Executives and senior officials enjoyed a larger pay rise than their juniors between 2025 and 2026, an analysis of official data has shown, even as the national minimum wage was hiked.
An analysis of pay growth by the Office for National Statistics has shown that median weekly earnings grew by 6.7 per cent for managers, directors and senior officials.
The bumper rise between April 2025 and 2026 compared to growth of less than six per cent for workers in most other roles. Full-time employees in professional occupations saw their pay rise by five per cent while those in “elementary” jobs – which includes cleaners and delivery drivers – enjoyed pay increases of around 4.7 per cent.
Sales and customer service employees, along with those working in caring and other service jobs, benefited from a rise of just over five per cent between 2025 and 2026.
Figures also showed that workers in London were, on average, handed a pay increase of 8.2 per cent compared to rises of less than seven per cent across any other region.
The ONS’ data crunch reflects the huge pay packages that top company bosses received at large firms such as Astrazeneca and Shell, plus small businesses. Top directors in the public sector at bodies, including the Financial Conduct Authority, also enjoyed huge pay rises between 2025 and 2026.
Bosses with the highest annual earnings work in the information and technology sector, with pay averaging at about £98,127. Chief executives and senior officials earn an average of £95,898 while senior members working in marketing and sales, and in logistics and warehousing, earn £95,898.
Specialist medical practitioners, which falls under the professional occupations category, have the highest average salary in data picked out by the ONS.
Public sector workers beat business employees for pay
Average weekly earnings grew at a faster pace across the public sector than in the private sector.
While median weekly pay for full-time employees was £862.20 for those in public sector jobs, earnings stood at about £794.40 for those working at businesses up and down the country.
Monthly data released by the statistics body has shown that public sector pay growth has outpaced private sector wage increases in every three-month period since March 2025.
High public sector pay growth agreements have previously put Office for Budget Responsibility on edge as economists warned that large increases could add to pressures on public spending. Chancellor John Healey is likely to face less wriggle room as a result of pay increases for teachers and other public sector workers, according to the Resolution Foundation.
Following new wages data for the period between June and August, RSM economist Thomas Pugh warned that employees at businesses across the UK were likely to face a “real terms pay cut” in the coming months.