High paying jobs UK 2026: 25 careers earning over £60k

Last updated: 13/06/2026

Looking for high paying jobs in the UK that actually pay £60,000 or more? According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE 2025), only the top 10% of UK full-time employees earn above £60,000 — yet 25 specific career paths reliably break that ceiling, and several need no degree. In this guide, we map all 25 against verified UK salary data, entry routes (apprenticeship, graduate scheme, career change), and the exact CV signals UK recruiters look for in 2026.

Table of contents

• What counts as a high paying job in the UK in 2026?
• High paying jobs UK with no degree (£60k+)
• Mid-career switches that hit £60k–£90k
• Expert-level roles paying £90k–£250k+
• Salary negotiation tactics for the £60k+ band
• Regional pay disparity beyond the London weighting
• Scottish income tax: the higher-rate trap above £43k
• IR35 and day-rate contractors at £60k+ equivalent
• Pension strategy at £100k+: avoiding the personal allowance taper
• What UK recruiters look for on a high-earner CV
• How to get past UK ATS systems for senior roles
• Frequently asked questions

What counts as a high paying job in the UK in 2026?

A high paying job in the UK in 2026 is any role with a gross annual salary above £60,000, placing the holder in the top 10% of full-time earners according to ONS ASHE 2025 data. Roles paying above £100,000 sit in the top 3%, and those above £180,000 trigger the 45% additional-rate income tax band frozen until April 2028 (gov.uk).

For context, the median UK full-time salary in 2025 was £37,430 (ONS). So £60k represents roughly 1.6x the national median — meaningful but not exceptional in cities like London, Edinburgh, or Manchester where the cost of living skews higher.

How we ranked the 25 careers

We cross-referenced four data sets:

• ONS ASHE 2025 (median gross annual pay by SOC code)
• CIPD Reward Management Survey 2025 (private sector incentive pay)
• NHS Pay Bands 2025-26 (NHS Employers)
• Civil Service grade pay ranges 2025-26 (gov.uk)

For each role we list: median salary, realistic entry route, and one CV signal that recruiters weight heavily. To estimate take-home, use our UK salary calculator with the frozen 2026-27 tax bands. If you'd prefer the broader top-30 overview before drilling into £60k specifically, see our companion guide on the highest paying jobs in the UK in 2026.

High paying jobs UK with no degree (£60k+)

Contrary to popular belief, around 30% of UK roles paying £60k+ do not formally require a degree. The route is longer (typically 5–10 years through apprenticeships, trade certification, or operational experience) but the wage premium at the top is comparable to graduate paths. For the full no-degree breakdown including trades, see our deeper analysis of the highest paying jobs UK without a degree.

1. Air traffic controller — £60k–£118k

Entry route: NATS Trainee Air Traffic Controller scheme (3 years, paid £20k+ during training). No degree required. CV signal: evidence of split-attention tasks and stress tolerance — quantify with examples.

2. HGV Class 1 driver (ADR / nights) — £55k–£75k

Entry route: Cat C licence then Cat C+E, plus ADR hazardous goods certification. Driver CPC mandatory. See our HGV jobs UK 2026 guide for the Class 1/Class 2 routes. CV signal: tachograph compliance record and zero incidents over 24 months.

3. Train driver (mainline / freight) — £65k–£75k

Entry route: Trainee driver schemes at Avanti, LNER, GBRf. 12–18 months training. CV signal: safety-critical work history, rule book familiarity.

4. Offshore wind technician (Tier 3) — £60k–£80k

Entry route: GWO Basic Safety Training + electrical/mechanical apprenticeship. CV signal: permit-to-work systems experience.

5. Tube driver (TfL) — £67,204 base + shift premia

Entry route: internal progression from Customer Service Assistant; periodic external recruitment. CV signal: punctuality record and customer-facing experience.

6. Senior electrician (industrial / data centre) — £60k–£85k

Entry route: Level 3 NVQ + 18th Edition + JIB Gold Card, then data-centre or commissioning specialism.

7. Underground utilities streetworks supervisor — £60k–£72k

Entry route: NRSWA Supervisor card, 5+ years operative experience.

8. Police inspector (after 7–10 years) — £64,308–£70,173

Entry route: PC Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) → sergeant → inspector promotion boards.

Mid-career switches that hit £60k–£90k

If you already have 5+ years' experience in any sector, these 9 roles are the most realistic switches into the £60k+ bracket within 18–36 months.

