A year of easing inflation and a softer labour market has not altered a fundamental truth about high earnings in the United Kingdom. The best-paid roles still cluster in senior leadership, specialised professional services, and occupations that demand rare technical expertise. This long-form analysis sets out the highest-paying jobs in 2025 using the latest official evidence. It focuses on what typical professionals earn at the median and what the best compensated can achieve at the 90th percentile, providing a clear view of earning power across the top of the market.
Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in the UK
| Rank | Occupation | Median Pay (£) | 90th Percentile (£) |
| 1 | Chief executives and senior officials | 97,083 | 220,000+ |
| 2 | Financial managers and directors | 81,000 | 204,500 |
| 3 | Specialist medical practitioners | 79,500 | 180,000+ |
| 4 | Legal professionals n.e.c. | 78,000 | 175,000+ |
| 5 | Information technology directors | 76,800 | 150,000+ |
| 6 | Marketing, sales and advertising directors | 75,900 | 145,000+ |
| 7 | Medical practitioners (consultants, GPs) | 74,500 | 140,000+ |
| 8 | Solicitors | 73,200 | 135,000+ |
| 9 | Airline pilots and flight engineers | 72,500 | 130,000+ |
| 10 | Actuaries, economists and statisticians | 71,800 | 128,000+ |
The backbone of the findings is the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings for 2024, currently provisional. ASHE is the most comprehensive picture of UK pay because it draws directly on HMRC PAYE records. Looking at both the median and the top decile matters. The median shows what a typical full-time employee in each occupation earns. The 90th percentile captures the earnings of the most senior, most productive or most in-demand professionals. Together, they show how pay is distributed and where opportunity concentrates.
The numbers confirm that Chief executives and senior officials remain the top median earners at £97,083 in April 2024. Director level roles in IT, marketing and finance follow, reflecting the premium on strategic control and specialised leadership. At the top decile, finance, law and medicine stand out. Financial managers and directors reach £204,500 at P90, driven by significant variable pay. Specialist medical roles and senior legal professionals also feature prominently, with private practice income and profit shares pushing total pay far beyond base rates.
Geography sharpens the story. The London pay premium remains large. For IT directors, a median of £93,500 in London compares with £75,400 across the rest of the UK. Similar gaps appear in most high-paying roles. Entry routes explain the scarcity that sustains these salaries. Becoming a medical consultant, barrister, or airline pilot takes many years of training under strict regulation. That pipeline constraint helps keep pay high.
The outlook is cooler than the latest historical data. Forecasts from the Bank of England and the Office for Budget Responsibility point to slower nominal wage growth into 2026 as the labour market loosens. In short, recent strength may prove a high-water mark for now. Pay at the very top will still be substantial, but momentum looks weaker than in 2023 and early 2024.
How We Measured The Highest Paid Professions
The analysis uses the ONS ASHE provisional dataset published on 29 October 2024. It reflects earnings in the tax year ending 5 April 2024, with a reference period that includes 17 April 2024. ASHE samples employee jobs from HMRC PAYE records, giving a large, representative view of pay by occupation and working pattern. For 2024, the sample covered about 173,000 employee jobs. Occupations are coded using the 4-digit Standard Occupational Classification 2020. Since SOC 2020 was adopted in 2021, comparisons with the older SOC 2010 series are not direct.
Two measures are central. Median pay shows the midpoint of the distribution for full-time employees in each occupation. It is not pulled upward by a small number of extreme salaries, so it is a reliable guide to typical earnings. The 90th percentile shows the level that only the best-paid 10% of employees meet or exceed. It is the simplest way to grasp upside potential for senior or exceptional performers.
All historical figures referenced in context are expressed in 2025 prices using CPIH with July 2025 as the base period. ASHE covers employees, not the self-employed, so professional profit shares and dividend income are only partly reflected when they are paid through PAYE. Some niche roles have small samples. The ONS applies disclosure control and suppresses fragile estimates. Those controls are respected throughout this report.
Fun fact: ASHE is built on roughly a 1% sample of employee jobs drawn from HMRC PAYE records, yet still captures around 173,000 jobs in the 2024 run.
The Top 25 Jobs By Median Pay
Median pay ranks the roles that offer consistently high baseline earnings for full-time employees. In 2024 provisional data, Chief executives and senior officials lead with £97,083. The picture below the CEO level shows director-grade roles across technology, marketing, and finance occupying most of the top 25. Information technology directors sit near the summit, followed by marketing, sales and advertising directors, financial managers and directors, and public relations and communications directors. The pattern is clear. Where responsibility spans strategy, budgets and teams, the market pays a premium for judgement and accountability.
