The UK's best-paid jobs of 2016
Niamh Ollerton
23 January 2017
Lucrative career choices
Thinking of swapping careers, but not sure what to do? The Office for National Statistics' huge Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings has broken down all of the UK's jobs by pay. Here are the top 25 best-paid professions by average annual salary before tax in 2016. Note that they don't include the likes of footballers and pop stars.
25) Production managers and directors in mining and energy £45,257
Production managers and directors working in the mining and energy industry typically bring in £45,257 a year. Their job involves planning and co-ordinating the extraction of minerals as well as the production storage and provision of gas, water and electricity.
24) Business and financial project management professionals £45,542
Business and financial project management professionals are the next best-paid UK workers. People in these roles are responsible for overseeing major projects across all sectors, helping companies achieve goals within agreed timescales, budget and resource limits.
23) Production managers and directors in manufacturing £45,593
Production managers and directors in the manufacturing industry typically earn £45,593 a year. Their work involves planning, organising and managing the production of goods.
22) Human resource managers and directors £46,005
Human resource managers and directors earn a tidy £46,005 on average. They have to deal with staff recruitment, monitor employee performance and make sure their employer is complying with the latest employment law.
21) Electronics engineers £46,511
To fulfil this role, electronics engineers design, develop and test components, systems, and devices which use electricity as part of their power source. An engineer may be involved at any or all parts of the project, from the initial brief to the development stage and the final manufacture of a new product. There must be quite a bit of pressure on this time-sensitive job, but they still bagged an average of £46,511 in 2016.
20) Health services and public health managers and directors £46,635
A health service manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of a hospital, general practitioner (GP) or community health services. Managers are in contact with clinical and non-clinical staff along with partner organisation, but they must also take into consideration the needs of local circumstances and political policy.
19) Higher education teaching professionals £47,643
HE professionals not only teach academic and vocational subjects to undergraduate and postgraduate students via lectures, tutorials and seminars, but also pursue their own research to contribute to the wider research activities of their department or institution. The aim is to see this published in scholarly articles, books or journals which can help see their institution's profile improve. And to earn £47,643 for something you're passionate about isn't too bad.
18) Purchasing managers and directors £47,698
Purchasing managers and directors are responsible for buying goods and services for an industrial, commercial or government organisation, evaluating suppliers’ bids and negotiating the best prices.
17) Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services £47,747
Senior fire, ambulance and prison officers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the resources needed to provide vital services to keep us safe and well. It can be a tough job but these workers get paid a decent £47,747 a year.
16) IT specialist managers £47,768
Businesses are becoming more an reliant on technology, and the role of IT specialist managers is crucial to ensure a business succeeds with continuity. Staff work closely with clients to ensure projects are completed on time and to budget, and advise organisations on IT solutions to help a business grow and perform more efficiently. On average, IT specialist managers raked in £47,768 in 2016.
15) IT project and programme managers £48,536
IT project and programme managers typically earn £48,536 a year. People in these jobs have to plan, co-ordinate and oversee every element that goes into completing an IT-related project on time and on budget.
14) Train and tram drivers £49,735
It goes without saying that train and tram drivers need good driving skills, strong observational skills and an alert mind. Along with handling equipment checks, contacting control centres and writing up reports of any incidents that may occur during their shift.
13) Dancers and choreographers £50,950
The performers who bring shows to light with movement aren’t doing too badly either. But dancing and choreographing can be gruelling work, with dancers rehearsing several hours each day to prepare for their performance, along with the added pressure of auditioning for a part. Choreographers create sequences for the dancers, teach complex dance moves, choose music, and assist with costume design and other aspects of a show.
12) Senior professionals of educational establishments £52,451
Senior professionals of educational establishments like colleges and universities earn £52,451 a year on average. They have a long list of responsibilities including helping to form a curriculum, controlling budgets and hiring staff.
11) Financial institution managers and directors £53,322
Financial institution managers and directors that manage our money in banks, building societies and insurance companies typically earn salaries of £53,322 a year.
10) Functional managers and directors n.e.c. £55,484
Next up are functional managers and directors who earn an average of £55,484. These are the people who plan, organise and advise on specialist activity in an organisation but aren’t in traditional managerial or director roles such as in marketing, IT, human resources or finance.
9) Senior police officers £62,144
Senior police officers typically take home £62,144 a year. They are responsible for planning, organising, directing and co-ordinating police work to fight crime and maintain order.
8) Financial managers and directors £64,432
The financial managers and directors that balance the books, comply with strict regulations and help their company meet its objectives earned an average of £64,432 in 2016.
7) Legal professionals n.e.c. £69,058
Experienced and senior legal professionals such as attorneys, justice clerks, legal advisors and barristers’ clerks typically bring in £69,058 for their work.
6) Information technology and telecommunications directors £71,161
IT and telecommunication directors are responsible for all the elements that go into keeping a business connected. The profession, which has a huge skills gap, rewards those at the top with an average salary of £71,161 a year.
5) Medical practitioners £74,885
Medical practitioners like your local GP, as well as those that work in hospitals, labs, clinics and healthcare centres, attract salaries of around £74,885 a year.
4) Marketing and sales directors £74,994
Marketing and sales directors typically earn £74,994 a year. The people in these roles are tasked with improving the performance of a business by marketing and selling their company’s goods and services.
3) Air traffic controllers £84,877
Air traffic controllers earn the next highest salaries. The people in charge of preparing flight plans and keeping planes safe in the sky earned an average of £84,877 in 2016.
2) Aircraft pilots and flight engineers £86,855
Also in the aviation industry, aircraft pilots and flight engineers were the second highest-paid roles in 2016, earning an average of £86,855 a year.
1) Chief executives and senior officials £89,932
The head honchos of an organisation are, perhaps unsurprisingly, the highest-paid workers. In 2016 chief executives and senior officials earned a typical salary of £89,932 a year.
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