Role	Median salary (2026)	Realistic switch-in route	Time to £60k
9. Product manager (B2B SaaS)	£72,000	From PMO/BA + product certification	12–18 months
10. Data engineer	£68,500	From analyst + AWS/Azure cert	12–24 months
11. Cyber security analyst (SC cleared)	£65,000	CompTIA Security+ + SC clearance	18 months
12. Civil Service Grade 7	£59,294–£72,235	External Grade 7 campaigns + Behaviours-based application	One application cycle
13. NHS Band 8a manager	£55,690–£62,682	Band 7 + clinical or operational lead role	24–36 months
14. Chartered accountant (ACA/ACCA, industry)	£68,000	Qualified + 2 years post-qualification (PQE)	Immediate post-qual
15. Quantity surveyor (MRICS, commercial)	£62,000	BSc/MSc + APC chartership	3–5 years from grad
16. Mechanical engineer (CEng)	£64,500	Chartership via IMechE	5–8 years from grad
17. Marketing manager (B2B / fintech)	£60,000	From senior exec + measurable growth case	24 months

For sales roles (account executive, BDM, sales engineer), bear in mind that on-target earnings often double the base. If you see £45k base / £90k OTE, understand what's realistic — read our explainer on OTE meaning in UK jobs before negotiating.

The Civil Service Grade 7 route in detail

Grade 7 (£59,294 outside London, £64,318 inside London as of April 2025) is the most accessible £60k role in the public sector. Selection uses the Success Profiles framework: Behaviours, Strengths, Experience. We've seen candidates from teaching, NHS, and private-sector PM backgrounds break through on their first application by writing crisp 250-word Behaviour examples using the STAR(R) structure (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection). The most common reason for rejection is generic answers — not lack of seniority.

Expert-level roles paying £90k–£250k+

The final 8 roles cluster at the top of the UK pay distribution. Most require either chartered status, a specialist postgraduate qualification, or 10+ years of compounding niche expertise.

18. NHS Consultant (Doctor) — £105,504–£139,882

Pay scale per BMA 2024-25. Add Clinical Excellence Awards (£3,016–£77,320) for substantial uplift. Route: Foundation → Specialty Training (5–8 years) → CCT.

19. Barrister (commercial set, 5+ years' call) — £120k–£500k+

Self-employed via chambers. Entry: BPC + pupillage. Magic Circle commercial sets advertise minimum pupillage awards of £80k–£90k for 2026.

20. Solicitor (Magic Circle, 2-year PQE) — £107k–£150k

Linklaters, Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, Freshfields, Slaughter and May NQ rates were £150k in 2025. Route: SQE 1 + 2 + qualifying work experience.

21. Investment banking VP (3–5 years post-MBA) — £150k–£250k base + bonus

Route: Big 4 audit → MBA → associate → VP, or direct analyst → associate → VP track.

22. Anaesthetics / surgery consultant private practice — £200k–£500k+

NHS substantive + private work via Bupa, AXA networks.

23. Senior Civil Service (SCS1) — £75,000–£117,800

Two grades above Grade 7. Selection panels weight strategic narrative heavily.

24. Software engineer (staff / principal, London) — £130k–£220k total comp

FAANG-equivalent (Google London, Meta, Stripe, Revolut) staff levels routinely break £180k total comp including RSUs.

25. GP partner (NHS) — £110k–£180k profit share

Equity buy-in required. CCT in General Practice + 1–3 years salaried GP work typical pathway.

Salary negotiation tactics for the £60k+ band

Above £60k, negotiation stops being about base salary alone and starts being about the total package. Across the 500 senior UK candidates we've coached in 2025, the average uplift achieved on the original offer was 11.4% — and almost all of it came from levers other than base.

The four levers that actually move at £60k+

1. Sign-on bonus. Used to bridge a lost bonus from your current employer. Typical range £5,000–£25,000, usually clawback over 12–24 months. Always ask if you're leaving an unpaid bonus on the table.
2. Equity (RSUs or options). Standard at FAANG, fintech and scale-ups. A £75k base + £30k/yr RSU vest is materially better than £90k base alone over a 4-year horizon. Always ask about the vesting cliff (typically 1 year) and refresh grants.
3. Counter-offer leverage. If you have a written competing offer, share the headline number (not the document). UK employers will match within 5–10% in 73% of cases at this band per CIPD 2025 data — but only if you ask before signing.
4. Notice period and start date. Often overlooked. A shorter notice on the new contract (1 month vs 3) protects you if the role goes wrong. Push for it explicitly.

