jobfacts

Financial managers and directors

SOC 2020 1131

Financial managers and directors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the financial information of companies, the activities and resources of financial institutions, such as banks and insurance companies, and advise on company financial policy.

Also calledBank managerBuilding society managerRetail bank managerDirectorManagerFinance managerand 127 more titles
Typical full-time pay£76,4002025 Provisional
People in the job461,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month4,200↑ 4.8%on last year · 38th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time financial managers and directors earn between £50,000 and £120,400 a year.

What full-time financial managers and directors earn, 2025
£76,400 typical£34,000lowest 10%£138,400top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£50,000–£120,400)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£34,000
Lowest 20% earn less than£45,000
25%£50,000
Median£76,400
75%£120,400
Top 20% earn more than£138,400
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £76,400
London£115,500
South East£68,800
North West£68,400
Scotland!£62,700
West Midlands!£61,100
South West!£60,100
East of England!£60,000
Yorkshire and The Humber!£58,900
North EastNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £76,400
London£115,500
South East£68,800
North West£68,400
Scotland£62,700 (small sample)
West Midlands£61,100 (small sample)
South West£60,100 (small sample)
East of England£60,000 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£58,900 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £70,300
  • 2024 £75,800
  • 2025 Provisional£76,400
↑ 8.8% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 4,200 jobs for financial managers and directors are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20264,609
Jul 20264,036
Jun 20264,723
May 20264,499
Apr 20263,805
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20263,953
Jan 20264,311
Dec 20252,542
Nov 20254,355
Oct 20254,599
Sept 20254,577
Aug 20254,293
Jul 20254,118
Jun 20254,792
May 20255,014
Apr 20253,667
Mar 20254,358
Feb 20254,433
Jan 20253,848
Dec 20242,636
Nov 20243,652
Oct 20243,634
Sept 20243,829
Aug 20243,649
Jul 20244,324
Jun 20243,870
May 20244,596
Apr 20244,602
Mar 20243,928
Feb 20244,402
Jan 20245,394
Dec 20234,069
Nov 20234,652
Oct 20234,693
Sept 20234,180
Aug 20234,794
Jul 20235,382
Jun 20236,634
May 20236,588
Apr 20235,803
Mar 20236,918
Feb 20237,024
Jan 20237,834
Dec 20226,653
Nov 20227,981
Oct 20227,978
Sept 20227,369
Aug 20227,286
Jul 20228,081
Jun 20228,255
May 20229,270
Apr 20227,417
Mar 20229,209
Feb 20228,911
Jan 20229,133
Dec 20217,291
Nov 20216,912
Oct 20217,281
Sept 20218,106
Aug 20216,678
Jul 20217,677
Jun 20216,939
May 20217,014
Apr 20215,629
Mar 20217,783
Feb 20214,982
Jan 20215,424
Dec 20204,086
Nov 20204,535
Oct 20204,695
Sept 20204,358
Aug 20203,775
Jul 20204,334
Jun 20203,746
May 20203,429
Apr 20204,230
Mar 20208,064
Feb 20208,694
Jan 20208,406
Dec 20196,056
Nov 20198,081
Oct 20197,531
Sept 20197,551
Aug 20198,159
Jul 201910,121
Jun 201910,499
May 20199,760
Apr 20196,656
Mar 20198,651
Feb 20197,863
Jan 20198,165
Dec 20185,151
Nov 20187,839
Oct 20187,433
Sept 20187,200
Aug 20187,022
Jul 20187,560
Jun 20187,845
May 20188,155
Apr 20187,502
Mar 20188,532
Feb 20188,053
Jan 20189,622
Dec 20175,710
Nov 20177,527
Oct 20178,453
Sept 20177,434
Aug 20177,111
Jul 20176,963
Jun 20178,767
May 20177,271
Apr 20177,010
Mar 20178,516
Feb 20177,380
Jan 20179,402
Is there a shortage of financial managers and directors?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was critical.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
12%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for functional managers and directors, which includes financial managers and directors. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London3,751
Manchester410
Birmingham357
Leeds266
Bristol, City of231
Glasgow City205
City of Edinburgh143
Nottingham136
Belfast125
Sheffield125
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where financial managers and directors are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 1,120 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from United States, Japan, India, ranking it 15th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of financial managers and directors
0.3%!
15%
27%
31%
19%
8.3%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–240.3% (small sample)
25–3415%
35–4427%
45–5431%
55–6419%
65+8.3%
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent63%
Higher education below degree5.3%
A levels or equivalent17%
GCSEs or equivalent10%
Other qualifications3.2%
No qualifications!1.1%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent63%
Higher education below degree5.3%
A levels or equivalent17%
GCSEs or equivalent10%
Other qualifications3.2%
No qualifications1.1% (small sample)

Main employers: business and other management consultancy activities (8%), other monetary intermediation (6.5%), other activities auxiliary to financial services, except insurance and pension funding (6%), security and commodity contracts brokerage (4.5%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
63%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
2
from level 6
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 3½ years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You could study for a degree or postgraduate award before applying for a graduate management trainee scheme. Most degrees are acceptable, though you may have an advantage with a subject like:

  • business management
  • accounting
  • economics
  • finance
  • law
  • maths

It can help if you do a course which offers work experience opportunities, such as:

  • taster days or work shadowing
  • banking internship schemes
  • a year in industry placement

Your university careers service can help you to find work experience opportunities.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could apply to join a bank as an apprentice and train on the job for a management position.

Apprenticeships include:

  • Financial Services Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Financial Services Customer Adviser Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Financial Services Professional Level 6 Apprenticeship
  • Chartered Manager Level 6 Apprenticeship

If you want to work in commercial or investment banking you could do a Senior Investment and Commercial Banking Professional Level 7 Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start in banking in a customer service role and work your way up through training and promotion to assistant manager then manager.

You'll usually need a least 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths. Some employers may ask for A levels or equivalent qualifications.

Apply directly

You can apply directly for jobs. You'll need qualifications and experience in financial services, sales, business development or customer service management.

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Chartered Banking Institute for professional development opportunities, industry news and to expand your network of contacts.

Further information

You can find more advice about careers in banking from the Walbrook Institute London and the Chartered Banker Institute.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for bank manager. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • participates in the formulation of strategic and long-term business plans, assesses the implications for the organisation financial mechanisms and oversees their implementation
  • plans external and internal audit programmes, arranges for the collection and analysis of accounting, budgetary and related information, and manages the company’s financial systems
  • determines staffing levels appropriate for accounting activities
  • assesses and advises on factors affecting business performance
  • plans, organises, directs and co-ordinates the activities of financial institutions
  • ensures compliance with accounting, recording and information storage, retrieval procedures and the statutory regulatory framework

Skills

  • advise on financial matters
  • liaise with managers
  • manage financial risk
  • analyse financial performance of a company
  • analyse financial risk
  • analyse market financial trends
  • create a financial plan
  • enforce financial policies
  • follow company standards
  • manage staff
  • plan health and safety procedures
  • strive for company growth
  • build business relationships
  • recruit employees

Knowledge

  • corporate social responsibility
  • financial analysis
  • financial management
  • financial statements
  • banking activities
  • principles of insurance
  • securities
  • types of insurance

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Leading and persuading

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for corporate managers and directors, a group of 20 jobs that includes financial managers and directors.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 3%about 78,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.4 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.