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Average Chairman of The Board Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A chairman of the board in United Kingdom earns about 164,100 GBP a year. That's 135% 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 76,000 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 257,500 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 chairman of the board make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
164,100 GBP
13,675 GBP per month
Lowest reported
76,000 GBP
6,333 GBP per month
Highest reported
257,500 GBP
21,458 GBP per month

A typical chairman of the board working in United Kingdom brings home around 13,675 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 76,000 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 257,500 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 chairman of the board 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 chairman of the board salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How chairman of the board 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 chairman of the boards in United Kingdom earn less than 175,200 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 114,600 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 233,800 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of chairman of the boards sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 76,000 GBP. The highest stretch to 257,500 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.

76,000
Low
175,200
Median
257,500
High
114,600
25th
233,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Chairman of the board pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    85,400 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +35% from previous
    114,900 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +45% from previous
    167,100 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +23% from previous
    205,400 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    222,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    241,200 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 45%. That is the point at which a chairman of the board 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.

Chairman of the board pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • High School
    75,100 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +27% from previous
    95,100 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +37% from previous
    130,400 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +66% from previous
    216,300 GBP
  • PhD
    +20% from previous
    258,700 GBP

Chairman of the board 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 chairman of the boards in United Kingdom earn an average of 166,600 GBP a year, while female chairman of the boards earn around 158,700 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.

Chairman of The Board gender pay gap

5%

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

Men 166,600 GBP
Women 158,700 GBP

Pay raises for a chairman of the board 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

Chairman of the board 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.

89%

89% of chairman of the boards in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a chairman of the board 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 11% of chairman of the boards 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

Chairman of the board: 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

Chairman of the board salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Chairman of the board 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
  • Leeds
  • Somerset
  • Birmingham
  • Liverpool
  • Edinburgh
  • Manchester
  • Cardiff
  • Sheffield
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion295,700 GBP318,000 GBP137,100-471,000 GBP
ScotlandRegion228,200 GBP247,400 GBP105,800-365,400 GBP
LeedsCity185,900 GBP201,000 GBP87,700-296,500 GBP
SomersetCity184,700 GBP197,600 GBP83,800-292,100 GBP
BirminghamCity182,400 GBP195,200 GBP83,200-286,400 GBP
LiverpoolCity177,100 GBP191,100 GBP83,700-282,500 GBP
EdinburghCity177,100 GBP191,100 GBP81,400-282,500 GBP
ManchesterCity177,100 GBP192,600 GBP80,500-283,500 GBP
CardiffCity176,300 GBP187,500 GBP79,600-278,500 GBP
SheffieldCity176,300 GBP187,500 GBP80,800-278,500 GBP
GlasgowCity176,300 GBP187,500 GBP80,800-278,500 GBP
BelfastCity175,200 GBP191,500 GBP79,500-280,600 GBP
LeicesterCity172,100 GBP187,500 GBP78,500-272,900 GBP
LondonCity172,100 GBP185,900 GBP80,800-274,700 GBP
DerbyCity171,300 GBP184,700 GBP80,200-272,500 GBP
BristolCity171,300 GBP184,700 GBP77,100-272,500 GBP
SouthamptonCity171,300 GBP184,700 GBP80,200-272,500 GBP
PlymouthCity169,700 GBP184,700 GBP79,600-271,300 GBP
BrightonCity167,100 GBP183,900 GBP76,900-268,200 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity167,100 GBP183,900 GBP78,200-267,200 GBP
PortsmouthCity166,600 GBP182,400 GBP75,800-265,800 GBP
CoventryCity166,600 GBP180,500 GBP75,100-266,300 GBP
WolverhamptonCity166,600 GBP180,500 GBP75,100-266,300 GBP
AberdeenCity163,800 GBP177,100 GBP75,400-260,300 GBP
BradfordCity163,500 GBP175,100 GBP77,000-259,700 GBP
LincolnCity163,500 GBP175,100 GBP74,600-259,700 GBP
NottinghamCity163,500 GBP177,100 GBP75,400-260,300 GBP
NewcastleCity161,300 GBP176,300 GBP74,100-258,700 GBP
OxfordCity161,300 GBP176,300 GBP73,700-257,700 GBP
ArmaghCity158,900 GBP169,700 GBP72,700-250,600 GBP
SwanseaCity158,700 GBP171,300 GBP74,100-253,400 GBP
ExeterCity158,700 GBP172,300 GBP71,400-252,500 GBP
PeterboroughCity157,600 GBP168,700 GBP73,100-248,400 GBP
NorwichCity156,200 GBP168,700 GBP70,600-248,400 GBP
DundeeCity153,800 GBP163,800 GBP71,100-241,000 GBP
NewryCity153,800 GBP163,500 GBP68,200-241,200 GBP
NewportCity153,800 GBP163,500 GBP68,200-241,200 GBP
CambridgeCity153,700 GBP166,600 GBP71,800-246,200 GBP
HartlepoolCity153,700 GBP167,100 GBP70,700-245,400 GBP
StirlingCity153,700 GBP166,600 GBP69,200-246,200 GBP
YorkCity153,700 GBP166,600 GBP69,200-246,200 GBP
WalesRegion153,700 GBP166,600 GBP71,800-246,200 GBP
PooleCity152,900 GBP163,800 GBP71,700-241,800 GBP
SalisburyCity151,800 GBP161,300 GBP70,800-238,200 GBP
DerryCity151,800 GBP164,100 GBP68,800-239,000 GBP
GloucesterCity151,800 GBP161,300 GBP70,800-238,200 GBP
ChesterCity151,800 GBP164,100 GBP68,800-239,000 GBP
InvernessCity148,300 GBP158,700 GBP66,200-233,600 GBP
DurhamCity142,300 GBP153,700 GBP67,600-227,600 GBP
TruroCity142,100 GBP152,900 GBP63,500-223,800 GBP
WakefieldCity142,100 GBP153,800 GBP64,900-223,700 GBP
AbingdonCity142,100 GBP153,800 GBP63,500-223,700 GBP
StrontianCity142,100 GBP153,800 GBP64,900-223,700 GBP
St DavidsCity140,700 GBP151,800 GBP65,200-219,500 GBP
LisburnCity140,700 GBP151,800 GBP63,800-219,500 GBP
WellsCity140,700 GBP151,800 GBP65,500-219,500 GBP
WinchesterCity140,700 GBP151,800 GBP62,300-218,100 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion140,200 GBP152,700 GBP65,400-225,500 GBP
CanterburyCity139,100 GBP151,800 GBP62,300-218,100 GBP
RiponCity139,100 GBP150,100 GBP62,600-218,100 GBP
KirkwallCity137,100 GBP148,300 GBP61,500-215,100 GBP
StromnessCity134,700 GBP147,900 GBP61,700-216,300 GBP
BangorCity134,100 GBP146,700 GBP60,800-211,200 GBP

Chairman of The Board in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a chairman of the board make per month in United Kingdom?

    A chairman of the board in United Kingdom earns about 13,675 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 164,100 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a chairman of the board in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level chairman of the boards in United Kingdom start near 76,000 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 257,500 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 114,600 and 233,800 GBP.

  • Is the median chairman of the board salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 175,200 GBP, higher than the average of 164,100 GBP. Half of chairman of the boards in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for chairman of the boards in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a chairman of the board in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (166,600 vs 158,700 GBP a year).

  • Do chairman of the boards in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 89% of chairman of the boards in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary.

  • Do chairman of the boards earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do chairman of the boards in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A chairman of the board in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 15% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 12% a year.