Senior salary bands in 2026 — what the UK actually pays
Senior compensation has shifted meaningfully since 2024. Here's what UK companies are actually paying senior leaders right now, with the variance bands.
UK senior compensation has shifted significantly through 2024–2026. Inflation re-priced base salaries upward; the LDI crisis re-priced pension contributions downward; share-based incentives re-priced upward in private companies and downward in public-listed companies. This is the working summary of what UK companies are actually paying senior leaders in 2026.
These are observed bands from completed A1 Elite searches and informed estimates from peer search firms. Real numbers vary widely by sector, company stage, and individual leverage. Use as starting point, not as definitive market price.
Founder MD / CEO of UK-based companies
| Company stage | Base | Bonus | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| £5-15m revenue, founder-led | £140-200k | 25-50% | 1-4% |
| £15-50m revenue, scaling | £200-300k | 30-75% | 0.5-2.5% |
| £50-150m revenue, PE-backed | £280-450k | 50-100% | 0.5-2% |
CFO bands
| Profile | Base | Bonus | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controller-plus CFO (£2-10m co) | £90-140k | 10-25% | 0.25-1% |
| Scaling CFO (£10-40m co) | £140-220k | 25-50% | 0.25-1.5% |
| Transactional CFO (pre-exit) | £180-280k | 30-75% | often deal-based bonus £100-500k |
CTO bands
Wide variance by sector. UK SaaS CTO with team of 8-15: £150-220k base + bonus 20-40% + equity 0.5-2%. Fintech with regulatory complexity: add £30-50k base. Deep-tech / AI: highly variable depending on specific specialism — £180-320k base with equity 1-4% on a startup, dramatically different on a PE-backed scale-up.
Chair / Lead NED
| Profile | Annual fee | Equity (where given) |
|---|---|---|
| Chair, £5-30m co | £25-50k | 0.25-1% vested over 3y |
| Chair, £30-100m co | £40-90k | 0.1-0.5% |
| NED on PE-backed board | £35-65k | Often 0.1-0.3% |
Caveats worth knowing
- London premium narrowing. Hybrid roles have compressed the London-vs-rest-of-UK premium from 25% to ~12%. Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol senior comp now within striking distance of London for non-finance roles.
- Equity at private companies still up. Despite headline market conditions, private company equity packages have grown — partly because cash has stayed flat and partly because IPO timelines extended, so equity has to do more work in retention.
- Public market CFOs squeezed. FTSE 250 CFO comp has flattened since 2024 as activist pressure on executive pay intensified.
Senior comp moves fast — these bands are 2026 specifically. By 2027 the equity component will likely shift again as IPO markets reopen or stay shut.
What we do with this
Every retained search brief at A1 Elite includes a market-comp briefing tailored to the specific seat and the specific company stage. Before offers are made we re-benchmark against the most recent comparables — usually within 4 weeks of the offer date. The numbers above are the starting point of that conversation, not the conclusion.
A senior hire on the cards? Two or three lines on the seat is enough — we reply within 48 hours.
Brief a Search →