Managers and directors in the creative industries: salary in the UK
About £46,305 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +11.8% on last year
£5,136 a month About £3,859 a month after tax 21 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £42,946 in 2023 to £61,634 in 2026 (+44%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +17% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | x | £27,762 | x | x | x |
| 2022 | x | x | x | x | x |
| 2023 | x | £29,282 | £42,946 | x | x |
| 2024 | £30,000 | £36,901 | £44,879 | x | x |
| 2025 | £31,943 | £41,531 | £55,124 | x | x |
| 2026 | £34,639 | £46,604 | £61,634 | x | x |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £61,634 a year and half earn more. That is 51% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
One in ten earns less than £34,639.
Ranked by median, it is number 20 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £3,859 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £3,710 in Scotland.
The median for men is £70,097 and for women £52,550, a gap of 25% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £34,639 | £2,887 |
| 20th | £43,323 | £3,610 |
| 25th (P25) | £46,604 | £3,884 |
| 30th | £49,119 | £4,093 |
| 40th | £54,853 | £4,571 |
| Median (50th) | £61,634 | £5,136 |
| 60th | £71,388 | £5,949 |
| 70th | £79,020 | £6,585 |
| 75th (P75) | x | x |
| 80th | x | x |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £70,097 | x | 14 |
| Women | £52,550 | £73,860 | 8 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £46,305 | £3,859 |
| Scotland | £44,522 | £3,710 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £62,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 44 job titles to SOC 1255 Managers and directors in the creative industries. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Agent
- Architect manager
- Architectural practice manager
- Architecture manager
- Art gallery director
- Art gallery owner
- Artist manager
- Arts manager
- Booking agent
- Boxer's manager
- Broadcasting manager
- Concert agent
- Creative manager
- Design director
- Design studio manager
- Director
- Entertainment agent
- Film agent
- Gallery director
- Gallery manager
- General manager
- Graphic design manager
- Manager
- Model agent
- Model's agent
- Operations director
- Owner
- Owner-publisher
- Personal manager
- Photographic studio owner
- Production manager
- Publisher
- Publisher's manager
- Publishing director
- Radio station manager
- Studio manager
- Talent agent
- Technical director
- Theatrical agent
- Theatrical production manager
- Tour manager
- Touring manager
- Variety agent
- Video production manager
Similar occupations
All jobs in Managers, directors and senior officials
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.