£25k at manager level. £76k at C suite.
UK startup and scaleup salary benchmark
What should you pay your next leader?
Directional base salary ranges for five functions from manager to C suite, built from current 2026 salary surveys, placement data and specialist market guides.
The finding worth sharing
Seniority lifts the number. It widens the argument.
Across the 20 bands in this benchmark, the average midpoint rises from £69k at manager level to £180k at C suite. The range itself becomes three times wider.
Average midpoint2.6x
C suite versus manager
Chief Revenue Officer in the Sales benchmark.
Search Studio calculation from the 20 directional base salary bands shown below. Each midpoint is the centre of its published range, then averaged across five functions. This is a summary of this benchmark, not a market wide mean. Data checked 29 August 2026.
How to use this
A starting point for the brief, not a substitute for one.
These are permanent base salary bands, not total compensation. They are London weighted because the strongest current datasets are concentrated there. Regional offers often sit 5 to 15 per cent lower, while international scope, scarce sector knowledge or a demanding transformation remit can move a role higher.
Titles are inconsistent in growing companies. Match the range to the decisions, team, budget and outcomes the person will own.
Base salary in thousands
Choose the function.
Every range is a synthesis of published 2026 market data. Source notes are below.
Function
Sales
Base salary only. Commission and on target earnings can materially increase the total package.
Manager
Sales Manager
First line leadership, coaching and ownership of a defined team target.
£60k to £95kDirectional midpoint £78k
Head
Head of Sales
Building the sales motion, team and forecast around a repeatable route to revenue.
£90k to £170kDirectional midpoint £130k
Director or VP
Sales Director or VP Sales
Company wide revenue leadership with a larger team, more complex motion or international scope.
£120k to £208kDirectional midpoint £164k
C suite
Chief Revenue Officer
Executive ownership of revenue strategy, sales performance and cross functional commercial alignment.
£180k to £260kDirectional midpoint £220k
Take it into the hiring meeting
The complete benchmark, built to share.
Twelve useful pages covering every range, the strongest findings, the factors that move an offer and the questions that turn a benchmark into a proper brief.
Role scope beats title
A Head of Finance reporting to a CFO is not the same hire as the sole finance leader advising the board.
Stage changes the trade
Earlier companies may exchange some base salary for meaningful equity. Later scaleups usually pay more for complexity and proven range.
Total reward still matters
Bonus, commission, equity, pension, flexibility and the quality of the mandate all affect whether a credible candidate will move.
Methodology and sources
Real data, with the caveats left in.
We checked these sources on 29 August 2026 and reconciled overlapping roles into practical ranges for UK startups and scaleups. We have not averaged incompatible titles or treated a job board estimate as a precise offer recommendation.
- 01Robert WaltersUK Salary Survey 2026 ↗
London 2026 bands for medium enterprises with 50 to 250 people, including CRO, CMO, CFO and People leadership roles.
- 02Robert Half2026 UK Salary Guide ↗
Projected starting salaries supported by placement data and more than 350,000 third party vacancy records.
- 03Wave TalentUK Permanent Salary Guide 2026 ↗
Early stage technology context, London weighting and regional adjustment guidance.
- 04Live DigitalUK SaaS Sales Salaries 2026 ↗
Published national and London base salary and on target earnings ranges for SaaS Sales leadership.
- 05Accountancy CapitalHead of Finance Salary Guide 2026 ↗
Role scope and London salary ranges for Heads of Finance in growing businesses.
- 06Morgan McKinleyLondon Operations Salary Guide 2026 ↗
Experience based London ranges for Head of Operations and Chief Operating Officer roles.
Salary data dates quickly. We plan to review this benchmark at least quarterly and will update the date whenever the underlying ranges change.
Have a role that does not fit neatly into a published band?