Senior healthcare jobs dominate the ranking of the UK’s highest paid professionals as we head into 2022, according to figures released by the world’s largest job site, Indeed.
Indeed analysed hundreds of thousands of full-time vacancies advertised on its platform to pinpoint which offer the highest average annual salary.
Tax partner tops the ranking of 2021’s highest paid jobs, rising from second in 2020’s list, with an average annual salary of £124,000.
However just three of this year’s top 20 highest paid jobs command an average salary of over £100,000, compared to the 11 roles which paid six figures in 2020.
Chief financial officers, who are responsible for managing a company’s financial planning and reporting, have risen from sixth to second place, typically earning a six-figure salary of £112,500 on average.
The 2021 ranking is dominated by senior healthcare jobs, which made up seven positions in the top 20 last year but account for 12 of the top 20 spots (60%) this time.
The scarcity of candidates with the qualifications, expertise and experience needed to fill such specialist, senior roles drives up salaries as employers compete for the best talent.
Consultant dermatologists, who specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of skin, hair and nail conditions, are the highest paid professionals in the healthcare sector this year.
Other professions in 2021’s top 20 ranking come from the engineering and tech sectors.
Table: The highest paying jobs in 2021
| Ranking | Job title | Average annual salary |
| 1 | Tax partner | £124,000 |
| 2 | Head of sales | £116,000 |
| 3 | Chief financial officer | £112,500 |
| 4 | Consultant dermatologist | £100,000 |
| 5 | Vice president of engineering | £99,300 |
| 6 | Ophthalmologist | £98,000 |
| 7 | Vascular surgeon | £97,000 |
| 8 | Nephrologist | £96,700 |
| 9 | Consultant paediatrician | £96,100 |
| 10 | Neonatologist | £96,000 |
| 11 | Locum consultant | £95,700 |
| 12 | Anaesthesiologist | £95,600 |
| 13 | Consultant oncologist | £95,300 |
| 14 | Rheumatologist | £94,700 |
| 15 | Chief technology officer | £93,400 |
| 16 | Litigation partner | £93,300 |
| 17 | Plastic surgeon | £93,000 |
| 18 | Orthodontist | £92,800 |
| 19 | Director of analytics | £92,700 |
| 20 | Director of product management | £91,900 |
Jack Kennedy, economist at the global job site Indeed, comments: “Salary is one way of recognising the value and importance of a role to an organisation or to society as a whole and it’s interesting that many of the very highest paid jobs are specialist healthcare ones.
“Although healthcare dominates the very highest paying jobs, the roles commanding the biggest salaries in the country – tax partner, head of sales and chief financial officer – reflect high pay for those steering organisations’ financial performance, navigating through a pandemic in which some businesses have flourished.
“While our table of highest paid jobs is full of positions that require years of experience and extensive training it’s important to remember that they also carry the burden of making important – in some cases life and death – decisions, which can impact the direction of an organisation as well as its employees.”
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