Functional managers and directors n.e.c.: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time functional managers and directors n.e.c. in the UK earned a median £75,711 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 94% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
Only 8 of 382 occupations with a published full-time median are higher.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £54,692 and £104,802.
The mean, £89,326, is 18% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £71,791 a year, men £80,000 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 152,000 employee jobs, 84% full-time.
From £60,527 in 2021, the median is up 25.1%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 199,800 people in this line of work, 27% 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 | £41,870 | £855.00 | £23.01 | £24,851* | £476.30* | £20.12 |
| 20th percentile | £51,468 | £1,030.50 | £28.15 | £41,660 | £855.40 | £25.34 |
| 25th percentile | £54,692 | £1,100.90 | £30.21 | £47,062 | £939.00 | £27.71 |
| 30th percentile | £58,706 | £1,202.50 | £32.23 | £51,849 | £1,052.00 | £29.92 |
| 40th percentile | £66,751 | £1,342.40 | £36.84 | £60,155 | £1,223.70 | £34.57 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £75,711 | £1,532.80 | £41.56 | £69,996 | £1,392.20 | £39.24 |
| 60th percentile | £87,384 | £1,709.60 | £46.84 | £80,484 | £1,611.40 | £44.10 |
| 70th percentile | £97,699 | £1,895.50 | £51.61 | £93,625 | £1,815.20 | £50.09 |
| 75th percentile | £104,802 | £2,020.50 | £54.83 | £99,752 | £1,938.40 | £52.90 |
| 80th percentile | £111,899 | £2,149.60 | £58.49 | £107,286 | £2,064.10 | £56.77 |
| 90th percentile | – | £2,485.30* | £65.98* | – | £2,407.30* | £65.65* |
| Mean | £89,326 | £1,648.90 | £44.66 | £80,257 | £1,497.70 | £44.04 |
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 | £60,527 | £1,149.90 | £30.77 | £53,183 | £1,020.70 | 71 |
| 2022 revised | £61,409 | £1,207.40 | £32.40 | £57,371* | £1,149.90 | 87 |
| 2023 revised | £72,623 | £1,402.30 | £36.91 | £67,352* | £1,258.70 | 89 |
| 2024 revised | £74,676 | £1,437.40 | £38.39 | £68,991 | £1,342.60 | 114 |
| 2025 provisional | £75,711 | £1,532.80 | £41.56 | £69,996 | £1,392.20 | 152 |
Functional managers and directors n.e.c. by region
UK: 199,800 (± 17,300), April 2025 to March 2026. 5 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 54,800* | ± 12,100 |
| South East | 34,000* | ± 7,300 |
| East of England | 27,200* | ± 7,100 |
| North West | 15,800* | ± 4,800 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 12,600* | ± 4,100 |
| South West | 12,600* | ± 4,000 |
| Wales | 7,100* | ± 2,400 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What functional managers and directors n.e.c. do
Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of senior management tasks in respect of other specialist functions or fields of activity in organisations not elsewhere classified in minor group 113: Functional managers and directors. (ONS SOC 2020, 1139)
Also covers: area secretary (trade association), chief officer (local government), clerk to the county council, general Secretary (trade union), town Clerk, accounts director, admin director, administration director, area secretary, branch manager, chief clerk, deputy clerk, diocesan secretary, director (admin), general secretary, legal director, managing secretary and national organiser (61 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Helps to formulate and implement local government policy and ensures legal and statutory provisions are observed
- Organises local authority office work and resources, negotiates contracted out services
- Plans, organises, coordinates and directs the resources of their organisation
- Formulates and directs the implementation of an organisation’s policies
- Drives innovation in the working practices of their organisation
- Represents union, association or business in consultation and negotiation with government, employees and other bodies
Entry standards will vary according to the specific function and requirements of the organisation concerned, as will options for training off and on-the-job.
Related
Functional managers and directors (median £75,264) · Information technology directors · Human resource managers and directors · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026