Average salary in South Staffordshire
The median full-time salary for jobs in South Staffordshire is £40,205 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,706 a month.
Where South Staffordshire ranks
South Staffordshire ranks 85th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 5th of 30 in West Midlands. Its average rent ranks 189th of 316, a lower place in the list than its pay. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,555 a month) ranks 18th of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in West Midlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £40,205 | 85th of 348 | 5th of 30 |
| Median pay, residents | £38,788 | 167th of 348 | 10th of 30 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,706 | 85th of 348 | 5th of 30 |
| Average rent a month | £958 | 189th of 316 | 12th of 30 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,313.67 | 245th of 348 | 23rd of 30 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,555 | 18th of 316 | 3rd 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 South Staffordshire: Swindon (£40,280), East Devon (£40,224), Mid Sussex (£40,222), Blaby (£40,102), Argyll and Bute (£40,067) and Enfield (£40,036). UK occupations with a median close to the South Staffordshire median of £40,205: conservation professionals (£40,083), precision instrument makers and repairers (£40,062), telecoms and related network installers and repairers (£39,998) and chemical scientists (£39,983).
Pay range for full-time jobs in South Staffordshire
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in South Staffordshire rose 17.5%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. Only 12 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 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 | £23,215 | £1,935 | £20,234 | £1,686 |
| 25th percentile | £26,273 | £2,189 | £22,436 | £1,870 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £40,205 | £3,350 | £32,467 | £2,706 |
| 75th percentile | £52,587 | £4,382 | £41,058 | £3,421 |
| 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 South Staffordshire as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 11%.
People who work in South Staffordshire and people who live there
The median for people who live in South Staffordshire is £38,788, which is £1,417 (3.5%) lower than the £40,205 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 167th of 348 and the jobs median 85th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 2.3%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in South Staffordshire, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in South Staffordshire, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for South Staffordshire as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 7.3%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in South Staffordshire (£40,205), the average rent of £958 takes 35.4% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£26,273) it takes 51.2%. 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 £48,334 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in South Staffordshire 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 | £958 | 35.4% | £1,555 |
| 1 bedroom | £665 | 24.6% | £1,848 |
| 2 bedrooms | £858 | 31.7% | £1,655 |
Band D is £193 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.
South Staffordshire and other areas in West Midlands
Among these 7 areas, South Staffordshire has the 2nd highest median and the highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £30,801 in Staffordshire Moorlands to £42,587 in Solihull.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solihull | £42,587 | £1,279 | £1,387 |
| South Staffordshire | £40,205 | £958 | £1,555 |
| Stafford | £34,832 | £901 | £1,290 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | £34,744 | £715 | £1,481 |
| Shropshire | £34,232 | £823 | £1,313 |
| Sandwell | £33,636 | £953 | £1,171 |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | £30,801 | £728 | £1,218 |
The areas either side of South Staffordshire 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 South Staffordshire compares with West Midlands and the UK
The median for jobs in South Staffordshire is £3,141 (8.5%) higher than the West Midlands median, £907 (2.3%) higher than the England median and £1,166 (3.0%) higher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Staffordshire | £40,205 | £38,788 | £2,706 | £958 |
| 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 South Staffordshire (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,215, a quarter pay less than £26,273, half pay less than £40,205 and a quarter pay more than £52,587. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,706 a month at 2026/27 rates.
South Staffordshire ranks 85th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the top quarter, and 5th of 30 in West Midlands. Its median of £40,205 is £1,166 (3.0%) higher than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in South Staffordshire was £958 in August 2026: £665 for one bedroom and £858 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 South Staffordshire is £2,313.67 for 2026/27, about £193 a month, which ranks 245th of 348 council areas and 23rd of 30 in West Midlands. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.