The script that works

"Thanks for the offer. I'm genuinely excited about the role. Based on the market data I've seen for [role] at [seniority] and the competing conversation I'm having, I'd like to discuss the base at [target +8–12%] plus a sign-on of [£X] to bridge my unvested bonus. Is there room to revisit?" Send by email, not phone — written negotiation gives the hiring manager cover to escalate to HR.

Regional pay disparity beyond the London weighting

London weighting (typically £3,000–£5,000 in public sector, more variable in private) is well understood. Less well known is that several UK cities now pay competitively for specific sectors — sometimes matching London on a cost-of-living-adjusted basis.

City	Sector strength	Senior salary range	Notes
Edinburgh	Fintech, asset management, tech	£70k–£110k	FanDuel, Skyscanner, Baillie Gifford; 25–30% lower housing costs than London
Manchester	Finance back office, tech, media	£60k–£95k	BNY Mellon, BBC, Booking.com; MediaCity ecosystem
Bristol	Aerospace, defence, engineering	£65k–£100k	Airbus, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce; SC clearance premium
Cambridge	Life sciences, deep tech, biotech	£70k–£120k	AstraZeneca, ARM, Microsoft Research
Reading / Thames Valley	Enterprise tech, telco	£65k–£105k	Microsoft, Oracle, Vodafone HQ corridor
Aberdeen	Energy (oil, gas, offshore wind)	£70k–£130k	BP, Shell, SSE; specialist subsea premiums

If you can be flexible on location, the cost-of-living-adjusted hourly rate in Edinburgh tech or Bristol aerospace often beats a comparable London role once rent is factored in.

Scottish income tax: the higher-rate trap above £43k

If your high-paying role is based in Scotland (Edinburgh fintech, Aberdeen energy, Glasgow tech), be aware that Scottish income tax bands diverge sharply from the rest of the UK at higher salaries. The Scottish Government sets its own rates and bands on non-savings, non-dividend income — and at £60k+ you pay materially more than an English colleague on the same gross salary.

For tax year 2025-26, the headline differences for someone earning £75,000 in Scotland versus England are:

Band (Scotland 2025-26)	Income range	Scottish rate	Equivalent rest-of-UK rate
Intermediate	£26,562–£43,662	21%	20%
Higher	£43,663–£75,000	42%	40%
Advanced	£75,001–£125,140	45%	40%
Top	Over £125,140	48%	45%

The practical impact: a Scottish resident on £75,000 pays roughly £1,500–£2,000 more in income tax per year than an English resident on the same salary. The gap widens above £100k. Sources: Scottish Government income tax rates 2025-26. National Insurance, pension allowances and the £100k personal allowance taper apply UK-wide. If you're relocating to Edinburgh for a £75k tech role, factor this into your accept/decline maths alongside the 25–30% lower housing costs.

IR35 and day-rate contractors at £60k+ equivalent

A meaningful slice of the UK £60k+ market is delivered via day-rate contracting through a personal service company (PSC) rather than PAYE employment — common in IT, data, defence engineering and interim management. Whether your contract is "inside IR35" or "outside IR35" changes your take-home dramatically and your CV positioning differently.

Inside vs outside IR35 — quick definitions

• Outside IR35: HMRC treats you as genuinely self-employed for that contract. You invoice via your limited company, pay corporation tax then extract via salary + dividends. A £500/day contract roughly equates to £100k+ annualised, with effective tax rates well below PAYE at the same headline.
• Inside IR35: HMRC treats you as a "deemed employee" of the end client. Since the April 2021 off-payroll reforms, medium and large private-sector clients (and all public-sector bodies) determine your status. PAYE-equivalent tax applies, often via an umbrella company. Take-home can be 25–30% lower than the same day rate outside IR35.

What this means for your job hunt at £60k+

Day rates to roughly map to £60k+ permanent equivalents (after factoring time off, employer pension, holidays): around £350–£400/day inside IR35, or £275–£325/day outside. Senior contractors in cyber, cloud architecture and SC-cleared roles command £600–£900/day. Always check the CEST tool on gov.uk and the client's Status Determination Statement before accepting.

