Cheltenham Median Earnings History
Median full-time earnings in Cheltenham year by year since 2008, for people who live and people who work in the town, compared with Gloucestershire, the South West and England.
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- 18 years of data, 2008 to 2025
Cheltenham Earnings History
The typical (median) full-time employee who lives in Cheltenham earned £41,399 a year in 2025, before tax. That is 5.5% above the England median of £39,243 and 10.3% above the South West median of £37,543. Full-time employees who work in Cheltenham, wherever they live, earned a median of £41,147.
Since 2008, median pay for Cheltenham residents has risen by 53.0%, compared with 53.5% across England. The figures are cash amounts, not adjusted for inflation, so they show what people were paid rather than what it would buy. This page sits alongside employment rates and the population and growth statistics.
Median Full-Time Pay since 2008
Earnings in 2025 Compared
| Full-Time Median | Cheltenham | South West | England | Cheltenham vs England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual pay | £41,399 | £37,543 | £39,243 | +5.5% |
| Weekly pay | £817.50 | £734.00 | £769.50 | +6.2% |
| Hourly pay | £21.79 | £18.75 | £19.85 | +9.8% |
These figures are for people who live in each area, before tax, and cover full-time employees only.
Men and Women
In 2025, the median full-time man living in Cheltenham earned £44,756 and the median full-time woman £37,457, so women's median pay was 16.3% below men's. This compares typical pay across all full-time jobs, not pay for the same job, so it reflects the mix of jobs as well as pay within them.
Earnings by Year
| Year | Residents | Workplace | Men | Women | Gloucestershire | South West | England | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | £41,399 | £41,147 | £44,756 | £37,457 | £38,713 | £37,543 | £39,243 | Reasonably precise |
| 2024 | £40,010 | £39,075 | £47,677 | £35,028 | £37,294 | £36,109 | £37,636 | Reasonably precise |
| 2023 | £36,589 | £36,409 | £38,463 | £33,810 | £35,566 | £34,140 | £35,194 | Reasonably precise |
| 2022 | £38,064 | £33,029 | £37,810 | £38,523 | £34,792 | £31,799 | £33,279 | Reasonably precise |
| 2021 | £34,095 | £29,438 | £34,265 | £31,951 | £31,004 | £29,534 | £31,445 | Reasonably precise |
| 2020 | £33,694 | £30,200 | £34,312 | — | £31,791 | £30,172 | £31,780 | Acceptable |
| 2019 | £33,209 | £30,936 | £36,577 | £29,985 | £30,120 | £29,282 | £30,692 | Reasonably precise |
| 2018 | £29,861 | £29,665 | £32,023 | £27,779 | £29,572 | £28,402 | £29,849 | Reasonably precise |
| 2017 | £29,365 | £28,362 | £31,736 | £28,049 | £28,652 | £27,533 | £29,085 | Reasonably precise |
| 2016 | £28,264 | £26,477 | — | £25,665 | £27,941 | £26,796 | £28,500 | Acceptable |
| 2015 | £29,804 | £26,841 | £31,189 | £26,004 | £27,434 | £26,496 | £27,838 | Reasonably precise |
| 2014 | £29,045 | £27,439 | £28,523 | — | £26,492 | £26,029 | £27,500 | Acceptable |
| 2013 | £29,645 | £27,940 | — | £26,278 | £26,847 | £25,630 | £27,375 | Acceptable |
| 2012 | £28,417 | £28,186 | £31,029 | £26,245 | £26,429 | £25,036 | £26,826 | Reasonably precise |
| 2011 | £27,020 | £26,252 | £30,303 | £22,873 | £25,633 | £24,791 | £26,500 | Reasonably precise |
| 2010 | £27,273 | £26,632 | £28,566 | £22,032 | £25,178 | £24,474 | £26,276 | Reasonably precise |
| 2009 | £28,262 | £27,479 | £30,647 | — | £26,686 | £24,523 | £26,145 | Acceptable |
| 2008 | £27,052 | £26,266 | £29,487 | £25,121 | £26,026 | £23,968 | £25,558 | Reasonably precise |
Data from the Office for National Statistics — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, via Nomis, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Last updated 20 September 2026.
FAQs
What Does Median Pay Mean?
The median is the middle value: half of full-time employees earn more and half earn less. It is a better guide to typical pay than the average, which a small number of very high earners can pull upwards.
What Is the Difference Between Residents and Workplace Pay?
Residents pay counts full-time employees who live in Cheltenham, wherever they work. Workplace pay counts full-time employees whose job is in Cheltenham, wherever they live. Many people commute in and out of town, so the two figures differ.
Why Does the Figure Jump Around From Year to Year?
The figures come from a sample survey of employees, so for a town the size of Cheltenham the estimate can move by more than real pay does. The Reliability column shows the ONS's own rating of each year's estimate, from precise to unreliable. Look at the overall trend rather than any single year.
Why Does the Data Start in 2008?
The ONS earnings figures available for Cheltenham start in 2008, so this is as far back as the local data goes.
Are the Figures Adjusted for Inflation?
No. They are the cash amounts employees were paid in each year, before tax, so they do not show how far the money went.
Where Does This Data Come From?
The Office for National Statistics' Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, accessed through Nomis. It is published once a year in the autumn, and this page is refreshed monthly so the new year appears soon after it is released. See employment rates for the labour market alongside pay.