Overview
Gloucester is home to GCHQ and has a strong aerospace and defence cluster alongside growing financial services.
The median salary in Gloucester is £30,500 per year. With a cost of living index of 68/100 (London = 100) and average rents of £800/month, residents typically retain £23,500 per year in real spending power after rent — an important figure that headline salaries don't reveal.
Cost of Living: Gloucester vs UK Cities
Cost of living index where London = 100. Lower score = more affordable. Gloucester is highlighted.
London
100
Edinburgh
79
Bristol
78
Manchester
72
Leeds
70
Birmingham
68
Cardiff
66
Liverpool
65
Sheffield
63
Newcastle
61
Best Paying Jobs in Gloucester
Full city salary breakdown coming soon. Browse all UK salary guides →
Gloucester Job Market at a Glance
| Median Annual Salary | £30,500 |
| Cost of Living Index | 68/100 |
| Average Rent (1 bed) | £800/mo |
| Real Take-Home After Rent | £23,500/yr |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.5% |
| Job Growth (YoY) | ↑ 3.8% |
| Population | 136,000 |
Top Industries in Gloucester
Aerospace
Defence
Healthcare
Retail
Finance
Major Employers in Gloucester
GCHQ
NHS
Raytheon
Gloucester City Council
Royal Mail
Compare Gloucester with Other Cities
Gloucester vs London
£30,500 vs £52,800
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Gloucester vs Manchester
£30,500 vs £36,500
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Gloucester vs Birmingham
£30,500 vs £33,200
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Gloucester vs Edinburgh
£30,500 vs £38,900
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Gloucester vs Bristol
£30,500 vs £38,200
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Gloucester vs Leeds
£30,500 vs £34,800
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Data Sources
ONS Regional Stats 2026
HMRC PAYE Data
Rightmove Rental Index
Numbeo UK
Reed.co.uk