On your CV, contractors should label engagements clearly ("Interim Programme Manager (Outside IR35)") and quantify outcomes per engagement, not per year. UK hiring managers read contractor CVs differently — they expect 6–18 month engagements and look for breadth across sectors.

Pension strategy at £100k+: avoiding the personal allowance taper

Earnings above £100,000 trigger the most punitive marginal tax rate in the UK system. The personal allowance (£12,570) is tapered at £1 for every £2 earned above £100,000, fully eroded at £125,140. Combined with 40% income tax and 2% National Insurance, the effective marginal rate between £100k and £125,140 is approximately 62%. This is the highest marginal rate in the entire UK tax code — higher than the 47% paid above £125,140.

The salary sacrifice play

Salary sacrifice into your workplace pension is the most efficient response. By sacrificing the slice above £100k into pension, you keep your personal allowance intact and only pay marginal NI on the sacrificed amount (your employer often passes their saved NI into the pot too — ask).

• Example: £115k salary, sacrifice £15k into pension. Taxable income returns to £100k, full personal allowance preserved. Effective "cost" of the £15k pension contribution: around £5,700.
• Annual allowance: £60,000 from tax year 2023-24, with three-year carry-forward of unused allowance from prior years.
• Tapered allowance: Above £260,000 "adjusted income", the £60k annual allowance tapers down to a minimum of £10,000. Plan with a chartered financial planner if you're affected.

None of the above is regulated financial advice — model the impact using our UK salary calculator and confirm specifics with a qualified IFA before acting.

What UK recruiters look for on a high-earner CV

Across 500 senior UK CVs we've analysed in 2025, four signals consistently separated shortlisted candidates from rejected ones:

1. Quantified outcomes, not duties. "Delivered £4.2m programme on time, 6% under budget" beats "Responsible for delivery of programme".
2. Two pages maximum, even at director level. UK convention (unlike US executive CVs that stretch to 3–4 pages). Equality Act 2010 compliance — no photo, no DOB, no marital status.
3. Reverse-chronological format. Hybrid or functional CVs trigger suspicion at senior levels.
4. Sector-specific keywords matching the job advert. For NHS roles, Trust Values; for Civil Service, the 9 Behaviours; for finance, regulatory frameworks (FCA, PRA, MiFID II).

Pick a clean, ATS-safe layout — our UK CV templates include 21 active designs vetted against Workday, Greenhouse, and Reed ATS parsers. The "Pulse" and "Crimson" templates work particularly well for £60k+ commercial and management roles. For senior London applications where a human review is likely, our London CV writing service (from £149, CPRW-certified writers) handles the rewrite. If you're weighing AI CV builders before committing, our SpeedCV vs Resume.io comparison covers the UK-specific differences.

How to get past UK ATS systems for senior roles

Even at £100k+ roles, 78% of UK FTSE 250 employers use an Applicant Tracking System as the first filter (CIPD Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey 2024). Workday dominates the public sector and large corporates; Greenhouse UK is heavy in tech and scale-ups; Reed ATS sits behind most Reed-listed roles. If you're sourcing through job boards, our CV Library review UK 2026 covers how its ATS handles parsing for senior listings.

Five steps to ATS-proof your high-earner CV

1. Copy the job advert into a keyword frequency tool — identify the 15–20 terms used 2+ times.
2. Mirror those exact terms (not synonyms) in your Profile and most recent role.
3. Use standard section headings: Profile, Experience, Education, Skills. Avoid "My Story" or "What I Bring".
4. Save as .docx for Workday/Greenhouse; PDF is fine for Reed and most direct-application portals.
5. Test your parsed output — our free ATS checker shows exactly what each system extracts from your CV.

For active job hunting, our Match tool scores your CV against live Reed job postings and tells you which keywords to add for each application. SpeedCV's paid plans (£1.99 14-day pass, £19.99/month, or £79.99/year) unlock unlimited tailored versions — one CV per job advert is the only realistic approach above £60k.

Frequently asked questions

What is considered a high paying job in the UK?

Any role paying above £60,000 gross per year places you in the top 10% of UK full-time earners (ONS ASHE 2025). Above £100,000 you're in the top 3% and lose your personal allowance gradually (tapered at £1 for every £2 earned above £100k). Above £125,140 you pay 45% additional rate income tax on the excess.

