Highest paying jobs in the UK
The 30 best-paid groups of jobs in the UK, ranked by median full-time earnings. Pay is published for groups of related jobs, so each row lists every career that shares its figure.
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Ranked by median pay
Chief executives and senior officials: £99,944
Middle half earn: £63,161 to £151,903 · Hold a degree: 73%
Marketing, sales and advertising directors: £94,135
Middle half earn: £65,527 to £134,962 · Hold a degree: 72%
Specialist medical practitioners and consultants: £92,847
Middle half earn: £67,335 to £136,100 · Hold a degree: 93%
Information technology directors: £91,671
Middle half earn: £69,515 to £119,408 · Hold a degree: 72%
Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport: £83,447
Hold a degree: 47%
Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers: £82,746
Hold a degree: 59%
Directors in consultancy services: £76,601
Hold a degree: 75%
Financial managers and directors: £76,447
Middle half earn: £50,000 to £120,417 · Hold a degree: 63%
Train and tram drivers: £76,327
Middle half earn: £68,924 to £83,129 · Hold a degree: 28%
Public relations and communications directors: £72,887
Hold a degree: 88%
Head teachers and principals: £72,192
Middle half earn: £59,307 to £83,623 · Hold a degree: 100%
Senior police officers: £66,690
Hold a degree: 66%
Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers: £64,322
Hold a degree: 26%
Production managers and directors in mining and energy: £63,241
Hold a degree: 55%
Health services and public health managers and directors: £61,573
Middle half earn: £48,613 to £80,002 · Hold a degree: 78%
Financial and accounting technicians: £60,575
Middle half earn: £36,907 to £76,303 · Hold a degree: 69%
Electrical engineers: £60,303
Middle half earn: £43,003 to £73,899 · Hold a degree: 41%
IT business analysts, architects and systems designers: £60,288
Middle half earn: £45,860 to £81,932 · Hold a degree: 73%
Business and financial project management professionals: £59,834
Middle half earn: £46,399 to £77,568 · Hold a degree: 69%
Production managers and directors in manufacturing: £58,640
Middle half earn: £42,885 to £85,000 · Hold a degree: 42%
IT project managers: £58,373
Middle half earn: £41,423 to £74,823 · Hold a degree: 71%
Clinical psychologists: £58,366
Hold a degree: 100%
Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services: £58,131
Hold a degree: 33%
Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services
Purchasing managers and directors: £58,005
Middle half earn: £44,801 to £82,749 · Hold a degree: 56%
Sales accounts and business development managers: £57,625
Middle half earn: £43,049 to £79,598 · Hold a degree: 54%
Human resource managers and directors: £57,529
Middle half earn: £43,676 to £78,677 · Hold a degree: 71%
Rail transport operatives: £57,088
Middle half earn: £42,815 to £72,157 · Hold a degree: 30%
Solicitors and lawyers: £56,977
Middle half earn: £42,015 to £77,509 · Hold a degree: 98%
Programmers and software development professionals: £56,914
Middle half earn: £42,289 to £75,794 · Hold a degree: 79%
Brokers: £56,689
Hold a degree: 56%
Highest paying jobs without a degree
Jobs where fewer than half the workers hold a degree. Many are reached through an apprenticeship, a college course or training on the job.
Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport: £83,447
Hold a degree: 47%
Train and tram drivers: £76,327
Middle half earn: £68,924 to £83,129 · Hold a degree: 28%
Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers: £64,322
Hold a degree: 26%
Electrical engineers: £60,303
Middle half earn: £43,003 to £73,899 · Hold a degree: 41%
Production managers and directors in manufacturing: £58,640
Middle half earn: £42,885 to £85,000 · Hold a degree: 42%
Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services: £58,131
Hold a degree: 33%
Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services
Rail transport operatives: £57,088
Middle half earn: £42,815 to £72,157 · Hold a degree: 30%
Production managers and directors in construction: £56,021
Middle half earn: £42,575 to £70,710 · Hold a degree: 38%
Electronics engineers (professional): £52,518
Hold a degree: 49%
Waste disposal and environmental services managers: £49,763
Hold a degree: 34%
Managers in transport and distribution: £47,504
Middle half earn: £38,009 to £63,027 · Hold a degree: 26%
Health and safety managers and officers: £46,444
Middle half earn: £37,925 to £57,141 · Hold a degree: 47%
Rail construction and maintenance operatives: £46,403
Middle half earn: £39,848 to £54,541 · Hold a degree: 27%
Rail travel assistants: £46,062
Middle half earn: £40,367 to £53,858 · Hold a degree: 19%
Aircraft maintenance and related trades: £45,779
Hold a degree: 30%
Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors: £45,150
Middle half earn: £37,945 to £53,837 · Hold a degree: 13%
Construction and building trades supervisors: £45,021
Middle half earn: £37,035 to £53,679 · Hold a degree: 19%
Engineering technicians: £44,843
Middle half earn: £35,086 to £55,963 · Hold a degree: 32%
Garage managers and proprietors: £44,158
Hold a degree: 19%
Fire service officers (watch manager and below): £44,033
Middle half earn: £38,111 to £50,976 · Hold a degree: 28%
Property, housing and estate managers: £43,365
Middle half earn: £33,185 to £59,643 · Hold a degree: 43%
Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors: £42,700
Middle half earn: £34,341 to £53,262 · Hold a degree: 47%
Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers: £41,662
Middle half earn: £36,219 to £50,312 · Hold a degree: 17%
Insurance underwriters: £41,610
Hold a degree: 38%
Prison service officers (below principal officer): £41,287
Hold a degree: 24%
Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers: £41,166
Hold a degree: 9%
Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians: £40,760
Middle half earn: £31,226 to £52,357 · Hold a degree: 14%
Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians
Precision instrument makers and repairers: £40,062
Hold a degree: 17%
Telecoms and related network installers and repairers: £39,998
Middle half earn: £34,515 to £46,505 · Hold a degree: 24%
Heavy and large goods vehicle drivers: £39,905
Middle half earn: £33,749 to £46,679 · Hold a degree: 8%
Median gross annual pay for full-time employees, from Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional). Half of the full-time employees in the job earn more and half earn less. Source