wagearea.com
in

50 Highest Paying Jobs in the UK (2025)

Ranked by median salary — ONS ASHE 2025 official data

£48,294 £88,997 £107,712Lowest regionMedianHighest region

Every year, the Office for National Statistics publishes the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which is the most authoritative source of pay data in the UK. We have ranked all 363 occupations in the 2025 dataset by median annual salary and present the top 50 below.

A few things to keep in mind as you read: the median is the salary at the midpoint — half of workers in that occupation earn more, half earn less. This is more useful than the mean, which can be inflated by a small number of very high earners. And these are gross figures — before tax, NI, and pension deductions.

The top 50 UK jobs by salary

Top 50 by median annual salary — ONS ASHE 2025
OccupationMedianMeanHourly
1. Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers £107,712 £130,560 £67.73/hr
2. Information technology directors £90,081 £105,533 £46.60/hr
3. Marketing, sales and advertising directors £90,000 £108,331 £45.55/hr
4. Chief executives and senior officials £89,835 £141,016 £46.24/hr
5. Specialist medical practitioners £88,997 £97,083 £45.05/hr
6. Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport £80,518 £94,156 £40.57/hr
7. Train and tram drivers £76,176 £73,202 £38.97/hr
8. Directors in consultancy services £73,453 £93,497 £36.67/hr
9. Public relations and communications directors £72,020 £80,842 £39.65/hr
10. Head teachers and principals £70,977 £71,776 £44.31/hr
11. Functional managers and directors n.e.c. £69,996 £80,257 £39.24/hr
12. Senior police officers £66,514 £72,518 £33.57/hr
13. Financial managers and directors £65,336 £103,706 £36.05/hr
14. Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers £64,322 £65,069 £30.97/hr
15. Production managers and directors in mining and energy £63,241 Not available £29.22/hr
16. Electrical engineers £59,930 £61,314 £29.86/hr
17. IT business analysts, architects and systems designers £59,593 £66,303 £31.09/hr
18. IT project managers £58,016 £60,835 £30.16/hr
19. Business and financial project management professionals £57,874 £70,489 £29.56/hr
20. Rail transport operatives £56,925 £58,324 £24.92/hr
21. Purchasing managers and directors £56,779 £62,148 £30.19/hr
22. Sales accounts and business development managers £56,021 £65,268 £27.91/hr
23. Health services and public health managers and directors £55,879 £64,796 £32.04/hr
24. Aerospace engineers £55,817 £62,880 £30.07/hr
25. Programmers and software development professionals £55,587 £62,387 £29.29/hr
26. IT managers £55,502 £61,480 £28.69/hr
27. Business, research and administrative professionals n.e.c. £55,106 £55,308 £30.23/hr
28. Production managers and directors in construction £54,947 £61,640 £25.70/hr
29. Research and development (R&D) managers £54,857 £61,929 £29.77/hr
30. Cyber security professionals £54,816 £59,569 £27.73/hr
31. Human resource managers and directors £54,474 £65,374 £29.79/hr
32. Solicitors and lawyers £53,314 £68,462 £30.66/hr
33. Financial and accounting technicians £53,265 £57,938 £27.24/hr
34. Physical scientists £53,142 Not available £26.58/hr
35. Production managers and directors in manufacturing £52,885 £64,381 £27.47/hr
36. Engineering project managers and project engineers £52,451 £56,925 £26.77/hr
37. Electronics engineers £51,973 £56,935 £25.90/hr
38. Quantity surveyors £51,950 £58,280 £25.40/hr
39. Generalist medical practitioners £51,756 £53,163 £33.78/hr
40. Management consultants and business analysts £51,729 £57,594 £27.93/hr
41. Actuaries, economists and statisticians £51,520 £62,883 £27.97/hr
42. Brokers £51,026 Not available £26.45/hr
43. Managers and directors in the creative industries £50,868 £60,656 £28.41/hr
44. Civil engineers £50,602 £52,874 £25.04/hr
45. Mechanical engineers £50,594 £54,255 £25.55/hr
46. Marketing and commercial managers £50,589 £58,333 £27.10/hr
47. Information technology professionals n.e.c. £50,459 £55,127 £26.30/hr
48. Paramedics £50,294 £49,145 £26.56/hr
49. Waste disposal and environmental services managers £48,927 £47,586 £25.10/hr
50. IT network professionals £48,294 £52,576 £24.08/hr

What the data tells us

The top of the list is dominated by medical and dental professionals, senior corporate leaders, and financial specialists. This is consistent with historical trends — healthcare roles requiring the longest training periods and highest barriers to entry command the largest salaries.

Technology roles are increasingly prominent, with software development, IT management, and data science positions appearing in the upper tiers. Unlike medical careers, which require a decade or more of training, tech careers can offer a relatively fast route to high earnings — particularly for self-taught developers and career changers.

Skilled trades may not dominate the top 10, but they offer strong earnings without requiring a university degree. Experienced electricians, plumbers, and engineering technicians can earn well above the all-jobs national median, especially when self-employed.

Regional variation matters

These are national figures. The same occupation can pay 20-40% more in London compared to the North East or Wales. However, the higher cost of living in London and the South East means that the real purchasing power of those salaries is smaller than the headline number suggests.

If you are considering relocation for a higher-paying role, our cost-of-living salary guide can help you work out whether a move would genuinely improve your financial position, or simply keep pace with higher housing costs.

How to use this ranking

This list is a useful starting point for career planning, but it does not tell the whole story. Consider:

Click any occupation in the table above to see its full salary breakdown by region, or use the Salary Checker to see how your current pay compares.

Data source

All figures from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025. See our methodology for details on how we process and present this data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest paying job in the UK in 2025?

Based on ONS ASHE 2025 data, Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers tops the list with a median annual salary of £107,712. However, it is worth noting that many of the highest-paying roles require years of specialist training or professional qualifications.

Are these salaries before or after tax?

All figures are gross annual salaries — before income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and other deductions. Your take-home pay will be lower depending on your tax code and personal circumstances.

Do these figures include bonuses?

ASHE captures gross pay including regular bonuses, overtime, and shift premiums where they are part of the pay period. One-off bonuses paid outside the reference period (April) may not be fully captured, which means actual total compensation for some roles — particularly in finance — could be higher.

How can I get into a high-paying career?

Most of the top 50 roles require significant education, professional qualifications, or years of experience. Medical roles require 5-10+ years of training, while senior management positions are typically reached after decades of career progression. Technology and engineering roles can offer a faster path to high earnings with the right skills and qualifications.

Which high-paying jobs are in demand?

Technology roles (software developers, data scientists, cyber security professionals), healthcare roles (doctors, specialist nurses), and engineering roles are all in strong demand. The UK also faces shortages in skilled trades like electricians and plumbers, where experienced professionals can command premium rates.

Data source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025. Methodology