Town Hall Rich List 2023 - 2,759 Council Bosses Received Over £100,000 Last Year

18th May 2023

The Taxpayers Alliance report pulls together the figures on the highest paid council employees in the UK.

Town Hall Rich List 2023 finds the number of officials receiving more than £100,000 was 2,759, with 721 getting over £150,000.

The TaxPayers' Alliance provides a council-by-council breakdown of local government executive pay deals.

In Highland the last chief executive Donna Manson who has now departed to a new post received just over £170,000 in the year 2021/22.

In Scotland 246 managers earned in excess of£100,000.

With households facing record council tax rises, the campaign group is calling on local authority bosses to offer value for money and stop council tax hikes.

As households across the country face record council tax hikes, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) today publishes its annual Town Hall Rich List, the only comprehensive list of its kind with a council-by-council breakdown of local government executive pay deals.

While Brits were struggling with the cost of living crisis, the number of council staff receiving more than £100,000 stood at 2,759, of which 721 received more than £150,000. Westminster council alone had 50 of these highly-paid employees. Of the ten local authorities with the most employees receiving over £100,000, eight were in London.

The managing director of Guildford council received the highest remuneration of any council employee in the country, raking in £607,633 in total remuneration, including a £107,195 salary, £339,158 pension contribution and £5,688 in benefits.

The 16th annual Town Hall Rich List is a vital tool for taxpayers wanting to judge which authorities are delivering the best value for money. This year saw a large reduction in the number of councils publishing accounts, with 47 failing to disclose the pay of their town hall bosses, compared to 25 local authorities last year. TPA estimates suggest that, had the figures been disclosed, the true number would have been closer to 3,126 individuals on more £100,000.

The TaxPayers' Alliance is calling on local authorities to stop council tax rises and cut down on wasteful spending, including by demanding better value from town hall bosses.

Key findings:

At least 2,759 employees received more than £100,000 in total remuneration, of which 721 received £150,000 or more.

Based on the proportion of local authorities failing to disclose details of their highly paid employees, it is reasonable to conclude that the likely total of employees earning over £100,000 was 3,126 and 818 over £150,000.

The average number of employees who received £100,000 or more in total remuneration was 7.9 per local authority. The average number receiving £150,000 or more was 2.1 employees per local authority.

UK's highest paying councils:

The local authority with the greatest number of employees receiving total remuneration over £100,000 was Westminster, with 50 employees.

The highest remunerated council employee was the managing director of Guildford council, receiving £607,633 in total remuneration. This included pension contributions of £339,158, £154,240 compensation for loss of office, a salary of £107,195 and a £5,688 in benefits.

The local authority to pay out the highest amount in terms of bonuses and performance related pay to a senior employee was Newcastle Upon Tyne council, with their director of public health receiving a £36,192 bonus.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:

"Taxpayers facing record council tax rises want to be sure they are getting value for money from their local authority leadership.

"Many authorities continue with extremely generous pay and perks, including bonuses and golden goodbyes, while local people are facing a financial squeeze.

"Residents can use these figures to hold their local town hall bosses to account."

Regional breakdown:



In the East Midlands:

For the third year running, the local authority in the East Midlands with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Lincolnshire, with 14, one fewer than the previous year.

The biggest remuneration package was received by South Kesteven's strategic director - £237,000.


In the East of England

For the ninth year running, the local authority in the East of England with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Essex, with 45, eight more than the previous year.
The biggest remuneration package was received by Essex's chief executive - £254,453.


In London

For the third year running, the local authority in London with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Westminster, with 50, six more than the previous year. This authority had the most employees on over £100,000 in the country.

The biggest remuneration package was received by Ealing's chief executive - £325,047.


In the North East

For the third year running, the local authority in the North East with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Northumberland, with 23, three more than the previous year, which had seen an increase of seven.

The biggest remuneration package was received by Sunderland's executive director of neighbourhoods - £573,550, the second highest remuneration UK wide.


In the North West

For the second year running, the local authority in the North West with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Manchester, with 23, one fewer than the previous year.

The biggest remuneration package was received by Manchester’s chief executive - £250,727.



In Northern Ireland

The local authority in Northern Ireland with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Belfast, with nine, three more than in the previous year.

The biggest remuneration package was received by Newry, Mourne and Down’s clerk & chief executive - £152,463.


In Scotland

For the third year running, the local authority in Scotland with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Edinburgh, with 29.

The biggest remuneration package was received by North Lanarkshire’s Executive director (enterprise and communities) - £536,530, the third largest remuneration in the UK.


In the South East

The local authority in the South East with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Hampshire, with 33, seven more than the previous year.

The biggest remuneration package was received by Guildford’s managing director - £607,633, the highest remuneration for a council employee in the UK.


In the South West

The local authority in the South West with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Dorset, with 23.

The biggest remuneration package was received by the City of Bristol’s Director homes and landlord services (interim) - £280,634.


In Wales

The local authority in Wales with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Cardiff, with 17, three more than the previous year.

The biggest remuneration package was received by Cardiff’s chief executive - £227,116.


In the West Midlands

The local authority in the West Midlands with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was Staffordshire, with 22.

The biggest remuneration package was received by Wyre Forest’s Corporate director: economic prosperity and place - £286,230.


In Yorkshire and the Humber

The local authority in Yorkshire and the Humber with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2021-22 was East Riding of Yorkshire, with 23.

The biggest remuneration package was received by Sheffield’s chief executive - £243,130.

Read the full report HERE