Have you ever wondered which jobs will land you the highest salary? With the cost of living rising at an unprecedented rate, it is a question many Brits are asking. Fear not, at Adzuna, we have delved into the highest-paying jobs on offer in the UK right now.
In the UK, there are currently 12,484 job vacancies offering salaries of over £100,000. To put this into perspective, there are 1,156,085 job vacancies overall. This means that just under 8% of all jobs in the UK are paid over £100,000 annually. 1,513 jobs have advertised salaries of over £150,000 and just 439 pay over £200,000. It should also be noted that there are other high-paid jobs available on the market which don’t disclose a salary. This means that the number of vacancies paying over £100,000 is likely to be higher.
Let’s take a look at the highest-paying job titles.
1. Orthodontist
Average advertised salary: £131,843
Orthodontists are the highest earners, with average salaries of a jaw-dropping £131,843. It is worth noting that it takes several years of training to become an orthodontist and it is a very competitive field. Orthodontists help patients to straighten irregular teeth and other problems associated with developing jaws. This is usually done by fitting braces to the teeth.
2. Chief Financial Officer
Average advertised salary: £130,891
Chief financial officers (CFOs) are not far behind, with earnings of £130,891. CFOs are responsible for overseeing the financial activities of the company. It may not surprise you that Twitter has the highest-paid CFO, with a package of $72,768,098. Pretty crazy, isn’t it?
Looking to become a chief financial officer? Check out roles here
3. Chief Information Officer
Average advertised salary: £129,685
Earning just under £130,000, chief financial officers are the third-highest earners. This role involves managing people, processes, and technologies within a company’s IT organisation.
Explore chief information officer roles
4. Psychiatrist
Average advertised salary: £126,102
Coming in at number four on the list are psychiatrists. The role has an average salary of an impressive £126,102. Psychiatrists are specialists in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders.
Check out available Psychiatrist vacancies here
5. Chief IT Security Officer
Average advertised salary: £120,080
Chief IT security officers earn just over £120,000, placing them fifth on the list. The role involves creating and developing IT systems to protect the company from internal and external threats.
Vacancies for information security officer roles can be found here
6. Product director
Average advertised salary: £110,086
Product directors earn £110,086 on average. This means that they are the sixth-highest earners. Product directors help the company to define its product-market fit and plan for product planning and execution through the lifecycle of the business.
Want to become a product director? Look here
7. Security architect
Average advertised salary: £100,086
Security architects earn just over £100,000 annually, placing them seventh on the list. The role involves overseeing the security network of an organisation, whilst highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.
According to Tech Nation’s People and Skills Report, security is the fourth most in-demand tech skill. This is driving higher salaries in the field.
Security architect roles can be found here
8. Lead General Practitioner (GP)
Average advertised salary: £98,801
Lead General Practitioners (GP) are the first on the list to earn an average salary of below £100,000 annually. Professionals in the role can expect to see earnings of £98,801. The role typically involves treating common medical conditions as well as completing referrals. Some top paying GPs have been reported to earn at least £700,000 annually.
Check out General Practitioner vacancies
9. Consultant Paediatrician
Average advertised salary: £97,546
With average earnings of £97,546, consultant paediatricians sit at number nine on the list of highest earners. The role involves assessing and treating a range of illnesses in children.
10. Chief Operating Officer
Average advertised salary: £94,001
Chief operating officer takes the final spot in the top ten highest earners. Average earnings for the role sit at £94,001. Typically, the role involves overseeing the daily administrative and operational functions of the company.
Why not explore chief operating officer vacancies?
Table 1: 20 of the top-paying jobs in the UK
| Highest-paying jobs | Average Advertised Salary, May 2022 |
|---|---|
| Orthodontist | £131,843 |
| CFO | £130,891 |
| Chief Information Officer | £129,685 |
| Psychiatrist | £126,102 |
| Chief IT Security Officer | £120,080 |
| Product Director | £110,086 |
| Security Architect | £100,369 |
| Lead General Practitioner (GP) | £98,801 |
| Consultant Paediatrician | £97,546 |
| Chief Operating Officer | £94,001 |
| Cloud Solutions Architect | £93,625 |
| Construction Director | £92,646 |
| IT System Architect | £91,906 |
| Technical Architect | £91,822 |
| Strategy Director | £90,890 |
| Head of Data Science | £87,969 |
| CEO | £86,472 |
| Lead Java Developer | £86,357 |
| Head of Product | £86,339 |
| Actuarial Consultant | £80,624 |
It is worth remembering that despite high salaries, job seekers should also look at the wide picture. Try to consider the full package, including bonuses, stock options, pensions, and annual leave days.
Read more: The companies offering the biggest signing bonuses
High paying sectors
Unsurprisingly, IT takes the top spot for the sectors with the most open £100,000 jobs. IT has 6,506 jobs with advertised salaries of over £100,000. Accounting and finance follows this, with 1,110 jobs exceeding £100,000. 722 jobs in healthcare and nursing and 647 jobs in trade and construction are advertised as having a salary of over £100,000. The legal sector rounds off the top five highest-paying sectors, with 598 jobs in the sector advertised as having a salary of over £100,000.
Table 2: The sectors with the most open £100k+ jobs
| Sector | Number of £100,000+ vacancies |
|---|---|
| IT | 6,506 |
| Accounting & Finance | 1,110 |
| Healthcare & Nursing | 722 |
| Trade & Construction | 647 |
| Legal | 598 |
| Engineering | 559 |
| Sales | 480 |
| Teaching | 206 |
| HR & Recruitment | 205 |
| Consultancy | 175 |
High paying companies
Some companies have a large number of roles offering over £100,000. CGI International has the highest number of high-paying jobs, with 127 jobs paying over £100,000. AstraZeneca is the next highest paying company, with 96 jobs paying £100,000 or more. Other high-paying companies include Practice Plus Group (50 x £100k+ jobs), Microsoft recruitment agency Noir (41 x £100k jobs), and Sanderson Associates (30 x £100k jobs).
So, there are the highest paying jobs, companies, and sectors. It is worth highlighting that the majority of roles paying in excess of £100,000 require experience within the field. Make sure that you have the appropriate skills, qualifications, and experience before applying!
Read more: The highest-paying jobs that don’t require a degree