Chief executives of Britain's top listed companies will need to work for less than three days in the new year to earn more than the average UK worker makes in an entire year, according to a stark new analysis.
The Startling Pay Gap in Numbers
The research, published by the think tank the High Pay Centre, calculates that the typical FTSE 100 boss will have earned the median UK full-time annual salary of £39,039 by just before midday on Tuesday 6 January 2026. This is based on an average CEO pay packet, excluding pensions, of £4.40 million.
This colossal sum translates to an hourly rate of £1,353.23 for top executives, which is 113 times the pay of an average employee. The figures are derived from the latest company disclosures and official government statistics on earnings.
A Wider Pattern of High Earnings
The analysis shows that extreme pay is not confined to the corporate boardroom. Partners at elite 'Magic Circle' law firms are projected to reach the average worker's annual salary by 8 January 2026. Their counterparts at the 'Big Four' accounting firms will hit the same mark by 20 January.
Those in the top 1% of UK earners will not achieve this threshold until 19 March. The revelations follow comments from London Stock Exchange chief Dame Julia Hoggett, who argued in November that UK firms are becoming more "forceful" in executive pay to compete for global talent.
An earlier High Pay Centre report noted that FTSE 100 CEO pay rose by 6.8% to a record £4.58 million for the 2024-25 financial year. Among the highest earners were Simon Peckham and Peter Dilnot of Melrose Industries, who received a combined £58.9 million.
In a separate case, betting firm Bet365 faced criticism in December after it was revealed its chief executive, Denise Coates, received a remuneration package worth at least £280 million in 2025.
Calls for Reform to Address Inequality
The High Pay Centre directly links the growing chasm in pay to declining trade union membership. Andrew Speke, the think tank's interim director, stated the figures "emphasise the huge gulf in how the work of most people is valued compared to a small number of feted executives."
He criticised the notion that executives provide over 100 times more value than their workforce, calling it "simply not credible." Speke argued for "bolder" reforms beyond the recent Employment Rights Act.
The proposed measures include mandating democratic worker representation on all major company boards and introducing higher taxes on firms that pay excessive sums to their top earners. The think tank suggests such tax revenue should be invested in education to tackle deep-rooted inequality and improve social mobility.
