The Government has disclosed that more than 550 public sector workers are on remuneration packages worth over £174,000 per year. This revelation comes as the Cabinet Office publishes a 'high earners' list covering Whitehall and quangos for the first time in three years.
Threshold Increase Reduces List Count
Interestingly, the number of individuals appearing on this list has been trimmed compared to previous years. This reduction is due to the threshold for inclusion being pushed up by £25,000, now aligning with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's total remuneration, which includes his MP salary.
Top Earners in Public Sector
HS2 chief executive Mark Wild tops the latest list, earning between £660,000 and £665,000 as of September last year. Network Rail's head, Andrew Haines, follows closely with a package of £585,000 to £590,000.
Other notable high earners include:
- Jeremy Westlake of Network Rail: £555,000-£550,000 (from August 2025)
- Nick Elliott, AWE plc chief executive: £465,000-£470,000
- David Peattie, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: £445,000-£450,000
- Nicholas Harris, National Highways: £395,000-£400,000
Senior Civil Servants and New Appointments
Dame Antonia Romeo, recently promoted to Cabinet Secretary, was recorded as earning £205,000 to £210,000 during her tenure as the top civil servant at the Home Office. Meanwhile, Daniel McGrail, chief executive of Ed Miliband's new GB Energy, was listed with a package of £350,000 to £350,000.
Criticism from TaxPayers' Alliance
John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, voiced strong criticism: 'Taxpayers are sick of seeing the ranks of senior civil servants continue to expand while services continue to suffer.' He added, 'Britain's bureaucracy looks increasingly like a Potemkin village with an elite of highly paid staff acting as a facade for a failing institution, which is continuously letting down households.'
O'Connell called for radical reform of the civil service, including significant cuts to employee numbers and a dramatic shift in what he described as a 'rotten culture.'
Historical Context and Justification
The previous public sector high earners list had a lower threshold of £150,000 and included 664 people as of September 2023. The current threshold increase aligns with the Treasury's 'senior pay control,' which was adjusted in June 2025. Salaries exceeding this threshold now require explicit approval from the Chief Secretary.
The Cabinet Office emphasized that these high earners represent just 0.1 percent of all public sector jobs. A spokeswoman stated: 'We need to ensure we can attract high-calibre people to the civil service and salaries must be competitive with the wider public and private sectors.'
She continued: 'Pay must always be justified and deliver full value for money for the taxpayer, so it is absolutely right that we publish this information and allow it to be scrutinised.'
