Average salary in Wigan
The median full-time salary for jobs in Wigan is £33,669 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,313 a month.
Where Wigan ranks
Wigan ranks 290th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 24th of 35 in North West. Its average rent ranks 277th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,388 a month) ranks 75th of 316, in the top quarter.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in North West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £33,669 | 290th of 348 | 24th of 35 |
| Median pay, residents | £37,377 | 212th of 348 | 16th of 35 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,313 | 290th of 348 | 24th of 35 |
| Average rent a month | £746 | 277th of 316 | 28th of 35 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,152.68 | 295th of 348 | 35th of 35 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,388 | 75th of 316 | 15th of 35 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to Wigan: Chichester (£33,692), Herefordshire (£33,685), Gateshead (£33,670), Melton (£33,656), Sandwell (£33,636) and Breckland (£33,621). UK occupations with a median close to the Wigan median of £33,669: boat and ship builders and repairers (£33,896), security guards and related occupations (£33,832), transport and distribution clerks and assistants (£33,508) and ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) (£33,465).
Pay range for full-time jobs in Wigan
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in Wigan rose 9.2%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 55 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 North West as a whole it was a rise of 6.2%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £22,476 | £1,873 | £19,702 | £1,642 |
| 25th percentile | £25,982 | £2,165 | £22,227 | £1,852 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £33,669 | £2,806 | £27,761 | £2,313 |
| 75th percentile | £47,684 | £3,974 | £37,852 | £3,154 |
| 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 Wigan as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.5%.
People who work in Wigan and people who live there
The median for people who live in Wigan is £37,377, which is £3,708 (11.0%) higher than the £33,669 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 212th of 348 and the jobs median 290th of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 8.5%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in Wigan, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in Wigan, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for Wigan as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in Wigan (£33,669), the average rent of £746 takes 32.2% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£25,982) 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 £36,557 a year. No more than half of full-time jobs based in Wigan 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 | £746 | 32.2% | £1,388 |
| 1 bedroom | £542 | 23.4% | £1,592 |
| 2 bedrooms | £700 | 30.3% | £1,434 |
Band D is £179 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.
Wigan and other areas in North West
Among these 7 areas, Wigan has the 6th highest median and the 4th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £31,130 in Wyre to £41,159 in Warrington.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrington | £41,159 | £899 | £1,660 |
| Westmorland and Furness | £40,529 | £816 | £1,700 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | £36,223 | £714 | £1,548 |
| Wirral | £35,483 | £859 | £1,355 |
| West Lancashire | £33,926 | £805 | £1,319 |
| Wigan | £33,669 | £746 | £1,388 |
| Wyre | £31,130 | £743 | £1,213 |
The areas either side of Wigan in the alphabetical list for North West, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 35 in the North West table.
How Wigan compares with North West and the UK
The median for jobs in Wigan is £3,692 (9.9%) lower than the North West median, £5,629 (14.3%) lower than the England median and £5,370 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wigan | £33,669 | £37,377 | £2,313 | £746 |
| North West | £37,361 | £37,445 | £2,535 | £969 |
| 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 North West 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 Wigan (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,476, a quarter pay less than £25,982, half pay less than £33,669 and a quarter pay more than £47,684. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,313 a month at 2026/27 rates.
Wigan ranks 290th of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the bottom quarter, and 24th of 35 in North West. Its median of £33,669 is £5,370 (13.8%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in Wigan was £746 in August 2026: £542 for one bedroom and £700 for two bedrooms. That is 32.2% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in Wigan is £2,152.68 for 2026/27, about £179 a month, which ranks 295th of 348 council areas and 35th of 35 in North West. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.