Bosses of the UK's top 100 listed companies will need to work for less than three days in 2026 to earn more than the typical British worker makes in an entire year, according to stark new analysis.
The Startling Pay Gap in Numbers
The High Pay Centre, a think tank campaigning for fair pay, estimates that the earnings of FTSE 100 chief executives will overtake the median full-time worker's annual pay just before midday on Tuesday, January 6th. Their calculations are based on disclosed salaries in company annual reports and official government statistics.
The average annual pay packet for a FTSE 100 CEO now stands at £4.4 million. This sum breaks down to an hourly rate of approximately £1,353.23. It is a figure that is 113 times greater than the £39,039 typically earned by a full-time UK employee.
Calls for Action and Legislative Hope
Andrew Speke, interim director of the High Pay Centre, stated that the data "once again highlights the enormous chasm in how the work of the majority is valued compared to a small, celebrated group of executives." He challenged the justification for such disparity, saying, "The notion that executives, as a class, are individually contributing over 100 times more value than the workers they depend on simply lacks credibility."
Trade unions and the High Pay Centre have pointed to the recently passed Employment Rights Act as a potential tool to narrow this widening divide. The legislation received Royal Assent in December 2025.
Andy Prendergast, national secretary of the GMB union, contrasted the situation of workers recovering from the cost-of-living crisis with that of top earners. "While workers are finally starting to see their wages grow again, the fat cats are still creaming it in," he said. "That's precisely why the Employment Rights Act is so vital: it aims to give workers a level playing field to secure the pay they rightfully deserve."
Record Pay and Further Comparisons
The analysis follows a recent High Pay Centre report showing FTSE 100 CEO pay rose by 6.8% to a record £4.58 million for the 2024-25 financial year, up from £4.29 million the year before. Among the highest earners were Simon Peckham and Peter Dilnot of Melrose Industries, whose combined pay reached £58.9 million for that period.
In a separate case from December, betting firm Bet365 faced criticism after it was revealed its chief executive, Denise Coates, received a remuneration package of at least £280 million in 2025.
Paul Nowak, Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary, argued that while the new Act will improve workers' rights, further measures are essential. "The Government must take action to curb boardroom greed," Mr Nowak urged. "This should include guaranteeing workers a seat on the executive pay committees that set these vast awards."
The High Pay Centre also projected when other high-earning professions will surpass the average worker's annual salary. Partners at elite 'Magic Circle' law firms are estimated to do so by January 8th, material risk takers at FTSE 100 banks by January 16th, and partners at the Big Four accountancy firms by January 20th. Those in the UK's top 1% of earners will pass the threshold by March 19th.
