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Average Business Development Manager Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A business development manager in United Kingdom earns about 114,300 GBP a year. That's 64% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 52,300 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 183,600 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a business development manager make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
114,300 GBP
9,525 GBP per month
Lowest reported
52,300 GBP
4,358 GBP per month
Highest reported
183,600 GBP
15,300 GBP per month

A typical business development manager working in United Kingdom brings home around 9,525 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 52,300 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 183,600 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior business development manager working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the business development manager salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How business development manager pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all business development managers in United Kingdom earn less than 123,800 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 79,800 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 166,600 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of business development managers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 52,300 GBP. The highest stretch to 183,600 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

52,300
Low
123,800
Median
183,600
High
79,800
25th
166,600
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Business development manager pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a business development manager in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical business development manager salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    60,700 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +32% from previous
    80,000 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +49% from previous
    118,900 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    147,900 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +7% from previous
    158,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    172,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 49%. That is the point at which a business development manager typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Business development manager pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving business development manager pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average business development manager salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    75,000 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +15% from previous
    86,600 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +48% from previous
    128,200 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +29% from previous
    165,900 GBP

Business development manager gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male business development managers in United Kingdom earn an average of 118,900 GBP a year, while female business development managers earn around 114,600 GBP. That works out to a 4% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Business Development Manager gender pay gap

4%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 118,900 GBP
Women 114,600 GBP

Pay raises for a business development manager in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 15% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 12% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Business development manager bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

88%

88% of business development managers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a business development manager a high-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary. The remaining 12% of business development managers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Business development manager: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Business development manager salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Business development manager pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Birmingham
  • Glasgow
  • London
  • Leeds
  • Sheffield
  • Bristol
  • Cardiff
  • Nottingham
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion210,600 GBP225,500 GBP94,300-334,300 GBP
ScotlandRegion161,300 GBP176,300 GBP74,100-258,700 GBP
BirminghamCity134,700 GBP146,700 GBP63,100-213,800 GBP
GlasgowCity134,700 GBP146,700 GBP63,100-213,800 GBP
LondonCity130,400 GBP142,300 GBP59,800-209,700 GBP
LeedsCity130,400 GBP140,200 GBP58,800-210,600 GBP
SheffieldCity128,200 GBP139,100 GBP58,200-204,900 GBP
BristolCity127,700 GBP137,100 GBP56,900-200,600 GBP
CardiffCity127,600 GBP140,700 GBP59,500-205,700 GBP
NottinghamCity125,400 GBP134,100 GBP57,900-195,500 GBP
SomersetCity125,400 GBP134,100 GBP57,900-195,500 GBP
LiverpoolCity125,400 GBP134,100 GBP56,800-195,500 GBP
BrightonCity125,400 GBP134,100 GBP57,900-195,500 GBP
NewcastleCity124,500 GBP132,000 GBP57,100-193,200 GBP
DerbyCity124,500 GBP132,000 GBP58,600-195,200 GBP
EdinburghCity123,800 GBP134,700 GBP58,600-199,700 GBP
ManchesterCity123,000 GBP130,400 GBP57,800-193,200 GBP
CoventryCity121,800 GBP128,400 GBP54,100-192,600 GBP
LeicesterCity121,800 GBP128,400 GBP54,100-192,600 GBP
YorkCity121,800 GBP130,500 GBP54,600-192,600 GBP
BradfordCity121,800 GBP130,500 GBP54,500-191,100 GBP
BelfastCity119,700 GBP130,500 GBP54,100-191,500 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity118,900 GBP127,600 GBP54,700-187,500 GBP
ArmaghCity118,900 GBP127,600 GBP54,700-187,500 GBP
WolverhamptonCity118,900 GBP127,600 GBP54,700-187,500 GBP
DundeeCity117,100 GBP127,600 GBP55,700-189,800 GBP
SwanseaCity116,400 GBP125,400 GBP54,300-184,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity115,600 GBP127,700 GBP52,800-187,500 GBP
PlymouthCity114,900 GBP124,500 GBP53,300-182,400 GBP
ExeterCity114,900 GBP124,500 GBP51,500-182,400 GBP
LincolnCity114,900 GBP124,500 GBP53,300-183,900 GBP
CambridgeCity114,600 GBP123,000 GBP52,000-180,500 GBP
DerryCity114,600 GBP123,000 GBP50,100-177,200 GBP
PooleCity114,600 GBP123,000 GBP51,400-180,500 GBP
AberdeenCity114,300 GBP127,700 GBP53,600-184,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity112,700 GBP121,800 GBP52,600-177,100 GBP
SouthamptonCity112,700 GBP121,800 GBP51,400-177,200 GBP
NewryCity112,700 GBP121,800 GBP53,300-177,200 GBP
NewportCity111,700 GBP119,700 GBP49,300-175,100 GBP
WinchesterCity109,700 GBP117,100 GBP49,100-172,200 GBP
ChesterCity109,700 GBP117,100 GBP49,200-172,200 GBP
OxfordCity108,200 GBP118,900 GBP51,300-176,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity108,200 GBP118,900 GBP51,300-176,300 GBP
WalesRegion108,200 GBP118,900 GBP51,300-176,300 GBP
NorwichCity107,700 GBP116,400 GBP49,300-169,700 GBP
GloucesterCity107,700 GBP116,400 GBP49,300-169,700 GBP
StirlingCity107,700 GBP116,400 GBP49,400-168,700 GBP
AbingdonCity107,300 GBP114,900 GBP49,700-167,100 GBP
KirkwallCity105,200 GBP112,700 GBP46,700-163,800 GBP
LisburnCity105,200 GBP112,700 GBP46,700-163,800 GBP
TruroCity103,600 GBP108,200 GBP47,800-161,300 GBP
StromnessCity103,600 GBP111,700 GBP47,600-164,100 GBP
InvernessCity103,600 GBP108,200 GBP47,800-164,100 GBP
DurhamCity102,700 GBP111,700 GBP45,800-164,100 GBP
SalisburyCity101,400 GBP107,700 GBP45,600-158,900 GBP
WellsCity101,100 GBP109,000 GBP46,400-158,700 GBP
St DavidsCity100,700 GBP108,200 GBP48,600-160,600 GBP
RiponCity100,700 GBP108,200 GBP48,600-160,600 GBP
WakefieldCity100,700 GBP109,700 GBP45,900-160,600 GBP
CanterburyCity100,700 GBP109,700 GBP46,000-160,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion99,700 GBP109,000 GBP44,500-158,700 GBP
BangorCity97,300 GBP107,700 GBP45,200-156,200 GBP
StrontianCity94,800 GBP105,200 GBP42,700-152,900 GBP

Business Development Manager in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a business development manager make per month in United Kingdom?

    A business development manager in United Kingdom earns about 9,525 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 114,300 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a business development manager in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level business development managers in United Kingdom start near 52,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 183,600 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 79,800 and 166,600 GBP.

  • Is the median business development manager salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 123,800 GBP, higher than the average of 114,300 GBP. Half of business development managers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for business development managers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a business development manager in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (118,900 vs 114,600 GBP a year).

  • Do business development managers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 88% of business development managers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary.

  • Do business development managers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a business development manager about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do business development managers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A business development manager in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 15% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 12% a year.