Average salary in Rhondda Cynon Taf
The median full-time salary for jobs in Rhondda Cynon Taf is £33,976 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,332 a month.
Where Rhondda Cynon Taf ranks
Rhondda Cynon Taf ranks 276th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 13th 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 (£1,387 a month) ranks joint 76th of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,976 | 276th of 348 | 13th of 22 |
| Median pay, residents | £34,837 | 293rd of 348 | 18th of 22 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,332 | 276th of 348 | 13th of 22 |
| Average rent a month | £754 | joint 273rd of 316 | joint 11th of 22 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,289.43 | 262nd of 348 | 14th of 22 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,387 | joint 76th of 316 | 11th 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 Rhondda Cynon Taf: Bromsgrove (£34,019), Middlesbrough (£34,000), Ashford (£33,979), Kingston upon Hull (£33,946), West Lancashire (£33,926) and Cornwall (£33,889). UK occupations with a median close to the Rhondda Cynon Taf median of £33,976: carpenters and joiners (£34,014), quality assurance technicians (£33,972), chemical and related process operatives (£33,959) and stonemasons and related trades (£33,938).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Rhondda Cynon Taf
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Rhondda Cynon Taf rose 5.8%, 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 | £23,643 | £1,970 | £20,543 | £1,712 |
| 25th percentile | £26,307 | £2,192 | £22,461 | £1,872 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,976 | £2,831 | £27,982 | £2,332 |
| 75th percentile | £45,345 | £3,779 | £36,168 | £3,014 |
| 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 Rhondda Cynon Taf as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.5%.
People who work in Rhondda Cynon Taf and people who live there
The median for people who live in Rhondda Cynon Taf is £34,837, which is £861 (2.5%) higher than the £33,976 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 293rd of 348 and the jobs median 276th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 4.9%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Rhondda Cynon Taf, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Rhondda Cynon Taf, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Rhondda Cynon Taf as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.3%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Rhondda Cynon Taf (£33,976), the average rent of £754 takes 32.3% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£26,307) it takes 40.3%. 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 £37,001 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Rhondda Cynon Taf 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 | 32.3% | £1,387 |
| 1 bedroom | £528 | 22.6% | £1,613 |
| 2 bedrooms | £675 | 28.9% | £1,466 |
Band D is £191 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.
Rhondda Cynon Taf and other areas in Wales
Among these 7 areas, Rhondda Cynon Taf has the 6th highest median and the 4th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,163 in Powys to £36,939 in Newport.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | £36,939 | £959 | £1,377 |
| Pembrokeshire | £36,448 | £694 | £1,605 |
| Swansea | £36,261 | £852 | £1,430 |
| Torfaen | £36,068 | £862 | £1,415 |
| Vale of Glamorgan | £35,204 | £982 | £1,238 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | £33,976 | £754 | £1,387 |
| Powys | £31,163 | £621 | £1,346 |
The areas either side of Rhondda Cynon Taf 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 Rhondda Cynon Taf compares with Wales and the UK
The median for jobs in Rhondda Cynon Taf is £1,820 (5.1%) lower than the Wales median and £5,063 (13.0%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | £33,976 | £34,837 | £2,332 | £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 Rhondda Cynon Taf (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,643, a quarter pay less than £26,307, half pay less than £33,976 and a quarter pay more than £45,345. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,332 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Rhondda Cynon Taf ranks 276th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 13th of 22 in Wales. Its median of £33,976 is £5,063 (13.0%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Rhondda Cynon Taf was £754 in August 2026: £528 for one bedroom and £675 for two bedrooms. That is 32.3% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Rhondda Cynon Taf is £2,289.43 for 2026/27, about £191 a month, which ranks 262nd of 348 council areas and 14th of 22 in Wales. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.