Average Earnings in South Wales 1830 to 1914

It is impossible to make an accurate estimate of earnings for almost the whole of the period prior to 1912. Owing to the prevalence of short-time working the wage rate does not reflect the miner's money income, although both moved in the same direction. References in the contemporary press and other sources record the earnings of colliers at various collieries, but these cannot he regarded as representative of the entire coalfield. Colliers' earnings were in any case greater than those of non-hewing classes. Steam-coal miners were paid considerably more than ironworks colliers when fully employed, although the average difference over a lengthy period would not he very great owing to the irregularity of work at steam-coal pits. Again it is rarely made clear whether the earnings quoted in the earlier period exclude deductions for powder, candles and tools, which amounted to between 2s. and 10s. during 'forties. For these reasons the schedule which follows cannot be regarded as an accurate statement of average weekly earnings throughout the district. The figures given are based on a study. of what evidence exists and are so determined as to be fairly representative of the wages known to have been paid at various collieries in each year.

1830 - 1852	The level of wages in most industries remained stationary in these years, and the same is largely true of colliers’ earnings in South Wales, although there appears to have been a considerable fall between 1842 and 1852
	1831-20/23s.per week
	1832-17s.per week
	1833-18s.per week
	1835--19s.per week
	1836-16s.per week
	1837-22/23s.per week
	1838--19s.per week
	1839-22/27s. per week
	1840-21/26s. per week
	1841-20s.per week
1852-1870	While workmen in other occupations enjoyed a rapid increase in wages at this time, the South Wales colliers do not seem to have shared their good fortune. Undoubtedly earnings rose during the American Civil War, but the men were apparently little better-off in the later sixties than in 1850
	1857 - 24s. per week 1868 - 25/30s. per week 1869 - 21s. per week
1870-1873	Nominal Wages in most trades rose rapidly during these three years, and the South Wales miners also gained by the general prosperity
	1873-33s. or more per week
1873-1879	In the depressed years which followed, however, wages were rapidly reduced in South Wales as in other districts
	1879-c. 20s. per week
1879-1887	There was little change between 1879 and 1887, a period when wages were, almost stationary apart from a short-lived increase which came to an end in 1884
	1883-26s. per week 1886-20s. per week
1887-1892	The South Wales colliery workmen's earnings rose rapidly during this period as did wages in most industries
	1887 - 20s. per week
	1888-20s. per week
	1889-249. per week
1892-1897	While wages in other trades remained almost unchanged, the earnings of the, Welsh miners seem to have fallen, although not very greatly
	1892/4-23s. per week 1895/7-21s. per week
	1892/4-23s. per week 1895/7-21s. per week
1897-1900	The universal rise in wages which characterised these years was clearly discernible in South Wales
	1898-23s. per week 1899-25s. per week 1900-33s. per week


1900-1914	Although wages were generally stationary in this period, miners earnings in South Wales appear to have fallen fairly substantially by 1905 only to rise again to an even higher level in 1908
	1901-32s. per week 1902-28s. per week 1908-44s. per week