UK.gov's top tech jobs pay more than prime minister earns

Big roles, bigger pay packets

It has been reported that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is recruiting three directors general to run huge chunks of the government's digital estate — and two of those roles come with advertised pay packages that outstrip the prime minister's £170,000 salary. Think GOV.UK app launches, GOV.UK Chat, a National Digital Wallet and a One Login for citizens — all under one roof. Ambitious? Absolutely.

The jobs are heavyweight. The DG for digital products would lead about 650 staff and manage a planned £275 million budget to finish and expand core citizen-facing services. The DG for digital transformation — more strategic — is expected to steer cross-government digital plans, advise ministers and push AI adoption with an eye on more than £100 million in productivity gains; that role would run roughly 700 people and a £200 million budget. It has been reported that both of those DGs are being offered between £200,000 and £260,000 plus employer pension contributions of about 29 percent. Applications for those posts reportedly close on May 5.

Context and reaction

The DG of digital foundations, responsible for cybersecurity, digital identity, digital inclusion and resilient telecoms delivery, is on a lower advertised salary of £174,000 (applications close April 29) but still above the prime minister's pay. It has been reported that the public-sector pay scale still leaves these jobs short of the highest-paid tech role recorded in recent Cabinet Office data — a Sellafield CIO on roughly £280k–£285k — and well below the highest overall public-sector earner, an HS2 chief executive on about £660k (no pension). So: big money for big responsibility. Are taxpayers getting value for that spend? The obvious question hangs in the air.

This is part of a wider trend of the state paying top market rates to secure technical leadership, especially where national services, security and infrastructure are at stake. Whether that translates into smoother public services or just fatter pay slips is what ministers, applicants and, crucially, the public will be watching.

Sources: The Register