Financial managers and directors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time financial managers and directors in the UK earned a median £76,447 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 96% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
Only 6 of 382 occupations with a published full-time median are higher.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £50,000 and £120,417.
The mean, £120,529, is 58% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £65,376 a year, men £86,152 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 477,000 employee jobs, 83% full-time.
From £60,140 in 2021, the median is up 27.1%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 461,400 people in this line of work, 28% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £33,959 | £711.30 | £19.16 | £15,555* | £363.60* | £17.14 |
| 20th percentile | £45,010 | £910.60 | £24.43 | £32,469 | £686.90 | £21.72 |
| 25th percentile | £50,000 | £992.10 | £26.70 | £37,887 | £767.90 | £24.37 |
| 30th percentile | £54,325 | £1,084.40 | £28.92 | £43,180 | £870.20 | £26.19 |
| 40th percentile | £65,024 | £1,283.20 | £34.33 | £53,665 | £1,064.50 | £30.68 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £76,447 | £1,480.90 | £40.35 | £65,336 | £1,293.70 | £36.05 |
| 60th percentile | £90,303 | £1,731.30 | £46.80 | £78,563 | £1,538.00 | £42.44 |
| 70th percentile | £107,820 | £2,017.00 | £55.74 | £96,331 | £1,849.20 | £50.94 |
| 75th percentile | £120,417 | £2,257.10 | £61.23 | £107,741 | £2,027.90 | £56.22 |
| 80th percentile | £138,376 | £2,491.40 | £67.25 | £123,378 | £2,299.80 | £63.00 |
| 90th percentile | – | £3,242.60 | £87.93 | £180,401* | £3,036.30 | £83.62 |
| Mean | £120,529 | £1,877.00 | £50.58 | £103,706 | £1,637.20 | £48.55 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £60,140 | £1,153.00 | £30.67 | £54,986 | £1,054.10 | 433 |
| 2022 revised | £64,742 | £1,269.40 | £34.48 | £58,769 | £1,172.50 | 427 |
| 2023 revised | £70,290 | £1,359.00 | £37.01 | £64,068 | £1,244.70 | 417 |
| 2024 revised | £75,832 | £1,437.40 | £39.06 | £69,071 | £1,335.40 | 420 |
| 2025 provisional | £76,447 | £1,480.90 | £40.35 | £65,336 | £1,293.70 | 477 |
Financial managers and directors by region
UK: 461,400 (± 26,300), April 2025 to March 2026.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 131,200 | ± 18,700 |
| South East | 78,400 | ± 11,100 |
| East of England | 59,600 | ± 10,500 |
| North West | 33,300* | ± 7,000 |
| South West | 30,000* | ± 6,200 |
| West Midlands | 27,300* | ± 6,800 |
| Scotland | 26,100* | ± 5,800 |
| East Midlands | 23,700* | ± 6,400 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 22,600* | ± 5,600 |
| Wales | 13,500* | ± 3,300 |
| North East | 9,200* | ± 3,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 6,700* | ± 2,600 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What financial managers and directors do
Financial managers and directors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the financial information of companies, the activities and resources of financial institutions, such as banks and insurance companies, and advise on company financial policy. (ONS SOC 2020, 1131)
Also covers: bank Manager, finance Director, insurance Manager, investment banker, treasury manager, bank director, branch manager, broking manager, burgh chamberlain, business banker, city chamberlain, collateral manager, collection manager, company registrar, company treasurer, corporate manager, cost manager and costing manager (88 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Participates in the formulation of strategic and long-term business plans, assesses the implications for the organisation financial mechanisms and oversees their implementation
- Plans external and internal audit programmes, arranges for the collection and analysis of accounting, budgetary and related information, and manages the company’s financial systems
- Determines staffing levels appropriate for accounting activities
- Assesses and advises on factors affecting business performance
- Plans, organises, directs and co-ordinates the activities of financial institutions
- Ensures compliance with accounting, recording and information storage, retrieval procedures and the statutory regulatory framework
Entry is most common with a relevant degree or equivalent qualification, although it is possible with A levels/H grades, S/NVQ levels 4 and 5. Those with higher qualifications may obtain accelerated training. Internal promotion to management is possible and on-the-job training is provided. Professional qualifications are available and are required or mandatory for certain posts.
Related
Functional managers and directors (median £75,264) · Marketing, sales and advertising directors · Public relations and communications directors · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026