Average salary in Gwynedd
The median full-time salary for jobs in Gwynedd is £32,697 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,255 a month.
Where Gwynedd ranks
Gwynedd ranks 312th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 17th of 22 in Wales. Its average rent ranks joint 285th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,325 a month) ranks joint 102nd of 316, in the upper half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £32,697 | 312th of 348 | 17th of 22 |
| Median pay, residents | £32,868 | 332nd of 348 | 21st of 22 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,255 | 312th of 348 | 17th of 22 |
| Average rent a month | £724 | joint 285th of 316 | 14th of 22 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,468.77 | 126th of 348 | 6th of 22 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,325 | joint 102nd of 316 | 18th of 22 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Gwynedd: County Durham (£32,945), High Peak (£32,945), Tamworth (£32,773), Ceredigion (£32,688), Rother (£32,661) and Blackpool (£32,553). UK occupations with a median close to the Gwynedd median of £32,697: painters and decorators (£32,763), youth and community workers (£32,654), plastics process operatives (£32,644) and photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators (£32,643).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Gwynedd
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Gwynedd rose 8.8%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 61 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 Wales as a whole it was a rise of 4.5%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £21,846 | £1,821 | £19,249 | £1,604 |
| 25th percentile | £25,201 | £2,100 | £21,664 | £1,805 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £32,697 | £2,725 | £27,061 | £2,255 |
| 75th percentile | £44,988 | £3,749 | £35,911 | £2,993 |
| 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 Gwynedd as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.1%.
People who work in Gwynedd and people who live there
The median for people who live in Gwynedd is £32,868, which is £171 (0.5%) higher than the £32,697 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 332nd of 348 and the jobs median 312th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 8.0%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Gwynedd, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Gwynedd, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Gwynedd as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8.9%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Gwynedd (£32,697), the average rent of £724 takes 32.1% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£25,201) it takes 40.1%. 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 £35,334 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Gwynedd 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 | £724 | 32.1% | £1,325 |
| 1 bedroom | £559 | 24.8% | £1,490 |
| 2 bedrooms | £676 | 30.0% | £1,373 |
Band D is £206 a month. This is the average Band D for the council area, including police and an average community council charge. Rents are ONS figures for August 2026 and may be revised.
Gwynedd and other areas in Wales
Among these 7 areas, Gwynedd has the 5th highest median and the 5th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £30,636 in Merthyr Tydfil to £39,426 in Flintshire.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flintshire | £39,426 | £811 | £1,650 |
| Monmouthshire | £38,844 | £994 | £1,429 |
| Isle of Anglesey | £36,434 | £714 | £1,577 |
| Denbighshire | £32,981 | £718 | £1,359 |
| Gwynedd | £32,697 | £724 | £1,325 |
| Conwy | £32,484 | £796 | £1,240 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | £30,636 | £754 | £1,161 |
The areas either side of Gwynedd in the alphabetical list for Wales, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 22 in the Wales table.
How Gwynedd compares with Wales and the UK
The median for jobs in Gwynedd is £3,099 (8.7%) lower than the Wales median and £6,342 (16.2%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwynedd | £32,697 | £32,868 | £2,255 | £724 |
| Wales | £35,796 | £36,354 | £2,441 | £846 |
| United Kingdom | £39,039 | £39,039 | £2,636 | £1,400 |
Related pages
Every area in the Wales 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: 2026/27 (Welsh Government)
- 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 Gwynedd (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £21,846, a quarter pay less than £25,201, half pay less than £32,697 and a quarter pay more than £44,988. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,255 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Gwynedd ranks 312th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 17th of 22 in Wales. Its median of £32,697 is £6,342 (16.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Gwynedd was £724 in August 2026: £559 for one bedroom and £676 for two bedrooms. That is 32.1% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Gwynedd is £2,468.77 for 2026/27, about £206 a month, which ranks 126th of 348 council areas and 6th of 22 in Wales. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.