What jobs do people have that pay £200k+?

[Diamondpearl123]

I am thinking about making a career change to earn more (aiming for £200k +) but would like to understand what types of roles I should aim for and whether they are realistic for me. Grateful to understand people’s experiences and hopefully start a good discussion. Some questions below. Thank you

• What is your job?
• What is your salary?
• How many years into your career are you?
• What are the key qualifications/experience for the role?
• What hours do you work?

The most i have earned in one year was circa 200k. I was contracting as a consultant in tech on a good day rate. It required too much of me to be able to continue at that level with the kids and their needs (sen). Required lots of travel, lots of time i offce and long hours.
So now I earn half that but have a good work life balance and work from home with limited travel. I will go back to office once kids are in secondary and build up again from there.
I am not a developer nor do I have a computer science degree. I can't code but can read and understand it. But I have lots of industry experience in my specialist areas and am a really good people manager, project manager and strategist.

Jealousy probably, hoping everyone will go "she's right!" And quit their well paid jobs.

This is an interesting thread. Not many people have mentioned things like class, geography, and connections.

I don't have much from your list, maybe the face. Law degree yes but I chose that over say, philosophy or medieval literature. However, I absolutely agree that it is a lot easier if you have wealthy parents and the right connections.

Bump.
can you tell us a bit more about yourself OP?

Here's an interesting webpage:

https://www.starlingbank.com/blog/average-uk-salary-by-age/

which paints a picture of top 10% salaries across age bands. I'm quite encouraged, in a funny way, that the vast majority of people are not getting up into the hundreds of k. And the reality is there has to be a "pay pyramid" (doesn't there?) for most people.

I think it depends on many things....having the right job, perhaps a little luck as well. For example a family friend made millions during his time in finance, but you would not make the same now. He was there at the right time, right place and of course smart, hard working. Also, sales you can make less then 100K or well over 200k....some colleagues of my dh have made a million on a good year.

I do not have a degree, or A levels.
I started work as a London temp in admin, travelling into the city daily. I progressed naturally into a permanent role then took on the tasks no-one else wanted to do.

I moved around a little, once due to lack of flexibility post maternity - I thought that was game over.

I did the tasks I was given and became an expert in a niche area that no-one else wanted to own. As my management changed over the years, I was leaned on more for my knowledge.

My biggest boost came when HR accidently sent me my male colleagues compensation details & it became apparent I was earning far less than them despite being the same job grade, resulting in a 60% pay increase.

I'm now on ~£125k base + 20% bonus. Not the ball park your looking for, but I've got here without parental support, friends in high places or a high level of education.

I took 2 rounds of maternity leave (negotiating 80% wfh after the 2nd) & my husband made a career change ~5 years ago to a lower paid, higher satisfaction job.

Believe in yourself.

A family member is a technology architect and earns over 250k.

I think you're right. At least three of those points on the list have probably contributed to both DH and I earning well over £200k for decades.

Middle management in an international organisation. I earn around 330k pre-tax plus a final salary pension (the most important element for me as I'm rubbish at that kind of thing).

I trained as a chartered accountant 30 years ago, worked in the city for a few years, then joined the UK government before moving into my current role at an IO 15 years ago.

Work can vary. Typically around 35-40 hours a week but can be a lot more than that at times. Generous holidays though.

My biggest boost came when HR accidently sent me my male colleagues compensation details & it became apparent I was earning far less than them despite being the same job grade, resulting in a 60% pay increase

Yes, I think the list from *Existentialistic *should also include: be a man

Absolutely not. I have a "sliding door" friend who had the exact same career to me and carried on with it when I took a step down. She achieved (and earned) really well but our disposable income was actually pretty similar as she lived in Central London with a nanny and later private school fees, expensive spa holidays to distress, expensive work clothes, lots of international trips etc. She also ended up having a nervous breakdown and can no longer work.

I'm so much happier now. I can sleep (used to have awful insomnia due to stress), enjoy time with my family and leisure time. Im financially secure and don't need to worry about money but just can't do things like buy designer clothes or go out to dinner every week or go on luxury holidays. None of that matters when your everyday life is happy and balanced.

