Best-paying jobs in the UK 2012

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings is in. So what are the top 10 best paid jobs in the UK this year?

Update: Best-paying jobs in the UK 2013
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A fireman in a helmet with reflective visor down
On reflection: fireman and other workers in protective services are well renumerated, but they are often exposed to dangerous situations. Photograph: FirePhoto/Alamy

Have you ever sat at your desk daydreaming about getting a better paid job? Thanks to the Office for National Statistics we can tell you where you might find one.

The following top 10 is based on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Ashe). It uses data taken from a sample of employees paid via PAYE and works out the median gross salary.

Ashe only measures salary, so while chief executives are unsurprisingly top of the pile, in reality they will be elevated to even loftier heights once bonuses, share options and other benefits are factored in. Also, the survey doesn't take into account the self-employed entrepreneurs and celebrities who do not appear on company payrolls.

The range of salaries in each category is the lowest and highest available percentiles.

1. Chief executives and senior officials

Median gross pay £85,223

Annual change +11.8%

Pay range £44,764 (20th percentile) – £137,623 (75th percentile)

Also known as CEO, chief exec, managing director, "The Boss".

What they do Chief executives run organisations; the buck stops with them. While some rise through the ranks of an organisation, others move from firm to firm seeking fresh challenges.

Why they (might argue they) are worth it Simon Bell, managing director of Page Executive, an executive recruitment firm, says: "It is the role of the CEO to generate profits for his or her organisation, and in tough economic times many are faced with the challenge of turning around an organisation's fortune. Most CEOs who earn large amounts of money operate on a global scale and are paid a rate applicable to this."

How to get there While there is no formal route or qualification needed to become a CEO, most will have years of experience leading teams and have been on the board of a firm – their role may have needed qualifications, such as accountancy for the finance director.

2. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

Median gross pay £78,736

Annual change +14.1%

Salary range £59,068 (25th pct) – £94,495 (70th pct)

Also known as Airline captains, commercial pilots, flying instructors.

What they do Fly people and goods from A to B. They also conduct flight deck checks, regulate and test engines and equipment prior to take-off.

Why they (might argue they) are worth it "Pay levels reflect the fact that pilots require a depth and breadth of skill spanning the use of technology; navigation skills; knowledge of safety and security; customer service; and of course they are the ultimate risk manager on a jet full of people," says Joris Wonders, director of Towers Watson's UK Rewards Practice.

How to get there With five GCSEs and two A-levels you can train for an airline transport pilot's licence over an 18-month intensive course or a longer "modular option". The former can cost £60,000 or more. You'll need 1,500 hours of flying, including 500 hours of multi-crew flying, before you can apply for the position of captain.

3. Medical practitioners

Median gross pay £71,279

Annual change -9.6%

Salary range £28,630 (10th pct) – £135,432 (90th pct)

Also known as GPs, doctors, hospital consultants, surgeons, anaesthetists, physicians, psychiatrists.

What they do Keep us well by diagnosing and treating our illnesses. While the local GP is the most obvious example, there's an almost endless variety of specialist medical practitioners they can refer patients on to.

Why they (might argue they) are worth it According to Steve Harman of the British Medical Association, "doctors' pay [which has been more or less static in the NHS for the past few years] is a reflection of their level of responsibility, skill levels, intensity of work and length of training. They generally reach the top of the scale only after around 20 years of service as a consultant – or around 35 years after entering medical school."

How to get there Consultants require about 10 years of postgraduate training following the initial five- to six-year medical degree.

4. Marketing and sales directors

Median gross pay £68,245

Annual change +2.2%

Salary range £29,924 (10th pct) – £106,315 (80th pct)

Also known as Head of marketing, executive vice-president of marketing.

What they do Make sure the product line sells, services are promoted, and clients are happy. They are the defender of a company's brand and its standing in the market.

Why they (might argue they) are worth it The fact that marketing and sales directors are now the highest paid executives other than the CEO is perhaps a sign of the times. "There are very few great sales people out there, and in a difficult market companies cannot afford to under-invest in their sales line," says James Callander, managing director of recruitment firm FreshMinds Talent.

How to get there There are no mandatory qualifications, but most will have a high-level qualification from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMA), such as the chartered postgraduate diploma in marketing or the advanced certificate in professional sales management practice.

5. Information technology and telecommunications directors

Median gross pay £63,622

Annual change +7.7%

Salary range £37,522 (20th pct) – £90,476 (75th pct)

Also known as Head of IT, chief information officer, CIO, senior vice-president – IT and telecoms.

What they do Reporting to the CEO, they implement and manage the IT strategy for all aspects of a business.

Why they (might argue they) are worth it It's no longer the back-office function of old. The high pay IT directors receive is down to supply and demand, says Stephen Rutherford, managing director at Michael Page Technology. "The talent pool of really top tier IT directors is smaller than the number of jobs out there, meaning the ones who move can name their price."

