Health services and public health managers and directors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time health services and public health managers and directors in the UK earned a median £61,573 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 58% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 15th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £48,613 and £80,002.
The mean, £71,598, is 16% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £61,159 a year, men £64,099 a year.
About 74% of the roughly 69,000 employee jobs are full-time.
From £48,518 in 2021, the median is up 26.9%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 86,300 people in this line of work, 19% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £37,795 | £744.10 | £20.15 | £22,820* | £465.30 | £19.17 |
| 20th percentile | £45,352 | £930.00 | £24.76 | £36,322 | £691.50 | £23.85 |
| 25th percentile | £48,613 | £992.60 | £25.73 | £41,104 | £755.20 | £25.35 |
| 30th percentile | £51,245 | £1,027.50 | £27.16 | £43,504 | £842.70 | £27.01 |
| 40th percentile | £56,454 | £1,134.40 | £29.30 | £50,159 | £980.70 | £29.29 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £61,573 | £1,238.40 | £32.45 | £55,879 | £1,081.90 | £32.04 |
| 60th percentile | £67,124 | £1,308.90 | £35.50 | £61,820 | £1,216.20 | £35.33 |
| 70th percentile | £74,168 | £1,422.80 | £38.19 | £70,313 | £1,341.90 | £39.43 |
| 75th percentile | £80,002 | £1,516.60 | £41.15 | £74,300 | £1,405.30 | £43.78 |
| 80th percentile | £90,246* | £1,642.20* | £45.14 | £80,551* | £1,516.10 | £48.30* |
| Mean | £71,598 | £1,357.10 | £36.38 | £64,796 | £1,200.90 | £37.18 |
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 | £48,518 | £945.60 | £24.95 | £45,056 | £876.90 | 49 |
| 2022 revised | £49,717 | £960.40 | £25.16 | £47,830 | £917.00 | 60 |
| 2023 revised | £52,039 | £1,046.80 | £27.90 | £49,395 | £988.80 | 54 |
| 2024 revised | £55,609 | £1,065.80 | £28.76 | £52,339 | £976.50 | 73 |
| 2025 provisional | £61,573 | £1,238.40 | £32.45 | £55,879 | £1,081.90 | 69 |
Health services and public health managers and directors by region
UK: 86,300 (± 11,400), April 2025 to March 2026. 10 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 16,000* | ± 5,000 |
| South West | 9,200* | ± 3,400 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What health services and public health managers and directors do
Managers and directors in this unit group plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the resources and activities of health care providers and purchasers at both district and unit levels. (ONS SOC 2020, 1171)
Also covers: clinical manager, director of nursing, health service manager, information manager (health authority: hospital service), care manager, clinical director, commissioning manager, district manager, healthcare manager, hospital director, information manager, locality manager, medical director, non-executive director, nursing director, operations director, operations manager and sector manager (39 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Implements policies of the board, ensures statutory procedures are followed, with particular emphasis on patient safety and the management of risk
- Liaises with health care professionals to determine short and long-term needs and how to meet these objectives within budgetary constraints
- Oversees the day-to-day management of the unit or service and provides leadership to staff
- Uses statistical information to monitor performance and assist with planning
- Negotiates and manages contracts with providers and purchasers of health care services
- Manages staff, including recruitment, appraisal and development
Entrants require a degree or equivalent qualification, a professional qualification and/or relevant experience. Off and on-the-job training is provided through management training schemes. The nature of schemes varies between regions and occupational areas.
Related
Health and social services managers and directors (median £58,826) · Social services managers and directors · Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026