Updated November 2026 · 37 real packages · How the data works
A Financial Controller (also called FC, Finance Controller) in the UK earns a median base salary of £82,000, about £6,833 a month before tax. The middle half earn £73,000 to £92,000. With bonus potential and employer pension, the median total package is £96,000. In London the median is £82,000; elsewhere in the UK it is £80,000.
That's the median for every Financial Controller. Yours depends on your sector, company size, ownership and location. See where you sit among people like you, free and anonymous.
Check my package →| 25th percentile | £73,000 |
| Median (50th) | £82,000 |
| 75th percentile | £92,000 |
| Top 10% (90th) | £95,000 |
At the median, London pays about 3% more.
| Median base | Middle half | Total package | Packages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | £82,000 | £74k to £94k | £97,000 | 30 |
| Elsewhere in the UK | £80,000 | n/a | £94,000 | 7 |
By region: Financial Controller salary in London
| Median base | Middle half | Total package | Packages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50 staff | £80,000 | £66k to £81k | £82,000 | 11 |
| 51 to 200 staff | £85,000 | £80k to £95k | £96,000 | 15 |
| 1,000+ staff | £87,000 | n/a | £105,000 | 7 |
Groups with fewer than 5 packages are not shown, so no one can be identified.
| Median base | Middle half | Total package | Packages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE-backed | £84,000 | n/a | £95,000 | 8 |
| Listed (PLC) | £80,000 | n/a | £103,000 | 6 |
| Privately owned | £84,000 | £78k to £94k | £98,000 | 16 |
Groups with fewer than 5 packages are not shown, so no one can be identified.
| Median base | Middle half | Packages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 years | £72,000 | n/a | 6 |
| 10 to 14 years | £83,000 | £74k to £95k | 15 |
| 15 to 19 years | £90,000 | n/a | 8 |
| 20+ years | £81,000 | n/a | 8 |
| Bonus potential (median) | 5% of base |
| Bonus actually paid last year (median) | 3% of base |
| Employer pension (median) | 5% |
| Have an LTIP or equity | 6% |
| Annual leave (median) | 25 days |
| Get private healthcare | 67% |
Median base salaries. Planning the move? Try the career planner.
The median Financial Controller in the UK earns a base salary of £82,000. The middle half earn between £73,000 and £92,000. The top 10% earn £95,000 or more. This is based on 37 real packages shared anonymously with The Finance Pay Index, updated November 2026.
A median base salary of £82,000 works out at about £6,833 a month before tax, National Insurance and pension deductions. Including bonus potential and employer pension, the median total package is £96,000 a year, about £8,000 a month.
The median Financial Controller in London earns £82,000 base, from 30 packages. Elsewhere in the UK the median is £80,000, so London pays about 3% more.
Across the UK outside London, the median Financial Controller base salary is £80,000 (7 packages). We don't yet publish city-level figures for this role: we only show a figure once at least 5 people in that place have shared their pay, so individuals can't be identified. Regional figures appear as more people contribute.
Yes. The median Financial Controller at a company with under 50 staff earns £80,000, against £87,000 at a company with 1,000+ staff. Under 50 staff: £80,000; 51 to 200 staff: £85,000; 1,000+ staff: £87,000.
The median Financial Controller at a PE-backed business earns £84,000 base, with a median total package of £95,000, from 8 packages. The overall UK median for the role is £82,000.
The median bonus potential for a Financial Controller is 5% of base salary. The median bonus actually paid last year was 3% of base. 6% have a long-term incentive (LTIP) or equity.
The median Financial Controller total package is £96,000 a year. That is base salary plus bonus potential, employer pension and any car allowance. The typical employer pension contribution is 5%. Typical annual leave is 25 days.
The median Group Financial Controller earns £108,000, which is £26,000 more than the median Financial Controller.
Every figure comes from real packages shared anonymously by UK finance professionals with The Finance Pay Index: base salary, bonus, pension, benefits, location, company size and ownership. Figures are permanent roles only, rounded to the nearest £1,000, and only published once at least 5 people have contributed. Ranges need at least 10.
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Source: The Finance Pay Index, built on real UK finance pay data. Permanent roles, rounded to the nearest £1,000. Indicative benchmark for discussion, not financial advice.