The average salary in Cardiff is £36,946 a year for a full-time worker (ONS, April 2025), £2,093 below the UK median (5.4% lower). That leaves about £30,121 after tax. Here is the full breakdown.
ONS data, April 2025After tax: £30,121Free, no signup
Average salary in Cardiff (median, full-time)
£36,946
a year before tax · about £30,121 take-home (£2,510 a month)
Yearly
Monthly
Gross salary
£36,946
£3,079
Income tax
−£4,875
−£406
National Insurance
−£1,950
−£163
Take-home pay
£30,121
£2,510
At £36,946, the average Cardiff salary is £2,093 below the UK median (5.4% lower). The mean for Cardiff is £42,983, higher than the median because a minority of large salaries lift the average.
ONS ASHE April 2025, full-time residents of the Cardiff / Caerdydd. Income tax and National Insurance only. Verify at gov.uk. Not tax advice.
Cardiff, the Welsh capital, is the highest-earning city in Wales but still sits below the UK median. On ONS figures for April 2025, the median full-time salary for Cardiff residents is £36,946, which is £2,093 below the UK median (5.4% lower). After income tax and National Insurance, that leaves about £30,121 a year, or roughly £2,510 a month. A student loan or pension contribution would reduce it further.
How Cardiff compares to the UK
The table sets the Cardiff average against the UK median so you can see the gap in both gross pay and take-home.
Area
Median
Mean
Median after tax
Cardiff
£36,946
£42,983
£30,121
United Kingdom
£39,039
£48,512
£31,628
Use the take-home pay calculator to add a student loan plan or pension and see your exact net pay on the Cardiff average, or any salary you like.
Work out your own take-home
Your salary
Your salary before tax, National Insurance and pension
£
Scotland sets its own income tax bands. National Insurance is the same across the UK.
Salary sacrifice, comes out before tax and NI
%
Take-home pay
£30,121
a year · £30,121 a year
Gross salary£36,946
Income tax−£4,875
National Insurance−£1,950
Take-home a year£30,121
Where your pay goes
Take-home 82%Tax 13%NI 5%
2026/27 estimate, England, Wales and Northern Ireland bands. Verify current figures at gov.uk; not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Cardiff?
The average salary in Cardiff is £36,946 a year for a full-time employee (median, ONS April 2025), which is £2,093 below the UK median (5.4% lower). On a mean basis the figure is £42,983, higher because top earners lift the average.
What is the average Cardiff salary after tax?
On the £36,946 median salary for Cardiff, take-home pay is about £30,121 a year, roughly £2,510 a month, after income tax and National Insurance (2026/27 rates). Student loan and pension would lower it further.
Is Cardiff a well-paid city?
Cardiff, the Welsh capital, is the highest-earning city in Wales but still sits below the UK median. Compared with the UK median of £39,039, Cardiff residents earn £2,093 below the UK median (5.4% lower). Living costs matter too, so a higher or lower salary does not translate one-for-one into spending power.
Does this figure cover the city or the wider area?
It is the ONS figure for the Cardiff / Caerdydd, on a place-of-residence basis, so it reflects what people who live there earn rather than the pay of jobs located in the city centre. It covers full-time employees only.
Simon is the founder of Orbit Money, a tool that helps people track subscriptions and recurring spend. He builds Orbit's free money calculators and writes about personal finance for UK and Australian readers.
Figures are ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (April 2025), full-time residents of the Cardiff / Caerdydd. After-tax amounts are estimates for guidance, not tax advice.