Senior GP (so unless you want to train as a doctor/GP) not sure it helps.
Portfolio so have 4 different roles. 2 full days in practice the rest flexibly in other roles quite senior.
Qualified 31 years GP for 23. Lots of additional qualifications.
Work far more hours than I would like and some of it very stressful. My DC feel my laptop is open constantly (they are not wrong) 60ish a week.
200k ish. The tax trap is painful. Would very much like to reduce hours and pay. Feel very responsible in some of my roles.
Im 55 and have had enough.

So I don’t earn over £200k. I earn about half that as a senior lawyer in a commercial firm (outside of London). Lots of the people I work with do earn that (and more) but I have decided I don’t want to get promoted any further because you literally trade your whole life for that money.

Top Executive and Management Roles (£200k+)

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Often spans £72k–£600k+.
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO): £140k–£300k+.
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / CISO: £160k–£320k.
• VP/Director of Sales/Business Development: Often with high, uncapped commission.

Finance and Investment Roles (£200k+)

• Investment Banker: Highly competitive, often exceeding £200k.
• Finance Quants & Portfolio Managers: High-impact roles in hedge funds.
• Head of Compliance/Risk: Often £150k–£300k.
• Tax Specialist/Director: Senior positions.

Technology and Engineering Roles (£200k+)

• Senior Software Engineer (AI/Machine Learning): Particularly in Fintech or AI firms.
• Director of Product: £190k–£220k+.
• Head of Data Engineering: £160k–£320k.

Professional Services and Specialist Roles (£200k+)

• Corporate Lawyer: Especially in top-tier London firms.
• Medical Consultant/Surgeon/Anaesthetist: Specialized senior hospital roles.
• Orthodontist/Dentist: Experienced specialists.
• Airline Pilot: Senior captains.

Common Industries & Locations

• Sector: Primarily financial services, technology (AI), legal, and management consulting.
• Location: London is the hub, with some opportunities in regional centers like Glasgow or Manchester for specialized roles.

Key Requirements

• High-level management experience.
• Specialized, niche skills (e.g., AI, complex financial modeling).
• Uncapped commission structures in sales.
• Proven track record in driving revenue or business transformation.

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Google is your friend. 🙄

But that wasn't @Diamondpearl123 's question?

A few people I know well who earn this or more:

One is an actor / voice artist.
One owns their own business. Works 6-7 days a week with loads of travel. Stressful.
One is a partner in a law firm. Works v long hours.
One worked in tech in a bank, v senior. Works part time now and probably earns the most.

I feel like people, women in particular, never really talk about how much they earn.

not everyone feels the need to talk about what they earn, or the benefits they get

salary level is the worst starting point for building a career path.

start by doing your own skills audit, consider your strengths, what gets you up in the morning, what motivates you and develop on that. Take online courses to formalise the skills you have so your next role will give you remuneration that recognises what you offer a company. Whatever you read on here could be true or made up.

there are plenty of people who earn a lot less than £200K who are happy and fulfilled.

Unhelpful, that's not what the OP is asking for

@dreichluver what's your point? I don't need Google to be my friend thanks - I'm quite capable of researching things if I need to but not sure what you're getting at with your eye roll.

What are your qualifications, skills and experience? How old are you? I think those are key to this.
If you're still young and have time to start again then you could do anything youre capable of.
If you have transferrable skills so you dont have to start at the bottom, look for high eaening careers you can move sideways in to.
Age plays a factor as most people work up to that kind of salary over a long period, so starting again at the bottom may not allow you to acheive that level of earnings. Also like it or not, ageism exists.

I applaud you for aiming high. No one should limit themselves.

Us telling you that we are pilots and investment bankers won't really help you get into a new career though.

What are your skills? Qualifications? Experience? How much can you afford to spend on retraining?

Apologies. My comment was meant for OP. Don't know why I replied to you instead. Mea Culpa.

Marketing leadership.

Tech company.

I work long hours, quiet mornings, but late evenings (US company). Some travel (largely US).

23 year's experience.

Degree in Marketing (not required, or even useful for my job).

I worked my way up through startups, scale ups, several acquisitions, each one leading to a bigger role.

Main skill is leading large groups through transition.

There’s no wonder some men don’t take us seriously. Ffs she asked a very specific question! She doesn’t have to explain to everyone what she earns now but you could use your inference skills! She obviously thinks she’s capable of earning £200,000 so one can infer that she is in a good job / is skilled currently. And don’t tell her what your husband said or that she should do something she loves because that’s not what she asked! She’s after the money and fuck yeah girl I hope you get it!