Average salary in Oldham
The median full-time salary for jobs in Oldham is £33,860 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,325 a month.
Where Oldham ranks
Oldham ranks 282nd of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 23rd of 35 in North West. Its average rent ranks joint 195th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,166 a month) ranks 179th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in North West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,860 | 282nd of 348 | 23rd of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £34,042 | 315th of 348 | 30th of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,325 | 282nd of 348 | 23rd of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £942 | joint 195th of 316 | 8th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,602.23 | 32nd of 348 | 4th of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,166 | 179th of 316 | 29th 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 Oldham: Cornwall (£33,889), Cotswold (£33,872), South Kesteven (£33,868), Darlington (£33,840), Newark and Sherwood (£33,831) and Torridge (£33,806). UK occupations with a median close to the Oldham median of £33,860: chemical and related process operatives (£33,959), stonemasons and related trades (£33,938), boat and ship builders and repairers (£33,896) and security guards and related occupations (£33,832).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Oldham
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Oldham rose 1.5%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 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 | £21,676 | £1,806 | £19,126 | £1,594 |
| 25th percentile | £26,475 | £2,206 | £22,582 | £1,882 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,860 | £2,822 | £27,899 | £2,325 |
| 75th percentile | £46,299 | £3,858 | £36,855 | £3,071 |
| 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 Oldham as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6%.
People who work in Oldham and people who live there
The median for people who live in Oldham is £34,042, which is £182 (0.5%) higher than the £33,860 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 315th of 348 and the jobs median 282nd of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 2.8%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Oldham, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Oldham, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Oldham as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.5%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Oldham (£33,860), the average rent of £942 takes 40.5% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£26,475) it takes 50.1%. 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 £47,445 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Oldham 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 | £942 | 40.5% | £1,166 |
| 1 bedroom | £702 | 30.2% | £1,406 |
| 2 bedrooms | £879 | 37.8% | £1,229 |
Band D is £217 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.
Oldham and other areas in North West
Among these 7 areas, Oldham has the 6th highest median and the 6th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £30,981 in Pendle to £49,351 in Ribble Valley.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ribble Valley | £49,351 | £818 | £2,237 |
| Manchester | £40,479 | £1,373 | £1,156 |
| Liverpool | £38,430 | £913 | £1,463 |
| Preston | £38,066 | £790 | £1,572 |
| Lancaster | £34,731 | £823 | £1,345 |
| Oldham | £33,860 | £942 | £1,166 |
| Pendle | £30,981 | £670 | £1,262 |
The areas either side of Oldham 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 Oldham compares with North West and the UK
The median for jobs in Oldham is £3,501 (9.4%) lower than the North West median, £5,438 (13.8%) lower than the England median and £5,179 (13.3%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldham | £33,860 | £34,042 | £2,325 | £942 |
| 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 Oldham (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £21,676, a quarter pay less than £26,475, half pay less than £33,860 and a quarter pay more than £46,299. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,325 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Oldham ranks 282nd of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 23rd of 35 in North West. Its median of £33,860 is £5,179 (13.3%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Oldham was £942 in August 2026: £702 for one bedroom and £879 for two bedrooms. That is 40.5% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Oldham is £2,602.23 for 2026/27, about £217 a month, which ranks 32nd of 348 council areas and 4th of 35 in North West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.