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Average Finance Manager Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A finance manager in United Kingdom earns about 142,300 GBP a year. That's 104% 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 65,900 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 226,100 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 finance manager make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
142,300 GBP
11,858 GBP per month
Lowest reported
65,900 GBP
5,491 GBP per month
Highest reported
226,100 GBP
18,841 GBP per month

A typical finance manager working in United Kingdom brings home around 11,858 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 65,900 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 226,100 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 finance 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 finance manager salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How finance 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 finance managers in United Kingdom earn less than 152,700 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 97,300 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 206,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of finance managers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 65,900 GBP. The highest stretch to 226,100 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.

65,900
Low
152,700
Median
226,100
High
97,300
25th
206,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Finance manager pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    73,700 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +33% from previous
    97,900 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +51% from previous
    148,300 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    180,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    195,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    212,500 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 51%. That is the point at which a finance 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.

Finance manager pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Certificate or Diploma
    83,300 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +61% from previous
    134,100 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +67% from previous
    223,700 GBP

Finance 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 finance managers in United Kingdom earn an average of 147,900 GBP a year, while female finance managers earn around 140,700 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.

Finance Manager gender pay gap

5%

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

Men 147,900 GBP
Women 140,700 GBP

Pay raises for a finance 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 14% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 11% 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

Finance 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.

89%

89% of finance managers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a finance 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 11% of finance 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

Finance 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

Finance manager salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Finance 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
  • Leeds
  • Glasgow
  • Manchester
  • Somerset
  • Birmingham
  • Cardiff
  • Liverpool
  • London
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion259,700 GBP281,100 GBP119,700-413,900 GBP
ScotlandRegion205,700 GBP218,100 GBP94,800-325,800 GBP
LeedsCity166,600 GBP182,400 GBP78,200-265,800 GBP
GlasgowCity165,900 GBP177,200 GBP76,800-263,900 GBP
ManchesterCity164,100 GBP175,100 GBP74,600-259,700 GBP
SomersetCity163,800 GBP177,100 GBP74,700-263,700 GBP
BirminghamCity163,500 GBP177,100 GBP77,400-262,300 GBP
CardiffCity161,300 GBP172,200 GBP75,000-258,700 GBP
LiverpoolCity161,300 GBP176,300 GBP74,100-257,700 GBP
LondonCity158,900 GBP171,300 GBP71,200-253,400 GBP
BelfastCity158,900 GBP171,300 GBP72,700-250,600 GBP
BristolCity158,900 GBP171,300 GBP72,700-250,600 GBP
CoventryCity158,900 GBP171,300 GBP72,700-250,600 GBP
EdinburghCity153,800 GBP163,800 GBP71,100-241,000 GBP
SheffieldCity153,700 GBP167,100 GBP72,800-245,400 GBP
LeicesterCity153,700 GBP166,600 GBP71,600-246,200 GBP
SouthamptonCity152,900 GBP163,800 GBP68,500-241,800 GBP
AberdeenCity152,900 GBP165,900 GBP69,700-243,000 GBP
BrightonCity152,700 GBP166,600 GBP69,700-245,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity152,700 GBP165,900 GBP71,000-243,000 GBP
NottinghamCity152,700 GBP165,900 GBP72,400-245,600 GBP
NewcastleCity151,800 GBP161,300 GBP68,400-238,300 GBP
SwanseaCity150,100 GBP160,600 GBP69,100-235,300 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity150,100 GBP160,600 GBP69,100-235,300 GBP
BradfordCity150,100 GBP160,600 GBP69,400-238,300 GBP
DerbyCity148,300 GBP158,700 GBP67,300-233,600 GBP
PortsmouthCity147,900 GBP158,900 GBP67,500-232,500 GBP
NorwichCity147,900 GBP156,200 GBP65,800-229,600 GBP
PlymouthCity147,900 GBP158,900 GBP67,500-232,500 GBP
PooleCity147,900 GBP158,900 GBP67,500-232,500 GBP
LincolnCity146,900 GBP160,700 GBP66,100-233,800 GBP
PeterboroughCity146,900 GBP160,700 GBP70,100-236,700 GBP
YorkCity142,300 GBP153,700 GBP65,800-227,600 GBP
CambridgeCity142,300 GBP153,700 GBP66,700-227,600 GBP
DundeeCity142,300 GBP153,700 GBP64,400-227,600 GBP
ArmaghCity142,100 GBP153,800 GBP63,700-222,700 GBP
NewportCity142,100 GBP153,800 GBP63,500-223,700 GBP
ExeterCity140,700 GBP151,800 GBP64,500-219,500 GBP
OxfordCity139,100 GBP150,100 GBP64,300-218,100 GBP
NewryCity139,100 GBP151,800 GBP62,300-218,100 GBP
HartlepoolCity138,700 GBP146,900 GBP63,500-216,600 GBP
DurhamCity138,700 GBP146,900 GBP64,300-216,600 GBP
DerryCity137,100 GBP148,300 GBP61,700-215,100 GBP
WalesRegion137,100 GBP148,300 GBP63,700-215,100 GBP
StirlingCity134,700 GBP147,900 GBP61,800-216,300 GBP
SalisburyCity132,000 GBP142,300 GBP62,100-210,400 GBP
CanterburyCity130,500 GBP141,000 GBP58,800-206,100 GBP
GloucesterCity130,400 GBP140,200 GBP58,800-210,600 GBP
KirkwallCity128,400 GBP142,100 GBP61,400-206,700 GBP
St DavidsCity128,400 GBP141,000 GBP61,400-206,700 GBP
TruroCity128,200 GBP138,700 GBP59,800-201,000 GBP
InvernessCity128,200 GBP138,700 GBP59,800-201,000 GBP
WinchesterCity128,200 GBP138,700 GBP59,700-201,000 GBP
WellsCity128,200 GBP138,700 GBP59,000-199,700 GBP
WakefieldCity128,200 GBP138,700 GBP58,200-201,000 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion128,200 GBP138,700 GBP59,700-201,000 GBP
LisburnCity127,700 GBP137,100 GBP56,600-199,700 GBP
AbingdonCity127,700 GBP137,100 GBP56,600-199,700 GBP
ChesterCity127,600 GBP140,700 GBP58,500-205,700 GBP
BangorCity124,500 GBP132,000 GBP58,600-195,200 GBP
StrontianCity123,800 GBP134,700 GBP56,400-197,600 GBP
RiponCity121,800 GBP130,500 GBP54,600-191,100 GBP
StromnessCity118,900 GBP127,600 GBP55,100-187,500 GBP

Finance Manager in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A finance manager in United Kingdom earns about 11,858 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 142,300 GBP.

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

    Entry-level finance managers in United Kingdom start near 65,900 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 226,100 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 97,300 and 206,100 GBP.

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

    The median is 152,700 GBP, higher than the average of 142,300 GBP. Half of finance managers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a finance manager in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (147,900 vs 140,700 GBP a year).

  • Do finance managers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

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

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

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

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

    A finance manager in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 14% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 11% a year.