Highest Paying Jobs in The UK [Salaries & Job Descriptions]

16 Jan 2025

If you’re looking to pursue a career in a high paying role, this article will explore a number of careers that could be perfect for you.

We’ve looked at the highest paying jobs and latest average salaries as shared by Glassdoor, These are based on the salaries they collect from their users, so similar roles could be paid more or less depending on experience, location and the hiring company.

What industries have the highest paying jobs?

Due to people wanting a higher quality lifestyle and the population living longer, there is a much higher demand for healthcare and medical specialists. As a result, the healthcare industry can offer some of the best paying jobs. Other industries with the highest paying jobs include:

Financial services.
The legal sector.
Engineering.
IT.

What is the highest paying job?

Here are a few examples of high paying roles in various industries:

Lawyer

Average base annual salary: £61,000

Lawyers are licensed practitioners that provide legal advice to companies or individuals. In the UK lawyers can either work as barristers or solicitors. Solicitors offer legal support, whereas barristers represent their clients in court.

If you’re looking to pursue a career in law, you can also choose to specialise in a field like criminal litigation or corporate law.

Actuary

Average annual base salary - £70,000

Actuaries use their knowledge of economics, statistics, probability theory and investment theory to solve business problems. A significant part of their role is to predict emerging financial risks and identify steps to mitigate these risks if they occur. Other responsibilities include:

Managing a company’s financial assets and liabilities.
Deciding the price of insurance premiums.
Advising a firm on their pension plans.

Marketing Director

Average annual salary - £82,000

Marketing directors promote a company’s products and services with the aim of driving profits and increasing the company’s market share. Their main duties include:

Overseeing marketing campaigns.
Staying up to date with market trends.
Nurturing strong relationships with clients.
Supporting marketing managers and their teams.

Managing Director

Average annual salary - £100,000

A managing director is the most senior role in a company. Their responsibilities include:

Implementing a company’s policies.
Ensuring the company’s strategy is aimed toward growth and increasing profits.
Representing the company at public events.
Mentoring other board members.

Director of Engineering

Average annual salary - £109,000

This role involves coordinating and managing all engineering staff and operations within a company. Other responsibilities include:

Leading engineering projects.
Directing engineering departments.
Supervising technical staff.
Supporting multiple projects and keeping track of milestones.

Tax director

Average annual salary - £107,000

Tax directors are responsible for creating, planning and implementing a company’s tax strategy. Other key duties include:

Ensuring the company’s tax returns are correct.
Minimising the company’s tax obligations.
Ensuring a company is compliant with tax statutes.
Reporting to top management.

Dermatologist

Average annual salary - £87,000

Dermatologists are specialist doctors that focus on conditions and diseases of the skin, hair, nails and mucous membranes. Example responsibilities include:

Treating disorders like eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer, acne, hair loss and shingles.
Providing cosmetic treatments like botox injections, laser procedures and fillers.

Plastic surgeon

Average annual salary - £54,000

Plastic surgeons are medical practitioners that repair and reconstruct the human body through surgery.

Reconstructive plastic surgeons restore the form and function of the body after an illness or injury and can also treat burn wounds and perform craniofacial surgery.

Cosmetic surgeons change the appearance of a healthy person through surgeries like rhinoplasty.

Paediatrician

Average annual salary - £65,000

Paediatricians provide medical treatments for physical, mental and behavioural issues in babies, children and teenagers. Inthis role paediatricians may:

Perform diagnostic tests.
Treat illnesses and disorders.
Administer vaccinations.
Offer nutritional and developmental advice.

Chief Financial Officer

Average annual salary - £119,000

Chief financial offers, CFOs, are senior executives that lead all financial activities within a company. Duties may include:

Analysing the financial health of a company and arranging corrective measures to improve it.
Taking care of business planning, budgeting and negotiations.
Ensuring all financial reports are accurate and completed within their allocated time frames.

The salaries stated above are correct at the time of when they were sourced, but there are various factors which determine how much a salary can be.

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