Can a Train and tram drivers afford to rent in the UK?
Can a Train and tram drivers afford to rent in the UK?
A Train and tram drivers earns a full-time median of £76,327 per year (ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025). Across 8 UK regions, rent is affordable (below 30% of gross income) in 7 out of 8. Wales is most affordable at a Gera Affordability Ratio of 15.3%; London is least affordable at 35.1%.
Gera Affordability Ratio
Wales is most affordable for a Train and tram drivers. 7 of 8 regions are below the 30% ONS threshold.
How this is calculatedTrain and tram drivers — salary and affordability summary
National median
£76,327
ONS ASHE 2025, FT
Monthly gross
£6,361
Before tax
Affordable regions
7/8
GAR ≤ 30%
Rent affordability by UK region
Gera Affordability Ratio = (monthly rent ÷ regional median monthly salary) × 100. Sorted most affordable first. Click a region for a detailed breakdown.
| Region | Salary | Avg rent / mo | GAR | GAR 2-bed | Buy ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | £65,470 | £836 | 15.3% | 14.1% | 3.2× |
| North West | £70,919 | £954 | 16.1% | 14.7% | 3× |
| Scotland | £71,661 | £1,009 | 16.9% | 15.2% | 2.7× |
| South West | £86,944 | £1,234 | 17.0% | 14.6% | 3.5× |
| West Midlands | £67,428 | £966 | 17.2% | 15.5% | 3.7× |
| East of England | £75,927 | £1,280 | 20.2% | 18.0% | 4.4× |
| South East | £78,345 | £1,418 | 21.7% | 19.4% | 4.8× |
| London | £78,536 | £2,294 | 35.1% | 33.6% | 7× |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for a Train and tram drivers?
- According to ONS ASHE 2025 provisional data (reference period April 2025), the UK median gross annual pay for a Train and tram drivers working full-time is £76,327, which equals £6,361 per month before tax.
- Which UK region is most affordable for a Train and tram drivers to rent?
- Wales is the most affordable region for a Train and tram drivers to rent, with a Gera Affordability Ratio of 15.3% — average monthly rent £836 against a regional median salary of £65,470 (ONS ASHE 2025, April 2025).
- Where is it hardest for a Train and tram drivers to afford rent?
- London is the least affordable region, with a Gera Affordability Ratio of 35.1% — average monthly rent £2,294 versus regional median salary £78,536 for this occupation.
- Can a Train and tram drivers afford to buy a home in the UK?
- At the national median salary of £76,327, buying in Wales would require a price-to-income ratio of 3.2× (average house price £212,489 ÷ regional salary £65,470). That is rated "Accessible" — Under 5× salary — historically accessible range. The full buy-ratio across all regions is shown in the table below.
- How is the Gera Affordability Ratio calculated for a Train and tram drivers?
- GAR = (monthly_rent ÷ regional_median_monthly_salary) × 100. Salary from ONS ASHE 2025 (Table 15(4).7a, region × occupation, full-time median). Rent from ONS PIPR May 2026 (regional average monthly private rent). A ratio ≤ 30% is "affordable" per ONS guidance. Full methodology: https://gerajobs.com/affordability/methodology.
Data sources
Salary: Office for National Statistics — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 provisional · Open Government Licence v3.0
Rent: Office for National Statistics — Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), May 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
House prices: HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index (UKHPI), April 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
Find Train and tram drivers jobs in affordable regions
GeraJobs lists live Train and tram drivers vacancies with salary ranges — filter by your target region to find roles where the maths works.