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Average Category Management Specialist Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A category management specialist in United Kingdom earns about 70,000 GBP a year. It sits roughly in line with the national average.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 36,800 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 109,000 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 category management specialist make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
70,000 GBP
5,833 GBP per month
Lowest reported
36,800 GBP
3,066 GBP per month
Highest reported
109,000 GBP
9,083 GBP per month

A typical category management specialist working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,833 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 36,800 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 109,000 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 category management specialist 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 category management specialist salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How category management specialist 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 category management specialists in United Kingdom earn less than 65,700 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 48,200 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 84,800 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of category management specialists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 36,800 GBP. The highest stretch to 109,000 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.

36,800
Low
65,700
Median
109,000
High
48,200
25th
84,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Category management specialist pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a category management specialist 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 category management specialist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    41,000 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +33% from previous
    54,500 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +33% from previous
    72,700 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    88,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    97,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +4% from previous
    100,700 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 33%. That is the point at which a category management specialist 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.

Category management specialist pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving category management specialist 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 category management specialist salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    49,800 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +11% from previous
    55,300 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +45% from previous
    80,400 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +23% from previous
    99,100 GBP

Category management specialist 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 category management specialists in United Kingdom earn an average of 73,100 GBP a year, while female category management specialists earn around 69,400 GBP. That works out to a 5% 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.

Category Management Specialist gender pay gap

5%

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

Men 73,100 GBP
Women 69,400 GBP

Pay raises for a category management specialist 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 10% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 7% 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

Category management specialist 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.

55%

55% of category management specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a category management specialist a moderate-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 3% to 5% of base salary. The remaining 45% of category management specialists 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

Category management specialist: 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

Category management specialist salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Category management specialist 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
  • Liverpool
  • Sheffield
  • Leeds
  • Newcastle
  • Leicester
  • Cardiff
  • Bristol
  • London
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion127,700 GBP121,800 GBP64,200-192,600 GBP
ScotlandRegion97,600 GBP99,700 GBP46,100-151,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity79,700 GBP79,700 GBP39,600-121,800 GBP
SheffieldCity78,900 GBP75,500 GBP42,000-118,900 GBP
LeedsCity78,500 GBP74,100 GBP42,600-117,100 GBP
NewcastleCity77,000 GBP78,700 GBP37,200-118,900 GBP
LeicesterCity76,800 GBP78,500 GBP39,400-121,800 GBP
CardiffCity76,000 GBP76,000 GBP36,500-118,900 GBP
BristolCity76,000 GBP73,700 GBP40,500-114,900 GBP
LondonCity76,000 GBP81,300 GBP35,100-118,900 GBP
SomersetCity75,900 GBP75,900 GBP37,800-118,900 GBP
EdinburghCity75,900 GBP79,000 GBP37,300-119,700 GBP
ManchesterCity74,700 GBP73,800 GBP37,900-115,600 GBP
CoventryCity74,300 GBP71,100 GBP42,600-116,400 GBP
BrightonCity74,100 GBP79,600 GBP34,400-117,100 GBP
NottinghamCity73,800 GBP78,500 GBP36,000-115,600 GBP
GlasgowCity73,500 GBP67,800 GBP38,000-114,600 GBP
AberdeenCity73,500 GBP75,800 GBP35,300-116,400 GBP
SwanseaCity73,300 GBP78,200 GBP35,100-114,300 GBP
BelfastCity73,300 GBP73,700 GBP40,500-114,900 GBP
BirminghamCity73,300 GBP81,000 GBP33,000-118,900 GBP
PlymouthCity72,700 GBP66,200 GBP40,300-111,700 GBP
BradfordCity71,900 GBP71,400 GBP36,400-114,900 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity71,000 GBP73,300 GBP33,000-111,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity70,100 GBP69,700 GBP33,600-107,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity70,000 GBP73,500 GBP30,600-109,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity69,700 GBP74,900 GBP34,100-112,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity69,400 GBP71,700 GBP33,500-107,700 GBP
ArmaghCity69,400 GBP70,600 GBP31,400-107,700 GBP
YorkCity69,200 GBP69,400 GBP34,300-107,700 GBP
DerbyCity68,200 GBP68,200 GBP33,800-109,000 GBP
DundeeCity66,900 GBP64,500 GBP35,100-103,600 GBP
HartlepoolCity66,700 GBP62,600 GBP33,000-100,700 GBP
WalesRegion66,400 GBP69,400 GBP32,200-107,300 GBP
CambridgeCity65,900 GBP68,800 GBP33,200-105,800 GBP
LincolnCity65,800 GBP61,300 GBP35,500-97,900 GBP
ChesterCity64,900 GBP64,600 GBP29,400-97,600 GBP
PooleCity64,800 GBP64,800 GBP32,900-100,700 GBP
WinchesterCity64,500 GBP64,500 GBP31,400-97,300 GBP
DerryCity64,300 GBP65,100 GBP30,800-99,900 GBP
LisburnCity64,300 GBP61,400 GBP33,500-96,000 GBP
OxfordCity64,200 GBP61,600 GBP33,000-101,400 GBP
NewportCity64,200 GBP69,700 GBP29,100-105,200 GBP
NorwichCity63,500 GBP63,700 GBP34,000-100,500 GBP
ExeterCity63,500 GBP60,600 GBP30,300-98,800 GBP
GloucesterCity63,500 GBP69,400 GBP30,100-102,700 GBP
TruroCity63,200 GBP58,700 GBP32,900-93,300 GBP
DurhamCity62,300 GBP69,100 GBP30,100-100,700 GBP
WakefieldCity62,100 GBP61,600 GBP29,300-93,900 GBP
InvernessCity61,600 GBP63,900 GBP29,100-97,200 GBP
StromnessCity61,400 GBP63,700 GBP25,800-94,200 GBP
AbingdonCity61,400 GBP54,200 GBP32,600-90,900 GBP
StirlingCity61,200 GBP61,200 GBP32,200-95,900 GBP
St DavidsCity60,900 GBP57,400 GBP28,900-92,400 GBP
NewryCity60,800 GBP61,400 GBP28,900-94,300 GBP
SalisburyCity60,800 GBP64,200 GBP27,400-99,400 GBP
KirkwallCity60,600 GBP58,100 GBP34,000-95,100 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion60,500 GBP54,100 GBP29,600-88,300 GBP
CanterburyCity60,400 GBP54,700 GBP29,600-88,300 GBP
BangorCity58,600 GBP55,700 GBP31,700-91,700 GBP
WellsCity58,400 GBP52,300 GBP30,200-90,600 GBP
RiponCity56,400 GBP57,000 GBP30,100-86,800 GBP
StrontianCity54,900 GBP53,800 GBP26,900-86,800 GBP

Category Management Specialist in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a category management specialist make per month in United Kingdom?

    A category management specialist in United Kingdom earns about 5,833 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 70,000 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a category management specialist in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level category management specialists in United Kingdom start near 36,800 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 109,000 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 48,200 and 84,800 GBP.

  • Is the median category management specialist salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 65,700 GBP, lower than the average of 70,000 GBP. Half of category management specialists in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for category management specialists in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a category management specialist in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (73,100 vs 69,400 GBP a year).

  • Do category management specialists in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 55% of category management specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary.

  • Do category management specialists earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do category management specialists in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A category management specialist in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.