Highly trained professionals also anchor the top cohort. Specialist medical practitioners and medical practitioners post strong medians, reflecting national pay scales, overtime, awards and, in some cases, private work. Legal professionals n.e.c., solicitors, and taxation experts feature as corporate and regulatory complexity continues to support client demand. Safety-critical roles remain well paid. Pilots, flight engineers and air traffic controllers sit in the upper ranks, where training costs, licensing, and operational risk shape pay. Senior police officers and head teachers, and principals round out the public sector presence at the top.
Technical and project leadership roles also perform strongly at the median. IT project and programme managers, IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, and business and financial project management professionals reflect the value placed on delivery and systems integration across the economy. Actuaries, economists and statisticians remain well rewarded where analytical scarcity meets financial and policy need. In transport, train and tram drivers continue to post high medians for unionised, safety-critical shift work.
Year-on-year changes in 2024 provisional data are solid across most of the top 25, with many director categories recording growth above 7%. That momentum reflects earlier inflation catch-up, tight hiring for senior roles, and delayed settlements landing in the April reference period. It should not be read as a guarantee of future increases. Forecasts indicate slower nominal growth ahead.
For readers scanning for UK salaries 2025, the headline is straightforward. Senior leadership roles typically offer high pay. Specialist professions in medicine and law hold ground. Safety-critical operational roles sit above much of the market. Advanced project and analytical jobs round out the list. The distribution aligns with scarcity, responsibility and risk.
Where Top Earners Thrive At The 90th Percentile
The 90th percentile view shows where the pay ceiling rises highest. At P90, the ranking tilts further to finance, law and medicine. Chief executives and senior officials still occupy the top slot, but financial managers and directors surge to £204,500 at P90. That number reflects the weight of investment banking bonuses and wider variable pay in the sector. Legal professionals n.e.c. and solicitors move up the table as partnership profits, high-fee practices and leading counsel earnings push the top decile higher. Specialist medical practitioners rise with the combined effect of NHS awards, overtime and private practice income.
Senior technology and commercial leadership also feature. Information technology directors, marketing, sales and advertising directors, and public relations and communications directors record strong P90 levels. Analytical specialists such as actuaries, economists and statisticians appear in the upper ranks, mirroring demand for risk, pricing and policy expertise. Education leadership appears too. Head teachers, principals and senior professionals of educational establishments reach into six figures at P90, reflecting the top end of large school trusts and universities.
The contrast between the median and P90 lists tells a structural story. Salaried management roles pay well on a base basis and have narrower dispersion. Performance-linked professions have wider distributions and more upside at the top. In other words, corporate management is the route to reliably high typical pay. Fee generation and variable pay drive the ceiling.
Beyond The Payslip Total Compensation In Elite Sectors
ASHE measures gross annual pay, which captures base salaries and most regular payments in the April pay period. For many top roles, that is only part of the picture. Bonuses, allowances, deferred awards and private work can lift total compensation well above the survey snapshot. Three sectors illustrate how this works in practice.
Finance and investment banking. Senior finance roles combine high fixed pay with large variable components. For staff classified as material risk takers, the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority require deferral of a substantial share of variable pay over several years, settlement in shares or other instruments, and the use of malus and clawback where warranted. The regulatory removal of the bonus cap in October 2023 allows variable pay to exceed previous limits as a share of fixed pay. Expectations for 2025 vary by firm and business line. Some surveys have pointed to large percentage increases for UK staff. Actual awards will follow profitability, capital allocation and risk outcomes. Volatility is part of the model.
Law. The profession is split between self-employed barristers and employed solicitors. Barristers’ incomes depend on practice area, seniority and case flow. Commercial and financial sets typically command higher fees than publicly funded crime or family. From gross fee income, chambers rent, clerks’ fees, and insurance can total 20% to 40%, reducing net take-home. The Bar Council reports a persistent gender pay gap across the Bar. For solicitors, pay depends on firm type and size. Newly qualified salaries at London corporate firms now sit far above regional and high street rates. At the top, equity partners share in profits that can be far higher than any salary measure, and which may not be fully visible in PAYE-based statistics.
Medicine. Senior doctors combine national scales with overtime, awards and outside work. In England, from 1 April 2025, the starting consultant salary is £109,725, progressing to £145,478 after increments. Many consultants earn more through additional programmed activities and evening or weekend sessions aimed at reducing waiting lists. National Clinical Impact Awards at £20,000, £30,000 or £40,000 per year, add non-pensionable increments for a fixed term. Private practice undertaken outside contracted NHS hours can significantly raise total income for some specialities in high demand.
Aviation. Pilots earn a high base plus allowances. Sector or flight pay rewards productive flying. Overnight and duty allowances compensate for time away from base. British Airways has published a starting package for a direct entry pilot on a command track of £78,000 base plus about £14,332 in allowances, giving cash compensation above £92,000 at entry. Actual totals vary with rosters and route mix.
The common thread is that total compensation depends on more than a single payslip. Deferred awards, regulatory constraints, case mix and scheduling all shape outcomes. The P90 view reflects these layers more than the median.
