The Oxford Living Wage

The Oxford Living Wage

Oxford is one of the most expensive places to live in the UK, and yet many people in our city earn less than what’s needed for a decent standard of living. The Oxford Living Wage is a voluntary minimum wage that organisations can adopt to reflect the real cost of living and working in Oxford. It’s a tangible way for employers to support their staff, strengthen their organisation, and demonstrate long term commitment to building a fairer and more inclusive local economy.

For 2025-26 the Oxford Living Wage is set at £13.16 per hour.

How is the Oxford Living Wage calculated?

The Oxford Living Wage has grown out of the Living Wage Foundation’s national campaign to secure a wage people can genuinely live on, not just the legal minimum.

The Oxford Living Wage, set annually by Oxford City Council, is calculated at 95% of the London Living Wage. It’s based on extensive research by the Living Wage Foundation and Resolution Foundation into the actual costs of living like housing, food, and transport.

Who can join and how to we apply?

Accreditation is free and open to any organisation that is either based in Oxford or that does business in the city. To become an Oxford Living Wage employer, you’ll need to:

1. Commit to paying all staff and regularly contracted workers over the age of 18 at least the Oxford Living Wage
2. Review the frequently asked questions below to ensure you meet the criteria
3. Complete the short application form
4. Reconfirm annually to stay accredited

Once accredited, you will receive a pack for employers and your organisation will be promoted throughout the year as an Oxford Living Wage employer. 

Apply for Oxford Living Wage accreditation or reconfirm new rate

Why become an Oxford Living Wage employer?

By joining the scheme, you’ll be part of a growing movement of over 150 Oxford-based employers committed to fair pay.

• Support your staff
  Paying a wage people can live on boosts morale, productivity, and retention.
• Lead by example
  Show your commitment to ethical employment and social responsibility, and deliver money back into the local economy.
• Enhance your reputation
  Accreditation sends a clear message: your organisation values fairness, dignity, and social responsibility. It strengthens trust and brand perception among customers, partners, and investors.
• Strengthen recruitment and reduce turnover
  Attract motivated, skilled candidates who value a supportive workplace – and stay with you for longer.
• Take meaningful action on your responsible business goals
  The Oxford Living Wage accreditation is a powerful way to demonstrate your commitment to social responsibility, advancing your Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives, and providing measurable social value to bids and partnerships. 
• Build a fairer Oxford
  Be part of a movement committed to reducing workplace poverty in one of the UK’s most unequal cities. Women are 50% more likely to be in low paid work than men* – by paying the Oxford Living Wage you can help create fairer opportunities and close the gender pay gap.

* Living Wage Foundation, ‘Employee Jobs Paid below the real Living Wage’ (2024), using data from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Annual Survey for Hours and Earnings to reveal the number of jobs below the real Living Wage  

Frequently asked questions 

Does the Oxford Living Wage change annually and when should it be implemented?

Yes. The Oxford Living Wage is reviewed annually and is set at 95% of the London Living Wage, as determined by the Living Wage Foundation. We will announce the new rate each autumn and notify all current Oxford Living Wage employers by email.

Employers are encouraged to adopt the new rate as soon as possible and are required to do so by the start of the new financial year on 6 April. For newly accredited Oxford Living Wage employers, the current rate must be adopted from the date of accreditation.

How much does the Oxford Living Wage accreditation cost?

The Oxford Living Wage accreditation is free.

As part of your accreditation, we will send you a pack for employers, which includes a digital copy of your certificate, the Oxford Living Wage logo and other materials, including social media assets to help you promote your accredited status.

What is the Oxford Living Wage as an annual salary?

You can work out the Oxford Living Wage as an annual salary by calculating:

• Oxford Living Wage x hours worked per week x 52

For example: £13.16 x 37.5 x 52 = £25,662

Our organisation operates in Oxford, but also regionally, nationally or internationally. Do we have to pay all staff the Oxford Living Wage?

Only staff working in roles related to your business in Oxford are required to be paid the Oxford Living Wage. For example, for a care company operating in both Oxford and Buckingham, only the employees working in Oxford are required to be paid the Oxford Living Wage as part of the Oxford Living Wage scheme.

We are in support of the work of the Living Wage Foundation. Please visit the Living Wage Foundation website to find out more about joining the movement to contribute to national impact.

Our organisation operates or is based in Oxfordshire, but is not located nor does business in Oxford city, can we become Oxford Living Wage employers?

Thank you for your interest, but the Oxford Living Wage is for organisations either located in the city of Oxford or that serve the city in some way (such as law firms or catering companies). If you’re unsure, please view the Oxford City Council boundary map.

We are in support of the work of the Living Wage Foundation. Please visit the Living Wage Foundation website to find out more about joining the movement to contribute to national impact.

Does the Oxford Living Wage apply to apprentices and interns?

There are different rates of statutory pay for apprenticeships, depending on an apprentice’s age and experience to reflect the cost of training. Therefore, employers are not required to pay apprentices the Oxford Living Wage, although it is encouraged where possible and particularly once an apprentice has completed their first year.

For interns, it depends on the intern’s employment status. If an intern is classed as a worker, then they should be paid the Oxford Living Wage alongside other employees. However, for interns on placements or work experience/shadowing, such as part of a higher education course or in a voluntary capacity, they are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage and therefore not the Oxford Living Wage. However, as with apprentices, we do encourage that interns are paid the Oxford Living Wage. You can find out more about pay and employment rights for interns on the government’s website.

What about third-party contractors?

The Oxford Living Wage applies to all directly employed staff, and there should be a plan/time-line to include all regularly contracted staff too. Regularly contracted staff, defined by the Living Wage Foundation, are staff who work for two or more hours a week, for eight or more consecutive weeks a year, such as cleaners or security staff.

We employ staff under the age of 18, does the Oxford Living Wage apply to them?

The Oxford Living Wage applies to anyone over the age of 18. However, we encourage employers to pay all staff the Oxford Living Wage, regardless of their age.

Can additional earnings, benefits or other forms of compensation be included as part of the Oxford Living Wage rate?

No, the Oxford Living Wage only consists of an employee’s base salary.

Any other forms of compensation, such as performance-related pay (bonuses, tips, sales, etc.), employer pension contributions, expenses, company shares or accommodation provision are a benefit in addition to the Oxford Living Wage base salary.

Does the Oxford Living Wage cover travel time for carers or other roles?

We expect all workers, such as care workers, to be paid the Oxford Living Wage for time spent travelling between client appointments. This follows government guidance, which states that employees should be paid for time spent ‘travelling in connection with work, including travelling from one work assignment to another’.

This applies to all roles which require travel as part of the working day, for example, outside of routine travel at the start and end of the working day between home and work.

Employees should also be paid the Oxford Living Wage for each hour worked on a sleep shift where they are required to stay on site.