How to get there An excellence in IT skills is a given, but while formal qualifications may not always be required the information technology management for business degree is a recognised route.

6. Company lawyers

Median gross pay £61,544

Annual change +3.8%

Salary range £30,848 (10th pct) – £91,784 (75th pct)

Also known as In-house lawyers, in-industry lawyers.

What they do Company lawyers work within companies and are typically internal legal advisers and managers within a legal function.

Why they (might argue they) are worth it "It takes an exceptional combination of talents to be a great in-house lawyer," argues Roshana Gammampila, head of legal resourcing firm FreshMinds Legal. "The breadth of legal skill required is huge, and an in-house lawyer often deals with matters ranging from consumer rights to intellectual property disputes."

How to get there Graduates in England and Wales must take the legal practice course (LPC) followed by two years' training before they qualify. In Scotland students must obtain the Bachelor of Scots law (LLB) degree followed by professional education and training (PEAT) stages 1 and 2. In-house lawyers will typically work and train for several years as a solicitor in-practice before having the experience needed to move into industry.

7. Transport associate professionals

Median gross pay £61,414

Annual change +8.7%

Salary range £30,404 (10th pct) – £92,541 (75th pct)

Also known as Air traffic controllers, flight engineers, ship and hovercraft officers.

What they do Air traffic controllers prepare flight plans, authorise departures and arrivals and maintain contact with aircraft, whereas flight engineers inspect the aircraft inside and out to ensure safety. This category also includes the captains of ships and hovercraft.

Why they (think they) are worth it "Being an air traffic controller is a highly responsible role which requires a very specific skillset," says Paul Beauchamp, spokesperson for National Air Traffic Services (Nats). "We invest heavily in our controllers because they deal with one of the most complex areas of airspace in the world and some of the world's busiest airports." Ship captains deal with similarly high stakes where a single mistake could cost numerous lives and ruin an organisation's – even a country's – reputation (see the Costa Concordia ferry disaster).

How to get there Air traffic controllers training with Nats require only five GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or above, including English and Maths (it is skills and competencies that count). This is followed by two to three years of intensive training before qualification, at which point only 66% pass (according to 2009-10 rates). Ship captains typically require a science-related degree and a master's, a transportation worker identification credential and a merchant mariner credential, plus several years experience on-board as ships mates.

8. Senior police officers

Median gross pay £59,037

Annual change +3.8%

Salary range £51,939 (10th pct) – £63,087 (75th pct)

Also known as Chief inspectors, chief superintendents, chief constables.

What they do Direct and co-ordinate the resources and activities of police work, and perform a number of community relations activities.

Why they (think they) are worth it The chief superintendent plays an increasingly political role, both internally and externally. Unlike many other professionals almost the only way to the top in policing is through many years of experience on the force, working your way up.

How to get there Anyone can apply to the police force and are assessed according to a nationally agreed competency-based framework, assessment centre and fitness test. Prior experience isn't mandatory, although time as a police community support officer is becoming a common route. Within the police force, officers take qualifying examinations for promotion to sergeant and from sergeant to inspector. After that, progression to the high-paying ranks above inspector and beyond is by selection only.

9. Financial managers and directors

Median gross pay £55,504

Annual change -2.2%

Salary range £25,008 (10th pct) – £100,146 (80th pct)

Also known as Head of finance, finance executive, senior vice-president of finance.

What they do They hold the purse strings of an organisation, monitor the balance sheet, and increasingly set strategic direction through financial forecasting and market analysis.

Why they (think they) are worth it Normally finance directors are second only to CEOs in terms of executive salary, but not this year. James Callander, managing director of recruitment firm FreshMinds Talent, says "these unexpected figures could be down to the fact that competition in the market is high with a surplus of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)- and CIMA-qualified accountants creating a large pool of available skills and people to choose from."

How to get there Almost all financial directors will be qualified accountants, for which there are three main routes: CIMA, ACCA and Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA). All are postgraduate qualifications that require years of study while working in a related financial position.

10. Senior officers in protective services

Median gross pay £55,503

Annual change +3.3%

Salary range £34,422 (10th pct) – £62,833 (80th pct)

Also known as Officers in the armed forces, fire services, ambulance services and prison services.

What they do Keep us safe. These are the senior leaders of our public services with the mandate of protecting us from warfare, fire, accidents and convicted criminals. The more senior figures also have community relations responsibilities.

Why they (think they) are worth it These are some of the hardest jobs in society, especially for armed forces officers serving in war zones where the risk of death or injury is very real; the same goes for chiefs of fire services, although they are less likely to be undertaking physical duties.

How to get there Prison officers must pass the Prison officer selection test, after which there are numerous opportunities for promotion and secondments to gain experience. Prison governors are required to pass the National offender management service (Noms) graduate programme. Firefighters can boost promotion opportunities through qualification with the Institute of Fire Engineers. Armed forces require you to pass a four-day army officer selection board (AOSB) followed by officer training, and subsequent promotions can be aided by postgraduate qualifications.

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