Chief executives and senior officials roles in the UK earn a median of £101,000 per year, equivalent to £48.17 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 16.6% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £90,500 in North West to £127,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 5 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £99,944/yr (1% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£101,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£48.17
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+16.6%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£65,500 – £153,500
25th – 75th percentile
There is currently not sufficient data available for this occupation to say anything about the labour market.
Median annual pay for Chief executives and senior officials across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| London | £127,000 |
| South East | £105,000 |
| East | £102,000 |
| Scotland | £100,500 |
| South West | £96,000 |
| East Midlands | £95,500 |
| West Midlands | £95,000 |
| Wales | £94,500 |
| North East | £94,000 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £93,500 |
| North West | £90,500 |
| UK | £101,000 |
Annual pay grew by +16.6% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Chief executives and senior officials.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
The median salary for a Chief executives and senior officials in the UK is £101,000 per year (about £48.17 per hour), based on official ONS data for 2025.
Most Chief executives and senior officials earn between £65,500 and £153,500 a year (the 25th to 75th percentile of UK pay).
Chief executives and senior officials pay rose by 16.6% from 2024 to 2025.
The highest median pay for Chief executives and senior officials is in London, at £127,000 per year.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Chief executives and senior officials roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Chief executives and senior officials head large enterprises and organisations. They plan, direct and co-ordinate, with directors and managers, the resources necessary for the various functions and specialist activities of these enterprises and organisations. The chief executives of hospitals will be classified in this unit group. Senior officials in national government direct the operations of government departments. Senior officials in local government participate in the implementation of local government policies and ensure that legal, statutory and other provisions concerning the running of a local authority are observed. Senior officials of special interest organisations ensure that legal, statutory and other regulations concerning the running of trade associations, employers’ associations, learned societies, trades unions, charitable organisations and similar bodies are observed. Chief executives and senior officials also act as representatives of the organisations concerned for the purposes of high-level consultation and negotiation.
Entry may be by appointment or internal promotion, as appropriate, and is usually based on relevant experience although candidates may also require academic or professional qualifications for some posts.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.