Average salary in Sandwell
The median full-time salary for jobs in Sandwell is £33,636 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,311 a month.
Where Sandwell ranks
Sandwell ranks 292nd of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 26th of 30 in West Midlands. Its average rent ranks 191st of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,171 a month) ranks joint 177th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in West Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,636 | 292nd of 348 | 26th of 30 |
| Median pay, residents | £33,029 | 330th of 348 | 29th of 30 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,311 | 292nd of 348 | 26th of 30 |
| Average rent a month | £953 | 191st of 316 | 14th of 30 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,244.46 | 281st of 348 | 27th of 30 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,171 | joint 177th of 316 | 25th of 30 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Sandwell: Gateshead (£33,670), Wigan (£33,669), Melton (£33,656), Breckland (£33,621), Kirklees (£33,613) and North East Lincolnshire (£33,563). UK occupations with a median close to the Sandwell median of £33,636: security guards and related occupations (£33,832), transport and distribution clerks and assistants (£33,508), ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) (£33,465) and marketing associate professionals (£33,412).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Sandwell
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Sandwell rose 4.9%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For West Midlands as a whole it was a rise of 6.1%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £22,079 | £1,840 | £19,416 | £1,618 |
| 25th percentile | £26,522 | £2,210 | £22,615 | £1,885 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,636 | £2,803 | £27,738 | £2,311 |
| 75th percentile | £45,468 | £3,789 | £36,257 | £3,021 |
| 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 Sandwell as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.8%.
People who work in Sandwell and people who live there
The median for people who live in Sandwell is £33,029, which is £607 (1.8%) lower than the £33,636 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 330th of 348 and the jobs median 292nd of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 3.5%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Sandwell, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Sandwell, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Sandwell as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.2%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Sandwell (£33,636), the average rent of £953 takes 41.2% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£26,522) it takes 50.6%. 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 £48,057 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in Sandwell 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 | £953 | 41.2% | £1,171 |
| 1 bedroom | £680 | 29.4% | £1,444 |
| 2 bedrooms | £851 | 36.8% | £1,273 |
Band D is £187 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.
Sandwell and other areas in West Midlands
Among these 7 areas, Sandwell has the lowest median and the lowest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £33,636 in Sandwell to £42,966 in Rugby.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rugby | £42,966 | £1,049 | £1,615 |
| Solihull | £42,587 | £1,279 | £1,387 |
| South Staffordshire | £40,205 | £958 | £1,555 |
| Redditch | £36,849 | £976 | £1,323 |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth | £34,283 | £925 | £1,216 |
| Shropshire | £34,232 | £823 | £1,313 |
| Sandwell | £33,636 | £953 | £1,171 |
The areas either side of Sandwell in the alphabetical list for West Midlands, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 30 in the West Midlands table.
How Sandwell compares with West Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in Sandwell is £3,428 (9.2%) lower than the West Midlands median, £5,662 (14.4%) lower than the England median and £5,403 (13.8%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandwell | £33,636 | £33,029 | £2,311 | £953 |
| West Midlands | £37,064 | £37,048 | £2,517 | £982 |
| 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 West Midlands 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 Sandwell (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,079, a quarter pay less than £26,522, half pay less than £33,636 and a quarter pay more than £45,468. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,311 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Sandwell ranks 292nd of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 26th of 30 in West Midlands. Its median of £33,636 is £5,403 (13.8%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Sandwell was £953 in August 2026: £680 for one bedroom and £851 for two bedrooms. That is 41.2% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Sandwell is £2,244.46 for 2026/27, about £187 a month, which ranks 281st of 348 council areas and 27th of 30 in West Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.