The Regional Pay Divide London And The Rest Of The UK
Location is one of the strongest predictors of pay at the top. The London pay premium is persistent and large even within the same occupation. For example, financial managers and directors have a median of about £98,200 in London compared with £72,500 elsewhere. IT directors post £93,500 in the capital versus £75,400 across the rest of the country. Similar gaps appear across law, medicine and senior management.
The premium reflects more than higher living costs. Independent analysis points to a place premium in high productivity hubs. Firms in London pay more because agglomeration effects, dense client markets and deeper talent pools raise the value of work done there. Professionals moving to London often see pay rises that outpace the cost differential, particularly in sectors where local deal flow and scale matter.
For job seekers targeting highest paying jobs, the implication is practical. The same role may command very different pay depending on where it is based. Hybrid and remote models can blur this, but head office clusters and client proximity still drive salary setting at the top end.
Pathways To The Top Entry Routes And Regulation
The supply of talent in elite professions is tightly managed by regulation and training requirements. These pathways are long and selective.
Medical consultant. The route starts with a 5 or 6-year undergraduate medical degree, followed by a 2-year Foundation Programme. Speciality training can take 5 to 8 years, depending on the field. Completion leads to a Certificate of Completion of Training and entry to the General Medical Council Specialist Register. Only then can a doctor take a substantive consultant post.
Barrister. Candidates complete a qualifying law degree, or a conversion after a non-law degree, then join an Inn of Court and pass the vocational Bar course. A 1-year pupillage in chambers is required before applying for tenancy. Competition for pupillage is intense. Practice income then depends on casework and specialism.
Solicitor. Since 2021, the route has run through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination. Candidates need a degree-level qualification, must pass SQE1 and SQE2, complete 2 years of Qualifying Work Experience and meet SRA character requirements. Pay tracks firm scale and practice area.
Airline pilot. Trainees pursue an Air Transport Pilot Licence through integrated training that typically takes 18 to 24 months and can cost more than £100,000. A type rating on a specific aircraft follows, sometimes funded by the employer. The Civil Aviation Authority sets strict rules on training, medical fitness and recurrent checks.
Chief executive. There is no licence to become a CEO. Most hold a degree, and many hold an MBA. The typical route involves 15 to 20 years of progressive responsibility across strategy, finance and operations, with evidence of delivery in demanding roles.
Investment banker senior. Entry is highly competitive, usually via graduate analyst programmes. Progression to vice president and managing director depends on deal performance and client development. Professional credentials such as the CFA charter or an MBA can support advancement, but results in market drive outcomes.
The length and rigour of these pipelines cap supply. That scarcity underpins high pay where demand is resilient.
Outlook For 2025 To 2026 Pay Pressures And Headwinds
The near-term outlook points to slower pay growth than the period captured in the April 2024 ASHE snapshot. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2025 forecast projects nominal earnings growth of about 4.3% in 2025, easing to roughly 2.0% to 2.5% in 2026. The Bank of England’s August 2025 assessment notes that pay growth has already fallen and is set to slow further as the labour market loosens.
Sector dynamics will differ. In finance, bonus pools are cyclical. If profitability and deal flow soften, total compensation will compress even without a regulatory cap. In law, corporate and real estate work typically cools when growth slows, although litigation and insolvency can lift counter cyclically. In the public sector, policy and pay remit guidance point to modest awards that may track inflation more closely than the private sector. For NHS consultants, centrally set uplifts frame the baseline, with outside earnings remaining the main driver of variation.
The central risk is a lag in expectations. Strong growth in late 2023 and early 2024 was influenced by inflation catch-up and one-off settlements. That strength may not repeat in late 2025 reviews. Professionals at the very top will still earn well. The gradient of increase is likely to be flatter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median pay? Median pay is the middle point in the salary distribution for a role. Half of full-time employees earn more, and half earn less. It is preferred to the mean because a few very high salaries do not distort it.
What is the 90th percentile salary. It is the pay level that only the top 10% of earners in a role meet or exceed. It is a clear indicator of upside potential for senior, experienced or high-performing individuals.
Does ASHE include bonuses? ASHE captures most regular payments, including shift premiums, overtime and regular bonuses in the April pay period. It may miss significant one-off awards paid in other months. That is why this report discusses total compensation structures in sectors where variable pay is material.
Is self-employed income included? ASHE covers employees paid through PAYE. It does not directly capture self-employed profits or dividends. Some partners or directors who pay themselves salaries through PAYE will appear in the data.
How comparable are the figures over time. ASHE moved to SOC 2020 coding in 2021. Comparisons with the older SOC 2010 series are not direct. Inflation adjustments in this report use CPIH to express past figures in 2025 prices.
How reliable are estimates for niche roles. Small samples increase uncertainty. The ONS suppresses fragile estimates to protect confidentiality and quality. This report follows those controls.
