Average salary in Swansea
The median full-time salary for jobs in Swansea is £36,261 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,469 a month.
Where Swansea ranks
Swansea ranks 199th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 9th of 22 in Wales. Its average rent ranks 230th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,430 a month) ranks 57th of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £36,261 | 199th of 348 | 9th of 22 |
| Median pay, residents | £36,586 | 238th of 348 | 8th of 22 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,469 | 199th of 348 | 9th of 22 |
| Average rent a month | £852 | 230th of 316 | 6th of 22 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,238.29 | 282nd of 348 | 16th of 22 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,430 | 57th of 316 | 7th 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 Swansea: East Hampshire (£36,379), Wiltshire (£36,370), Stroud (£36,363), Blackburn with Darwen (£36,223), Dundee City (£36,219) and Cannock Chase (£36,211). UK occupations with a median close to the Swansea median of £36,261: communication operators (£36,415), other vocational and industrial trainers (£36,357), bus and coach drivers (£36,340) and shopkeepers and owners, retail and wholesale (£36,304).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Swansea
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Swansea rose 4.1%, less 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 | £23,993 | £1,999 | £20,795 | £1,733 |
| 25th percentile | £28,000 | £2,333 | £23,680 | £1,973 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £36,261 | £3,022 | £29,628 | £2,469 |
| 75th percentile | £48,686 | £4,057 | £38,574 | £3,214 |
| 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 Swansea as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.7%.
People who work in Swansea and people who live there
The median for people who live in Swansea is £36,586, which is £325 (0.9%) higher than the £36,261 median for jobs based there. The two figures are close. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 238th of 348 and the jobs median 199th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 5.5%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Swansea, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Swansea, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Swansea as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.9%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Swansea (£36,261), the average rent of £852 takes 34.5% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£28,000) it takes 43.2%. 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 £42,445 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Swansea 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 | £852 | 34.5% | £1,430 |
| 1 bedroom | £688 | 27.9% | £1,594 |
| 2 bedrooms | £797 | 32.3% | £1,485 |
Band D is £187 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.
Swansea and other areas in Wales
Among these 7 areas, Swansea has the 3rd highest median and the 3rd highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,163 in Powys to £37,053 in Wrexham.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrexham | £37,053 | £770 | £1,554 |
| 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 Swansea 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 Swansea compares with Wales and the UK
The median for jobs in Swansea is £465 (1.3%) higher than the Wales median and £2,778 (7.1%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swansea | £36,261 | £36,586 | £2,469 | £852 |
| 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 Swansea (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £23,993, a quarter pay less than £28,000, half pay less than £36,261 and a quarter pay more than £48,686. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,469 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Swansea ranks 199th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 9th of 22 in Wales. Its median of £36,261 is £2,778 (7.1%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Swansea was £852 in August 2026: £688 for one bedroom and £797 for two bedrooms. That is 34.5% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Swansea is £2,238.29 for 2026/27, about £187 a month, which ranks 282nd of 348 council areas and 16th of 22 in Wales. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.