GeraJobs / Gera Real Pay Index / West Midlands
West Midlands Real Pay — Gera Real Pay Index
In West Midlands, the nominal median salary is £32,913, but after adjusting for local cost of living it is worth £36,324 — a Gera Real Pay Index of 105.6 (region average = 100), above average.
Does your salary go far in West Midlands after cost of living?
In West Midlands, the nominal median salary is £32,913, but local costs are 9% cheaper than the England-region average, giving a cost-equivalent "real" pay of £36,324 — a Gera Real Pay Index of 105.6 (average = 100), above average. Real ONS, Land Registry and MHCLG data; GeraJobs re-dates quarterly.
Gera Real Pay Index
West Midlands ranks #5 of 9 English regions for how far salary goes. Nominal £32,913 → real £36,324 at cost level 90.6.
How this is calculatedHow West Midlands's real pay is calculated
| Nominal median salary (ONS ASHE) | £32,913 |
| Average house price (Land Registry) | £262,565 (87% of regional mean) |
| Band D council tax (MHCLG) | £2,400/yr (100% of mean) |
| Cost level (100 = 9-region average) | 90.6 |
| Real (cost-equivalent) pay | £36,324 |
| Gera Real Pay Index | 105.6 |
Real pay = nominal median × (100 ÷ cost level). Cost level blends real house prices (0.70) and Band D council tax (0.30) for the 30 local authorities ONS/Land Registry publish in West Midlands. Full methodology.
Real pay by occupation in West Midlands
- Other nursing professionals£44,806 real
- Production managers and directors in manufacturing£59,123 real
- Other administrative occupations n.e.c.£29,402 real
- Sales accounts and business development managers£61,862 real
- Warehouse operatives£30,219 real
- Secondary education teaching professionals£52,038 real
- Financial managers and directors£67,489 real
- Programmers and software development professionals£54,173 real
West Midlands real pay — FAQ
- What is the Gera Real Pay Index for West Midlands?
- The Gera Real Pay Index for West Midlands is 105.6 (England-region average = 100), ranking #5 of 9. Its nominal median of £32,913 adjusts to £36,324 in cost-equivalent terms because the region's cost level is 90.6 (100 = average).
- Why is West Midlands's real pay higher than its nominal pay?
- West Midlands's cost level is 90.6 versus a 9-region average of 100. Average house prices are 87% of the regional mean and Band D council tax is 100% of the mean. Below-average costs stretch the same nominal salary further, so cost-equivalent pay is £36,324.
- Is the West Midlands figure real government data?
- Yes. The nominal median is aggregated from real ONS ASHE regional medians (full-time, April 2025). The cost level uses real HM Land Registry house prices and MHCLG Band D council tax for 30 and 30 local authorities in West Midlands. All OGL v3.0; nothing is modelled.
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Sources: Office for National Statistics — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) (Median gross annual pay (GBP), full-time employees, ASHE 2025 provisional, April 2025 reference period); HM Land Registry UK House Price Index (April 2026); MHCLG Council Tax levels in England (FY2026-27). All OGL v3.0. The Gera Real Pay Index for West Midlands is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.