Comprehensive salary benchmarks across 8 industries and all experience levels. Powered by real offer data from 12,000+ placements made in the past 12 months across the United Kingdom.
The PrimeTalent UK Salary Guide 2026 is the most comprehensive salary benchmarking resource available to UK professionals and employers. Our data is drawn from over 12,000 real job offers made through PrimeTalent across the 12 months to April 2026, supplemented by anonymised salary surveys completed by 6,400 active candidates in our network.
Figures represent total base salary only, excluding bonuses, equity, benefits, and employer pension contributions. All data is segmented by seniority level: Entry Level (0–2 years), Mid Level (3–6 years), Senior Level (7–12 years), and Director Level (12+ years / people management responsibilities). Location adjustments are applied separately in the City Salary Index section.
We update this guide annually, with supplementary sector reports published each quarter. Use this data as a starting point for salary negotiations — individual figures may vary based on company size, sector specialism, and candidate profile. For bespoke salary benchmarking, contact your PrimeTalent consultant directly.
Select your industry to view detailed salary data by role and experience level
| Job Title | Entry Level | Mid Level | Senior Level | Director Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | £38–48k | £55–75k | £80–105k | £110–140k |
| DevOps / Platform Engineer | £40–52k | £60–80k | £85–110k | £115–145k |
| Data Scientist / ML Engineer | £42–55k | £65–85k | £90–115k | £120–155k |
| Product Manager | £40–50k | £58–78k | £82–110k | £115–150k |
| Cloud / Solutions Architect | £50–65k | £75–95k | £100–130k | £135–165k |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | £38–50k | £58–75k | £78–100k | £105–135k |
| UX/UI Designer | £30–40k | £45–60k | £62–82k | £85–115k |
| AI / GenAI Engineer | £55–70k | £80–105k | £110–140k | £145–190k |
| Job Title | Entry Level | Mid Level | Senior Level | Director Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Analyst | £30–40k | £45–60k | £65–82k | £85–115k |
| Investment Analyst | £38–52k | £58–78k | £85–115k | £120–160k |
| Management Accountant | £28–38k | £42–56k | £58–75k | £78–100k |
| Risk Manager | £40–55k | £62–82k | £88–115k | £120–155k |
| Financial Controller | £45–58k | £60–78k | £80–100k | £105–135k |
| ESG / Sustainability Analyst | £35–48k | £52–68k | £70–92k | £95–125k |
| Treasury Manager | £38–50k | £55–72k | £75–95k | £100–130k |
| Compliance Officer | £32–44k | £50–65k | £70–90k | £95–130k |
| Job Title | Entry Level | Mid Level | Senior Level | Director Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Executive | £24–32k | £35–48k | £50–65k | £68–90k |
| Performance / Paid Media Manager | £28–38k | £42–58k | £60–80k | £82–110k |
| Content Marketing Manager | £26–35k | £38–52k | £54–70k | £72–95k |
| Head of Growth / Demand Gen | £35–48k | £52–70k | £72–95k | £98–130k |
| Brand Manager | £28–38k | £42–56k | £58–76k | £78–105k |
| Marketing Data Analyst | £30–40k | £45–60k | £62–80k | £82–108k |
| Product Marketing Manager | £34–46k | £50–68k | £70–90k | £92–120k |
| Social Media Manager | £24–32k | £34–46k | £48–62k | £64–85k |
| Job Title | Entry / NQ | 2–4 PQE | 5–8 PQE | Partner / Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate / M&A Solicitor | £55–70k | £75–95k | £100–130k | £140–220k+ |
| Employment Solicitor | £45–60k | £65–82k | £88–115k | £120–180k |
| Private Equity / VC Lawyer | £58–75k | £80–105k | £110–145k | £150–250k+ |
| Real Estate Solicitor | £42–58k | £62–80k | £85–110k | £115–160k |
| Dispute Resolution / Litigation | £45–60k | £68–88k | £92–118k | £125–185k |
