How much can you expect to earn in these public sector roles?

Headteacher

Average UK salary: £55,519         

The average UK salary for Headteachers is just over £55,000 according to research^[1], with progression for headteachers coming in the form of annual pay reviews in line with experience, and a significant raise for headteachers who take on more specialist roles. In addition to annual progression, all teachers also receive a generous pension and regular training opportunities to aid their career paths.

Health and Social Care Worker

Average UK salary: £34,591

According to Reed^[2], the average yearly salary for health and social care workers is just over £34,000 across the UK, with those in senior roles within the health sector looking to earn significantly more. However, with a range of positions available across the health sector, including social carers, therapists and pharmacists, some positions will have higher starting salaries and more progression available than others depending on qualifications and the level of expertise needed, so it’s important to do your research beforehand.

Interim Manager

Average UK salary: £73,356

Interim managers are highly experienced specialists in their field brought in usually short term to manage a period of transition or change. This role requires proven skills and experience in strategic planning, workforce analysis and policy development skills as this position requires a person whose managerial skills and experience has already been developed over years so they can come in and hit the ground running. Research^[3] has found that the average yearly salary for this role is over £73,000 across the public sector.

IT Director

Average UK salary: £82,141

Usually requiring a degree in mathematics, statistics or data science, IT Directors can expect to earn well throughout their career, with the average yearly UK salary at £82k^[4]. This role includes responsibility for managing and directing IT operations for their companies and providing leadership and technical advice to lead their departments. In addition, they may also be responsible for developing business strategies for deploying technology and software, testing hardware devices and applications before introducing them to management, and managing schedules. Like many specialist roles, those starting a career in IT can expect a salary from the mid 20’s and increasing year on year with experience.

Interim SENCO

Average UK salary: £40,053

Often paid hourly, interim special educational needs coordinators (SENCO’s) may not be on a salary due to the ad hoc nature of the role. SENCO’s work to raise educational achievement by leading and coordinating the work provided for pupils with special educational needs. SENCO’s are usually experienced teachers who are passionate in supporting pupils with such special educational needs, however, those on a salary in this role can expect an average of £40k^[5].

Intelligence Analyst

Average UK salary: £32,087

Intelligence analysts work for government agencies to provide information about security threats. Intelligence analysts are responsible for perusing and making sense of large amounts of data, which involves analysis such as history and statistics^[6].

The role also involves conducting and understanding investigations and on-field exploration, so flexibility to travel when needed is important within this career. Skills required for this role include analytical computing skills, research experience and report writing skills, with strong problem-solving expertise is also vital as part of the day-to-day job.

Tom Ryan, Director and Futures recruitment explains, “Roles in the public sector are so important for making a difference across communities and an opportunity to improve people’s livelihood. As you can see from the span of roles above, it’s an extremely varied field with opportunities for everyone no matter what your interest.”