Highest paying jobs and degrees 2021

At a time when university is at its most expensive, today's graduates face one of the toughest job markets ever. Cash in on your investment with this list of the highest paying jobs in the UK.

Credit: Zhukova Valentyna (background), Luis Molinero (woman) – Shutterstock

Despite rising numbers of graduates, studies still suggest that it's worth getting a degree to significantly enhance your lifetime earnings potential. We've done the research to help you really maximise your salary packet after university with this list of the best paid jobs and highest paying degrees in the UK.

The methodology is outlined below, but note that these figures don't account for bonuses or other benefits. Instead, they refer to each job's median salary (before tax), according to official government statistics.

We've also looked at the top five best-paid jobs and explained which degrees will help you enter the industry. Of course, you shouldn't expect to go straight into the upper end of the salary range on day one – but if you want to make it there someday, these career choices might be for you.

Highest paying jobs in the UK

These are the best-paid jobs in the UK:

1. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers – £92,330
2. Chief Executives and Senior Officials – £85,239
3. Marketing and Sales Directors – £80,759
4. Legal Professionals (n.e.c.*) – £77,212
5. Information Technology and Telecommunications Directors – £69,814
6. Financial Managers and Directors – £67,114
7. Advertising and Public Relations Directors – £63,362
8. Medical Practitioners – £62,219
9. Functional Managers and Directors (n.e.c.*) – £57,345
10. Senior Police Officers – £56,665
11. Senior Professionals of Educational Establishments – £56,481
12. Train and Tram Drivers – £56,091
13. Ship and Hovercraft Officers – £53,705
14. Financial Institution Managers and Directors – £53,365
15. Higher Education Teaching Professionals – £51,224
16. IT Specialist Managers – £51,053
17. Electrical Engineers – £50,866
18. Health Services and Public Health Managers and Directors – £50,837
19. IT Business Analysts, Architects and Systems Designers – £50,775
20. Business and Financial Project Management Professionals – £50,324

* n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified) refers to all other jobs within a given industry that aren't classified under another title.

How to get one of the best-paid jobs in the UK

If you're aiming for the very top, here's some more info on the highest-paying jobs in the UK, as well as how to get there yourself:

1. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers

   

   Credit: Andrey Armyagov – Shutterstock

   Median salary: £92,330

   It seems that aviation is the field to go into if you're after some sky-high wages...

   Pilot salaries vary according to employer, experience and the type of aircraft being flown. Even so, being a pilot is one of the highest paying jobs you can get. Minimum entry qualifications required to train as a pilot in the UK are five GCSEs and two A Levels, although a degree may help you stand out against the competition.

   While it's now possible to gain a BSc in Air Transport with Commercial Pilot Training, degrees that demonstrate you have a thorough understanding of maths and physics may also provide you with an advantage.

   An Airline Transport Pilot's Licence (ATPL) is a necessary prerequisite, and in order to retain their licence, pilots are required to pass certain exams every six months.

   A degree can, therefore, be useful preparation for balancing studying around other commitments.

2. Chief Executives and Senior Officials

   

   Credit: Frederic Legrand - COMEO – Shutterstock

   Median salary: £85,239

   In the UK, Chief Executives may also be known as Managing Directors or CEOs, and are the highest-ranking individuals within an organisation. As the top dogs, it's probably not a surprise that they also occupy one of the best-paid jobs around, too.

   You'll be happy to hear that there are no stipulations for Chief Executives to hold any formal qualifications and, notably, some of the world’s most famous CEOs dropped out of uni without attaining a degree (including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson).

   However, unless you follow in their footsteps and start your own company, you’ll find that most organisations require their head honchos to be educated to at least an undergraduate degree level.

   Studying a business-related degree and actually starting your own business is likely to set you in good stead for a very well paid career at the top.

   Many CEOs have previously served on the board of directors and may also have professional or postgraduate qualifications such as an MBA. Leadership skills and thick skin are essential, too!

3. Marketing and Sales Director

   

   Median salary: £80,759

   Sales and marketing are crucial to the success of many organisations. It doesn’t matter how good your product is if no one knows about it!

   But marketing isn't solely confined to the private sector – there's a diverse range of roles within the public sector and not-for-profit organisations, although these may not be quite as well-paid.

   As a marketing executive, you could be involved in anything from promoting a new product to raising awareness of a charity.

   Like many sectors, marketing is highly competitive, with many employers preferring graduates with related degrees in marketing or business. Previous work experience is also an advantage, whether gained through internships, holiday jobs or placements.

   You can also find a whole host of great specialised online courses in marketing that you can do for free. These will keep you up to date on the latest practices (marketing evolves pretty quickly) and will look great on your CV.

   As for sales, things are a little more open. It's still exceptionally competitive (and unlike many other jobs, it's much easier to measure who the best salesperson is), but there's less of a need for a degree. Instead, experience and a natural talent for the role are often more important.

4. Legal Professionals

   

   Median salary: £77,212

   As we explained earlier, this one is technically 'Legal Professionals (n.e.c.)', with 'n.e.c.' meaning 'not elsewhere classified'. In other words, this includes all jobs that could be classified as 'Legal Professional' that weren't covered by a more specific listing elsewhere in the data.

   Anyway, explanations out of the way – there are clearly a lot of well-paid roles in this field, despite the relatively low starting salary for Law graduates.

   The highest-paying jobs are in commercial and corporate law but, as you might expect, these are also among the most competitive too. While other areas, such as personal or family law, don't pay quite as much, you'll still find your salary is very healthy – particularly as you climb the career ladder.

   And, despite what you may have heard, you don't need a Law degree to work in the industry. Although this is useful, graduates of other subjects simply have to take the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) conversion course which lasts a year and puts you on the right track. CILEx, though slightly lesser-known, also offers a number of ways for non-Law grads to work in law.

   In fact, many people even argue that studying a non-Law degree and then working in the industry is the better option, as you can then take the knowledge and skills acquired from your undergraduate degree to stand out in a super competitive field.

5. Information Technology and Telecommunications Directors

   

   Credit: Mark Agnor – Shutterstock

   Median salary: £69,814

   As you might have guessed from the name, Information Technology and Telecommunications Directors are responsible for coordinating all the IT equipment and other resources necessary for an organisation to function effectively.

   Again, roles of this kind aren't restricted to just the private or public sector – any medium or large organisation is likely to need somebody to manage their IT and communicative operations. However, the highest paying jobs are likely to be in larger companies in the private sector.

   Despite the lofty job title and salary, there's no specific set of requirements for anyone looking to become an Information Technology and Telecommunications Director.

   A relevant degree or qualification will obviously help you make your way onto the career ladder, but the most important asset when aiming for this highly-paid role is relevant work experience – and lots of it.

   What's more, given the number of plates you'll likely have to be spinning at once, skills such as organisation, communication and flexibility are desirable too. But, then again, these are things that most employers are looking for anyway!

These high paying jobs, alongside brokers, financial advisers, medical professionals and countless other lucrative roles, are extremely competitive.

While the above salaries won't reflect graduate starting salaries, don’t despair; a degree should still be seen as an investment in future earning potential.

And although there might not be a shortcut to the top-earning careers, a relevant degree and work experience can help you gain a foothold on the occupational ladder.

How far you climb is up to you. Good luck!

In the meantime, find out how to land your first graduate job.

Methodology

Data on average earnings for the highest paying jobs is compiled and made available by the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2020 (provisional).

The figures we've used were sourced from the dataset 'Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC'. We looked at the full-time gross annual pay and sorted the data by median – as per the ONS' recommendation. Bonuses have not been accounted for.