| In-House Counsel (Tech) | £55–72k | £78–100k | £105–135k | £140–185k |
| Regulatory / Compliance Lawyer | £48–65k | £70–90k | £95–120k | £125–170k |
| Legal Secretary / PA | £26–35k | £36–46k | £48–60k | £62–80k |
| Job Title | Entry Level | Mid Level | Senior Level | Director Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR Advisor | £26–35k | £38–50k | £52–65k | £68–88k |
| Talent Acquisition Manager | £32–44k | £48–65k | £68–88k | £90–120k |
| HR Business Partner | £38–50k | £55–72k | £75–96k | £100–130k |
| Head of People / HR Director | £55–72k | £75–95k | £98–125k | £128–165k |
| Reward & Benefits Specialist | £32–44k | £48–64k | £68–88k | £92–120k |
| L&D Manager | £30–42k | £46–60k | £62–80k | £85–110k |
| People Analytics Manager | £38–52k | £56–74k | £78–100k | £105–135k |
| ER Specialist | £30–42k | £46–60k | £62–80k | £85–108k |
| Job Title | Entry Level | Mid Level | Senior Level | Director Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Rep (SDR) | £26–35k | £36–48k | £50–65k | £68–90k |
| Account Executive (SaaS) | £38–52k | £55–75k | £80–105k | £110–145k |
| Business Development Manager | £32–44k | £48–65k | £68–88k | £92–120k |
| Enterprise Sales Director | £55–72k | £78–100k | £105–135k | £140–185k |
| Customer Success Manager | £28–40k | £44–58k | £60–80k | £82–108k |
| Sales Operations Manager | £34–46k | £50–68k | £70–92k | £95–125k |
| Revenue Operations (RevOps) | £38–52k | £56–74k | £78–100k | £104–135k |
| Partnerships Manager | £32–44k | £48–64k | £68–88k | £92–118k |
| Job Title | Entry Level | Mid Level | Senior Level | Director Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Manager | £30–42k | £46–62k | £65–85k | £88–115k |
| Supply Chain Manager | £32–44k | £48–65k | £68–88k | £92–120k |
| Project Manager (PMO) | £34–46k | £50–68k | £72–95k | £98–128k |
| Procurement Manager | £32–44k | £48–64k | £68–88k | £92–120k |
| Chief Operating Officer | n/a | £85–110k | £115–150k | £155–220k+ |
| Business Analyst | £28–40k | £44–58k | £60–80k | £82–108k |
| Change Manager | £35–48k | £52–68k | £72–95k | £98–128k |
| Scrum Master / Agile Coach | £38–52k | £56–74k | £78–100k | £105–135k |
| Job Title | VC / Series A | Series B/C | PE-backed / FTSE 250 | FTSE 100 / PLC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | £90–150k | £180–280k | £300–500k | £500k–2M+ |
| Chief Financial Officer | £80–130k | £150–220k | £220–380k | £400k–1.2M |
| Chief Technology Officer | £100–160k | £175–250k | £260–380k | £380k–900k |
| Chief Operating Officer | £80–130k | £145–210k | £220–350k | £360k–850k |
| Chief People Officer | £70–115k | £130–190k | £200–300k | £310k–700k |
| General Counsel | £80–120k | £140–200k | £210–320k | £330k–750k |
| Chief Marketing Officer | £75–120k | £135–195k | £200–310k | £320k–750k |
| VP / SVP (Tech / Product) | £90–130k | £145–200k | £210–300k | £310k–600k |
Average professional salary index relative to the UK national average of £52,400
What's driving salary growth and where are the biggest opportunities?
Professionals with proven AI and machine learning skills command a 12% premium over peers in equivalent roles across all sectors.
Technology roles saw the highest salary growth of any sector — an average 8% year-on-year increase, outpacing general inflation by 4 points.
Roles in renewable energy, ESG, and sustainability command a 15–22% premium over equivalent positions in traditional industries, reflecting supply scarcity.
Fully remote roles now pay within 6% of equivalent in-office positions, a dramatic narrowing from the 18% discount seen in 2023.
Median base salary, men vs. women — gap narrowing but persists at senior levels
% of candidates who rate each benefit as "very important" when evaluating a new role
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