Town Hall Rich List 2025: record 3,906 council bosses received over £100,000 last year

Mar 31 2025

Embargoed: 22:30 Monday 31st March 2025

  • Town Hall Rich List 2025 finds that a record 3,906 officials received more than £100,000, with 1,092 receiving over £150,000 in 2023-24, another record.
  • The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) provides a council-by-council breakdown of local government executive pay deals. A regional breakdown is available in this press release.

  • With households being hit by inflation-busting council tax rises for a further year, the campaign group is calling on local authority bosses to offer value for money and stop council tax hikes. 

  • Click here for frequently asked questions about the Town Hall Rich List.


As households across the country are hit with inflation-busting council tax rises, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) today publishes its 19th annual Town Hall Rich List, the only comprehensive list of its kind with a council-by-council breakdown of local government executive pay deals.

The number of town hall bosses receiving more than £100,000 in 2023-24 stood at a record-breaking 3,906, the highest level since this dataset was first published in 2007. This is partially driven by a significant increase in the number of councils who have published accounts compared to the 2024 edition of this list. The number who failed to publish accounts in time for this year fell from 59 to 15.

The number of council staff receiving over £150,000 also hit a record high of 1,092, while the number receiving over £200,000 has increased from 175 to 262. One member of staff, the chief executive at Glasgow city council, received £567,317 in total remuneration. This included £209,472 in salary and £357,845 in pension contributions

Despite consistent calls about stretched budgets and struggling services, there has been a surge in the number of senior officials receiving six-figure remuneration packages at the same time that councils have seen boosts in revenues through council tax rises and increased funding from central government. This includes a 3.5 per cent real terms increase for councils in England announced in December. Recent TPA research also revealed that almost half of councils increased their usable reserves in the latest financial year. The TPA also recently revealed that one in ten councils are considering reducing bin collection services.

The TPA is calling on ministers to provide councils with more flexibility over how they use grant funding and is calling on councils to launch major efficiency drives to limit future council tax increases.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT

 

Key findings:

  • In 2023-24, at least 3,906 council employees received total remuneration of £100,000 or more. This is 801, or 26 per cent, more compared to 2022-23. Of these, 1,092 received at least £150,000 in total remuneration, 264, or 32 per cent, more than 2022-23. This is the largest number of people in receipt of at least £100,000 or £150,000 in total remuneration since the Town Hall Rich List began in 2007.
  • At least 262 council employees received more than £200,000 in total remuneration in 2023-24. This is 87, or 50 per cent, more than 2022-23.
  • The prime minister had a salary entitlement of £172,153 in 2023-24. 238 council employees received a higher salary than this, as opposed to total remuneration.
  • A total of 15 councils did not provide accounts for 2023-24. This is significantly lower than previous years, with 59 not producing 2022-23 accounts in time for last year’s note. 

  • Wales was the region with the highest proportion of councils not producing accounts for 2023-24. Four councils in Wales, the equivalent of almost one in six, did not produce accounts.
  • In 2023-24, the local authority with the most employees receiving at least £100,000 in total remuneration was Westminster with 73 staff, 13 more than the previous year. Westminster also had the most employees receiving at least £200,000 in total remuneration with eight. Bromley, city of Edinburgh, city of London, Essex and Wandsworth all had seven employees receiving at least £200,000 in total remuneration.
  • The highest remunerated council employee, in 2023-24, was Annemarie O’Donnell, chief executive of Glasgow city council who received £567,317 in total remuneration. This included £209,472 in salary and £357,845 in pension contributions. The amount of pension contribution was due to a strain on the fund costs prior to their retirement.
  • The largest bonus given was to the chief executive of Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), a subsidiary of city of Edinburgh, M Dallas, who received a payment of £51,904 in 2023-24.
  • Burnley was the only council which had no employees receiving over £100,000 in 2023-24.

  • Birmingham, Nottingham and Woking all issued section 114 notices in 2023-24, effectively declaring bankruptcy. 
    • Birmingham failed to produce any accounts.
    • Nottingham and Woking had eight officials each receiving total remuneration of at least £100,000.

 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT



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

“It’s a record breaking year in many respects for taxpayers as the country hurtles towards a record tax burden, all while the public sector continues to feather its nest.

“As our latest town hall rich list demonstrates, the number of council staff with six-figure remuneration packages has surged at the same time that services are being slashed and council tax is being hiked above inflation.

“Local residents can look up their own authority in our list and judge the quality of services and their council tax bill against the pay packets of their council bosses.”


TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)



Regional breakdown: 

 

In the East Midlands:

  • For the fifth year running, the local authority in the East Midlands with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Lincolnshire, with 25, 11 more than the previous year. West Northamptonshire also had 25 employees receiving over £100,000.
  • The biggest remuneration package was received by Leicestershire’s chief executive, John Sinnott - £282,000.

 

In the East of England

  • For the eleventh year running, the local authority in the East of England with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Essex, with 58, 13 more than the previous year. 

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by Castle Point’s strategic director (resources), Chris Mills - £565,000.

In London

  • For the fifth year running, the local authority in London with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Westminster, with 73, 13 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 Sutton’s strategic director of development, growth and regeneration, Carolyn Dwyer - £321,097.

 

In the North East

  • For the fifth year running, the local authority in the North East with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Northumberland, with 23, one more than the previous year.

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by County Durham’s chief executive, John Hewitt - £252,648.



In the North West

  • The local authority in the North West with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Manchester, with 28.

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by Westmorland and Furness’ interim director of children’s services, John Readman - £335,364.



In Northern Ireland

  • For the second year running, the local authority in Northern Ireland with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Antrim and Newtonabbey, with seven, one more than the previous year.
  • The biggest remuneration package was received by Belfast’s chief executive, John Walsh - £187,425.

 

In Scotland

  • For the second year running, the local authority in Scotland with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Glasgow, with 42, the same as last year.

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by Glasgow’s chief executive, Annemarie O’Donnell - £567,317. This was also the largest single remuneration package in the dataset.

 

In the South East

  • The local authority in the South East with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Hampshire, with 50.

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by Brighton and Hove’s executive director health and adult social care - £456,821.

 

In the South West

  • The local authority in the South West with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Somerset, with 54.

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by a member of staff working in Somerset council - £277,500.

 

In Wales 

  • The local authority in Wales with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Rhondda Cynon Taf, with 24. 

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by Cardiff’s chief executive, Paul Orders - £234,912.

 

In the West Midlands

  • The local authority in the West Midlands with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Shropshire, with 25. 

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by Herefordshire’s corporate director, children and young people - £264,000.

 

In Yorkshire and the Humber

  • For the second year running, the local authority in Yorkshire and the Humber with the most employees who received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2023-24 was Leeds, with 26. 

 

  • The biggest remuneration package was received by East Riding of Yorkshire’s chief executive, Caroline Lacey - £347,000.



Media contact:

 

Elliot Keck
Head of Campaigns, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)


Notes to editors:

  1. Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) campaigns to reform taxes and public services, cut waste and speak up for British taxpayers. Find out more at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
  2. TaxPayers' Alliance's research council.
  3. Click here for frequently asked questions about the Town Hall Rich List.
  4. The Town Hall Rich List 2024 found 3,106 council bosses received more than £100,000. The full release can be found here.
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