Public sector jobs in Wales

Wales has its own NHS, education system and government, but much of the pay framework still follows England’s. NHS Wales staff are on Agenda for Change, council and school support staff on the NJC Green Book, and teachers on a separate Welsh pay document. The biggest practical difference for job seekers is the Welsh language: many adverts state a level of Welsh as essential or desirable, and public bodies have legal duties to provide services in Welsh.

Where jobs are advertised

NHS Wales jobs, for the 7 local health boards and 3 NHS trusts, are mostly advertised on NHS Jobs, with some boards also using Trac. Each of the principal councils advertises on its own website, and school vacancies usually appear there too, along with some on the council’s education pages. The Welsh Government, Senedd Commission, Natural Resources Wales and other Welsh public bodies recruit through their own careers sites. UK government offices in Wales, such as the DVLA in Swansea and the Office for National Statistics in Newport, advertise on Civil Service Jobs.

NHS Wales

Agenda for Change pay in Wales mirrors England’s structure. The Welsh Government announced 3.3 per cent for 2026/27, matching England, so band 5 starts at £32,073 and band 6 at £39,959. Wales does not have high cost area supplements, which apply to London and the fringe. Staff are in the NHS Pension Scheme for England and Wales, and checks use the DBS. The organisations involved are described in health services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Teachers

Teachers’ pay in Wales is set by the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document, after recommendations from the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body. For 2026/27 the IWPRB recommended 4.25 per cent. The education minister announced on 13 July 2026 that the Welsh Government would consult on 3.5 per cent, with 5 per cent for unqualified teachers, with the consultation from September. The award was therefore not confirmed as of mid-October 2026. Wales has no academies; schools are maintained by councils, including Welsh-medium and bilingual schools. See teacher pay in Wales for the current scales.

Teachers must register with the Education Workforce Council (EWC), which also registers school learning support workers, FE lecturers and youth workers in Wales. That registration requirement for support staff has no equivalent in England.

Councils and schools support staff

Welsh councils use the NJC Green Book, so the 2026/27 award of 3.3 per cent from 1 April 2026 applies, with SCP 3 at £25,614. Grading is local. Staff join the Local Government Pension Scheme, with the same contribution bands as England. Term-time-only pay for school support staff follows the same NJC model; see how term-time-only pay is calculated.

Welsh language in recruitment

Under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, most public bodies in Wales must meet Welsh language standards, which include assessing the Welsh language needs of each post before advertising it. The advert then states whether Welsh is essential, desirable, or to be learned after appointment, usually with a skill level for listening, speaking, reading and writing.

You can apply in Welsh or English, and your application must not be treated less favourably because of the language you use. Interviews can be held in Welsh on request. If a post requires a level you do not yet have, some employers will appoint you on condition that you reach it within a set time, with free lessons. Welsh language skills in public sector jobs covers levels and courses.

Police, fire and the Welsh Government

Policing in Wales is not devolved, and officers are on the England and Wales pay scales, so the 3.5 per cent award from 1 September 2026 applies, and a constable starts at £32,255. The Welsh fire and rescue services use the UK NJC for fire, with 3.8 per cent from 1 July 2026.

The Welsh Government employs civil servants on its own grades and pay scales, separate from UK departments, with offices in Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Llandudno Junction and elsewhere. Welsh language requirements are particularly common in Welsh Government and Senedd posts.

Tax and pay differences

Welsh taxpayers have a C prefix on their tax code. For 2026/27 the Welsh Government kept the Welsh rates of income tax at the same level as England, so take-home pay on the same salary is identical. Student loans and National Insurance are UK-wide. The take-home pay calculator works for Welsh taxpayers, and Welsh C tax codes explains the code.

For cross-border workers, tax follows where you live, not where you work. Someone living in Chester and working for Betsi Cadwaladr health board pays English rates; someone living in Wrexham and working in a Cheshire trust pays Welsh rates, which in 2026/27 come to the same.

Cardiff, Swansea and Newport have the largest concentrations of public sector employers; see public sector jobs in Cardiff.