Average salary in Wakefield
The median full-time salary for jobs in Wakefield is £35,838 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,444 a month.
Where Wakefield ranks
Wakefield ranks 214th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 4th of 15 in Yorkshire and The Humber. Its average rent ranks joint 253rd of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,447 a month) ranks 49th of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in Yorkshire and The Humber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £35,838 | 214th of 348 | 4th of 15 |
| Median pay, residents | £34,400 | 308th of 348 | 13th of 15 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,444 | 214th of 348 | 4th of 15 |
| Average rent a month | £806 | joint 253rd of 316 | 5th of 15 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,296.89 | 256th of 348 | 11th of 15 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,447 | 49th of 316 | 6th of 15 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Wakefield: Exeter (£35,968), Bridgend (£35,951), Amber Valley (£35,912), Sevenoaks (£35,748), West Lindsey (£35,748) and North Northamptonshire (£35,745). UK occupations with a median close to the Wakefield median of £35,838: elementary storage occupations n.e.c. (£35,863), steel erectors (£35,824), project support officers (£35,751) and police community support officers (£35,748).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Wakefield
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Wakefield rose 5.4%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. For Yorkshire and The Humber as a whole it was a rise of 3.7%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £22,664 | £1,889 | £19,838 | £1,653 |
| 25th percentile | £27,951 | £2,329 | £23,644 | £1,970 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £35,838 | £2,987 | £29,323 | £2,444 |
| 75th percentile | £48,880 | £4,073 | £38,713 | £3,226 |
| 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 Wakefield as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.5%.
People who work in Wakefield and people who live there
The median for people who live in Wakefield is £34,400, which is £1,438 (4.0%) lower than the £35,838 median for jobs based there. The jobs figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 308th of 348 and the jobs median 214th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 5.2%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Wakefield, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Wakefield, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Wakefield as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 3.3%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Wakefield (£35,838), the average rent of £806 takes 33.0% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£27,951) it takes 40.9%. 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 £39,890 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Wakefield 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 | £806 | 33.0% | £1,447 |
| 1 bedroom | £576 | 23.6% | £1,677 |
| 2 bedrooms | £726 | 29.7% | £1,527 |
Band D is £191 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.
Wakefield and other areas in Yorkshire and The Humber
Among these 7 areas, Wakefield has the 3rd highest median and the 3rd highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £33,419 in Rotherham to £39,337 in York.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| York | £39,337 | £1,199 | £1,264 |
| Sheffield | £37,074 | £931 | £1,378 |
| Wakefield | £35,838 | £806 | £1,447 |
| Barnsley | £35,629 | £696 | £1,541 |
| Bradford | £35,213 | £745 | £1,464 |
| North Yorkshire | £34,785 | £849 | £1,319 |
| Rotherham | £33,419 | £686 | £1,414 |
The areas either side of Wakefield in the alphabetical list for Yorkshire and The Humber, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 15 in the Yorkshire and The Humber table.
How Wakefield compares with Yorkshire and The Humber and the UK
The median for jobs in Wakefield is £156 (0.4%) higher than the Yorkshire and The Humber median, £3,460 (8.8%) lower than the England median and £3,201 (8.2%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | £35,838 | £34,400 | £2,444 | £806 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £35,682 | £35,990 | £2,434 | £865 |
| 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 Yorkshire and The Humber 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 Wakefield (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,664, a quarter pay less than £27,951, half pay less than £35,838 and a quarter pay more than £48,880. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,444 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Wakefield ranks 214th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 4th of 15 in Yorkshire and The Humber. Its median of £35,838 is £3,201 (8.2%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Wakefield was £806 in August 2026: £576 for one bedroom and £726 for two bedrooms. That is 33.0% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Wakefield is £2,296.89 for 2026/27, about £191 a month, which ranks 256th of 348 council areas and 11th of 15 in Yorkshire and The Humber. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.