Average salary in Merthyr Tydfil
The median full-time salary for jobs in Merthyr Tydfil is £30,636 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,131 a month.
Where Merthyr Tydfil ranks
Merthyr Tydfil ranks 344th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 22nd of 22 in Wales. Its average rent ranks joint 273rd of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,161 a month) ranks 181st of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £30,636 | 344th of 348 | 22nd of 22 |
| Median pay, residents | £35,152 | 282nd of 348 | 17th of 22 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,131 | 344th of 348 | 22nd of 22 |
| Average rent a month | £754 | joint 273rd of 316 | joint 11th of 22 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,593.60 | 43rd of 348 | 1st of 22 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,161 | 181st of 316 | 22nd 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 Merthyr Tydfil: Torbay (£30,873), Staffordshire Moorlands (£30,801), Tameside (£30,734), Oadby and Wigston (£30,293), Boston (£30,129) and South Holland (£30,082). UK occupations with a median close to the Merthyr Tydfil median of £30,636: estate agents and auctioneers (£30,648), health associate professionals n.e.c. (£30,575), tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters (£30,500) and telephone salespersons (£30,495).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Merthyr Tydfil
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Merthyr Tydfil rose 4.9%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 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 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £25,761 | £2,147 | £22,068 | £1,839 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £30,636 | £2,553 | £25,578 | £2,131 |
| 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 Merthyr Tydfil as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8.6%.
People who work in Merthyr Tydfil and people who live there
The median for people who live in Merthyr Tydfil is £35,152, which is £4,516 (14.7%) higher than the £30,636 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 282nd of 348 and the jobs median 344th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 8.4%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Merthyr Tydfil, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Merthyr Tydfil, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Merthyr Tydfil as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.5%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Merthyr Tydfil (£30,636), the average rent of £754 takes 35.4% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£25,761) it takes 41.0%. 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 £37,001 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Merthyr Tydfil 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 | £754 | 35.4% | £1,161 |
| 1 bedroom | £552 | 25.9% | £1,363 |
| 2 bedrooms | £640 | 30.0% | £1,275 |
Band D is £216 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.
Merthyr Tydfil and other areas in Wales
Among these 7 areas, Merthyr Tydfil has the lowest median and the lowest 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 |
| Neath Port Talbot | £37,417 | £690 | £1,636 |
| Newport | £36,939 | £959 | £1,377 |
| Isle of Anglesey | £36,434 | £714 | £1,577 |
| Gwynedd | £32,697 | £724 | £1,325 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | £30,636 | £754 | £1,161 |
The areas either side of Merthyr Tydfil 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 Merthyr Tydfil compares with Wales and the UK
The median for jobs in Merthyr Tydfil is £5,160 (14.4%) lower than the Wales median and £8,403 (21.5%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merthyr Tydfil | £30,636 | £35,152 | £2,131 | £754 |
| 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 Merthyr Tydfil (2025) show how pay is spread: a quarter pay less than £25,761 and half pay less than £30,636. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,131 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Merthyr Tydfil ranks 344th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 22nd of 22 in Wales. Its median of £30,636 is £8,403 (21.5%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Merthyr Tydfil was £754 in August 2026: £552 for one bedroom and £640 for two bedrooms. That is 35.4% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Merthyr Tydfil is £2,593.60 for 2026/27, about £216 a month, which ranks 43rd of 348 council areas and 1st of 22 in Wales. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.