What is a CTO salary?

A Technology Officer (CTO) is responsible for technology, teams and suppliers. They drive innovation and efficiency across the business.

What is the salary for CTOs in the UK?

Surveys by recruitment companies indicate a CTO salary can be up to £230,000 per year. The salary will vary by the experience of the candidate, but where they work also matters. CTO salaries in the London area tend to be the highest, but CTOs can certainly earn high salaries in other cities across the UK.
With all these factors—experience, geography, the quality of the candidate and the needs of the business—it can be complicated to assess a CTO’s salary.

How to determine a CTO salary?

We simplify determining CTO salaries by using three key factors:

1. Does the CTO look to the horizon—to market leaders and emerging technology—in order to bring innovation and new ideas to the business? Are they genuine leaders in digital, custom software, and identifying market opportunities? Do they continually learn and ensure they are at the top of their game?

2. Do they take a leading role in improving efficiency, effectiveness, and driving business value? Do they create new starting points and innovations to open the door to new business strategies? Or is their job to simply meet the agenda set by more senior leaders?

3. Finally, do they take broad ownership for delivering change? For example, does the CTO facilitate discussions with other leaders within the organisation and potentially outside? Do they work as equals with other Board-level leaders to meet overall objectives? Are they credible and knowledgeable when dealing with investors and other external stakeholders?

Overall, the CTO is an extremely important position that can have a huge impact on a business. The CTO’s salary needs to reflect that. (For more information about the role itself, see our article, What is the meaning of CTO?)

If you have questions about the role of the CTO and their salary, we can help. We interview, screen, select and develop more Board-level IT leaders than any other organisation. We’re always happy to discuss the recruitment process or any other IT challenges or opportunities.

Why Freeman Clarke?

Freeman Clarke CTOs work on a ‘fractional,’ or part-time model. This provides a business with first-class technology leadership without the full-time cost.

Our fractional CTOs are uniquely suited to mid-market businesses. They have outstanding technical expertise. They are strategic thinkers. They understand how to use technology to drive growth. But they are also suited to the culture and reality of mid-market business.

Whatever the remit, our CTOs operate from the fundamental idea of linking a business’s systems and digital strategy to business objectives. This should be the goal of every innovative company because when the two disciplines are connected, we see real, sustainable growth.

Visit our Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) Knowledge Centre which includes all content related to this topic.

To find out more about how we could add value to your business, Contact Us and we’ll be in touch for an informal conversation.