ranks 152nd of 348 council areas and 18th of 26 in South West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.