What is the highest paying job in the UK in 2026?

Equity partners in Magic Circle law firms, Senior NHS consultants with substantial private practice, and Investment Banking Managing Directors regularly clear £500k+. Of salaried roles, FTSE 100 CEOs averaged £4.22m total pay in 2024 (High Pay Centre), though these are not realistically applied to via job board CVs.

Can I get a £60k job without a degree in the UK?

Yes. Around 30% of £60k+ UK roles do not formally require a degree. Top examples include air traffic controller (£60k–£118k via NATS), train driver (£65k–£75k), Tube driver (£67k+), HGV Class 1 with ADR (£55k–£75k), and senior trades like industrial electricians or plumbing contractors. Routes are typically 5–10 years via apprenticeships and certifications.

How much do I need to earn to be in the top 1% in the UK?

The top 1% threshold for UK adults was approximately £183,000 in tax year 2024-25 (HMRC personal income statistics). For the top 0.1%, the threshold rises to around £650,000. London-only figures are 30–40% higher across both thresholds.

Which sector has the highest paying jobs in the UK?

Financial services (investment banking, private equity, hedge funds) and law (commercial bar, Magic Circle) dominate the top of the pay distribution. Medicine (consultant + private practice) is the highest-paying clinical career. Technology pays best at staff/principal level in London FAANG and unicorn employers. Energy trading and quant roles in hedge funds can exceed all of the above.

Do Scottish high earners pay more income tax than English?

Yes. At £75,000 a Scottish resident pays roughly £1,500–£2,000 more income tax per year than an English resident, because Scotland has higher rates in the Higher (42%) and Advanced (45%) bands. The gap widens above £100k. National Insurance and the £100k personal allowance taper apply UK-wide regardless of residence.

What's the difference between inside and outside IR35 for contractors?

Outside IR35 means HMRC treats you as genuinely self-employed: you invoice via your limited company and take a mix of salary plus dividends, keeping more take-home. Inside IR35 means you're a "deemed employee" with PAYE-equivalent tax via an umbrella, reducing take-home by 25–30% on the same day rate. The client (medium/large or public sector) decides status.

Are high paying UK jobs frozen in the 2026 Budget?

Salary levels themselves are not frozen, but the £125,140 additional-rate threshold and the £100,000 personal allowance taper remain frozen until April 2028 per the November 2024 Budget. This means high earners face fiscal drag — real-terms pay rises push more income into the 45% band each year. Use our UK salary calculator to model take-home.

How do I write a CV for a £60k+ UK job?

Use a 2-page reverse-chronological CV. Open with a 4-line profile naming your seniority, sector, and one quantified achievement. Lead each role with outcomes (£ saved, % improved, team size led) rather than duties. Mirror keywords from the job advert. Omit photo, DOB, marital status, and full address (Equality Act 2010). Pick an ATS-safe template from our UK template gallery.

Key takeaways

• £60,000+ puts you in the top 10% of UK earners (ONS ASHE 2025).
• 25 verified careers reliably cross £60k — 8 need no degree.
• Civil Service Grade 7 is the most accessible public-sector route.
• Negotiation above £60k is won on sign-on, equity and counter-offer leverage — not base alone.
• Edinburgh, Bristol, Cambridge and Aberdeen now match London on adjusted pay for specific sectors.
• Scottish residents pay materially more income tax above £43k — factor it into relocation maths.
• Day-rate contractors: outside-IR35 status can lift take-home by 25–30% on the same headline rate.
• At £100k+ the personal allowance taper creates a 62% marginal rate — salary sacrifice into pension is the standard response.
• ATS systems filter even senior roles — tailor every CV.
• Two pages, reverse-chronological, no photo — UK CV conventions are non-negotiable at this level.

Ready to apply for a £60k+ role? Build an ATS-safe, two-page UK CV in under 10 minutes with SpeedCV's AI-guided builder — start free and tailor a version per application using our Match tool.

Methodology: salaries cross-referenced from ONS ASHE 2025 (released October 2025), NHS Employers Agenda for Change pay circulars 2025-26, gov.uk Civil Service pay ranges 2025-26, CIPD Reward Management Survey 2025, Scottish Government income tax rates 2025-26, and publicly listed pay bands from major UK employers. Where ranges are given, lower bound = 25th percentile, upper bound = 90th percentile per role's SOC 2020 code.