Whether you’re hiring or reviewing existing bands, salaries are the first signal candidates pay attention to. This guide breaks down current UK benchmarks role by role, and shares how to structure competitive packages that attract talent without inflating costs.
Quick view by title
- CPO / SVP Product: £160k-£180k; equity heavy.
- VP / Director‑level: £140k-£155k; bonus and equity expected.
- Head / Product Director: £120k-£135k; strong IC leadership mix.
- Lead / GPM / Principal: £110k-£125k; deep domain + mentorship.
- Senior PM: £90k-£100k; autonomous delivery.
- Product Manager: £70k-£80k; end‑to‑end delivery within a pod.
- Product Owner: £55k-£70k base; varies by org maturity.
Ranges reflect typical offers we see around the market and will vary by company size, funding stage, sector and work pattern. Use them to frame bands, not as hard caps.
By experience band
- 0-3 years: Early‑career PM/Assoc PM; focus on fundamentals and delivery.
- 3-5 years: Operating autonomously; taking on bigger slices of strategy.
- 6-10 years: Senior ICs, leads and new managers; often mentoring.
- 11-15 years: Heads/Product Directors; org‑wide impact.
- 15+ years: VP/CPO; portfolio strategy and exec leadership.
Building a competitive package
1) Salary bands + internal parity. Share salaries early with candidates. If you stretch for an exceptional hire, plan a path to restore parity across the team.
2) Variable comp that maps to outcomes. Tie bonus to product metrics: adoption, revenue, margin, reliability – whatever reflects real value in your context.
3) Equity that makes sense. Senior candidates expect it. Explain vesting, refreshers and the company’s path to liquidity.
4) Flexibility as a benefit. For roles requiring more office time, offset with stronger base or equity, and be transparent about why the presence matters.
5) Close cleanly. Give a written offer with comp breakdowns, benefits, and a 90‑day success plan. If you’re competing, add a sign‑on structured as a claw‑back.
If you need help benchmarking candidates or navigating a senior offer? Get a benchmarking session with Omnis Partners.