Average Finance Salary in the UK

Want to understand where the finance market is right now? You’re in the right place. We’ve pulled together everything you need to know about salaries, regional differences, and the benefits finance professionals are being offered across the UK. 

This isn’t just for people actively job hunting… it’s for you finance professionals weighing up options, AND you hiring managers looking to attract and retain top talent. 

Click to jump to an area of interest or just have a scroll:   

• Average base salaries

• Regional Salary differences 

• Benefits & Perks 

• Summary

Average Base Salaries (UK-Wide) 

Here’s what we found from reviewing full-time, permanent finance roles across industry: 

We do agree with these, the average salaries are where I’d expect them to be, though CFO is a little lower. Every CFO we have spoken to is on at least £110k. It just goes to show that even though these are the average salaries for recent job vacancies, to actually fill the role you’ll need to be paying more. 

The salary ranges are quite big for finance roles as it does depend on their qualifications, experience, how transactional the role is, if they have a team to manage etc. but these averages are all definitely on the right track. 

Regional Salary Differences 

Where you’re based can make a big difference, especially at senior level. London still leads the pack across the board, but just because other regions outside of the capital have lower averages, doesn’t mean that they aren’t competitive.  

London continues to offer the highest salaries, especially for CFO and senior roles. Regions like the South East are not far behind. The gap narrows for mid-level roles, and junior roles are fairly consistent across the UK, usually only differing by a few thousand pounds. 

We focus on the Midlands, and from our experience, there are definitely more candidates than jobs currently. The market just isn’t how it was last year because there are fewer roles due to the current situation with NI increases, trumps tariffs etc. And the roles that are out there are 1. offering a lower salary than they should be, and 2. hiring managers are being a lot pickier because the candidate pool is so big. 

The market is starting to pick up, slowly. But we have a lot of candidates that have been looking for a while now. And it’s not just affecting those looking for a permanent job. We’ve worked with a contractor who has never had a gap in their employment between contracts. They’ve always been able to get their next contract secured before their current contract finishes – but right now they aren’t being offered any contracts as quickly as they used to. 

Are Finance Professionals Happy with Their Pay? 

Only 66% of finance professionals say they’re satisfied with their pay. 

That means there’s room for employers to stand out. Offering just 5–10% above the regional average can be enough to attract better candidates and fill roles faster. 

Most Commonly Advertised Benefits 

Salary is very important, but it’s not the only thing considered; it’s the whole package. 

What surprised us with these results was flexibility only having 15% of votes. But we imagine it’s because they want flexibility as well as a great salary & benefits package. 

From the finance professionals we speak with, flexibility and pension are probably mentioned the most. But when you get to more senior roles like Senior Finance Manager, Financial Controllers, Finance Directors etc. flexibility isn’t enough for them. They always want more in terms of bonuses and car allowances etc.  

Here’s what companies are offering to attract and retain finance talent: 

Performance Bonuses & Incentives 

• 25–30% of roles include performance bonuses. 

• Senior roles often come with discretionary annual bonuses of 30–50%. 

• Profit-sharing, equity, and LTIPs are common at CFO level. 

Holiday Allowance 

• 40–50% of adverts offer 25 days + bank holidays. 

• Some go further with birthday leave, long-service rewards, buy/sell schemes, or unlimited PTO. 

• Extra leave is one of the most attractive benefits to candidates, so if you offer more than the standard, make sure you say so. 

Pension Contributions 

• 30–40% of ads mention enhanced employer pension contributions (5–10%). 

• While most roles include a pension, many don’t promote it. 

• Pensions above the legal minimum are the most valued benefit among finance professionals. 

Private Healthcare & Insurance 

• Mentioned in 15–25% of roles. 

• Offers range from individual health insurance to full family cover for execs. 

• Life insurance, dental, and income protection are often bundled in, especially in senior roles. 

Flexible Working Arrangements 

• About 50% of finance job ads mention hybrid working or flexible hours. (And in reality, it’s likely higher as many job boards simply tag the job as hybrid without adding it as a benefit) 

• Most hybrid setups are 2–3 days from home, but demand for fully remote roles continues to rise. 

Professional Development 

• More than 50% of junior and mid-level roles offer study support for ACCA or CIMA. 

• A smaller number of roles offer funding for MBAs or leadership development. This is a key opportunity for employers to differentiate themselves. 

Other Benefits 

• Car allowances are common for CFOs and Finance Directors, especially in regional or multi-site roles. 

• Wellbeing perks like gym memberships, cycle-to-work schemes, and employee discounts are regularly offered but less frequently mentioned in adverts. 

Summary 

Companies outside of London are offering stronger packages to compete for top talent. This is good news for candidates, but means for SMEs and businesses with smaller budgets, that you’re going to have to do more to attract top talent. One way to do this is offering more flexibility… 

Flexible working is now a top priority for candidates, often more than salary. So, if you advertise that you offer flexibility, you are more likely to attract strong candidates and reduce time-to-hire, saving money in the long run.  

This leads us onto how important it is for employers to promoting benefits. If you offer enhanced perks, shout about them – don’t keep it quiet and potentially miss out to your competitors. 

So what’s the take-home advice? 

For Employers 

• Be upfront about what you’re offering. Clearly listing your full benefits package can make a real difference. 

• Benchmark your salaries slightly above market rate to stand out in a crowded space. 

• Highlight unique or less common benefits. Things like fully remote working or enhanced pension schemes can be deciding factors. 

For Jobseekers 

• Get clear on your priorities. What are your non-negotiables vs nice-to-haves? 

• When reviewing a role, look at the full package, not just the salary. 

• Use regional salary data to support your negotiations and make informed decisions. 

If you’d like tailored advice or need help hiring finance professionals, give the office a call and we’ll see how we can help, on 01509 323532.