Non-Executive Director Fees in the UK: A 2026 Benchmarking Guide
Non-Executive Director fees in the UK vary widely by firm type, sector, role, and committee involvement. A FTSE 100 board Chair earns a fee that sits in a different bracket from a private company NED, and within any single tier the spread between the lowest and highest paid roles is often 50% or more. Boards setting fee levels for new appointments — and candidates evaluating opportunities — both benefit from understanding where a specific role sits in the wider market.
This guide sets out benchmark fee ranges for the main NED categories in the UK market, drawing on publicly disclosed remuneration data from listed company annual reports, sector surveys, and direct market intelligence from recent senior appointments. The figures are indicative ranges rather than precise data points — the actual fee for any specific role depends on the firm’s size, sector, governance complexity, time commitment, and the candidate’s experience and reputation.
FTSE 100 Board Fees
The FTSE 100 represents the top of the UK NED fee market. The largest UK-listed firms typically pay the highest base NED fees and committee chair premiums, and they expect a corresponding time commitment, board attendance discipline, and governance experience.
| Role | Typical fee range (£) | Days per year |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | £400,000 – £800,000+ | 60–90 |
| Senior Independent Director | £110,000 – £170,000 | 35–50 |
| Non-Executive Director (base) | £85,000 – £130,000 | 25–40 |
| Audit Committee Chair (premium) | £40,000 – £70,000 | +10–15 |
| Risk Committee Chair (premium) | £40,000 – £70,000 | +10–15 |
| Remuneration Committee Chair (premium) | £30,000 – £55,000 | +8–12 |
| Nominations Committee Chair (premium) | £15,000 – £30,000 | +5–8 |
FTSE 100 Chair fees vary widely within the £400,000–£800,000+ range. The largest UK banks, oil majors, and pharmaceutical groups sit at the top of the bracket where Chair fees can exceed £800,000 and approach £1 million at the very largest firms. Smaller FTSE 100 constituents typically pay Chair fees in the £400,000–£550,000 range. The time commitment scales accordingly — a major bank Chair role is closer to a full-time appointment, while a smaller FTSE 100 Chair role is typically 60–80 days per year.
FTSE 250 Board Fees
| Role | Typical fee range (£) | Days per year |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | £180,000 – £350,000 | 40–60 |
| Senior Independent Director | £70,000 – £100,000 | 25–35 |
| Non-Executive Director (base) | £55,000 – £80,000 | 20–30 |
| Audit Committee Chair (premium) | £20,000 – £35,000 | +8–12 |
| Risk Committee Chair (premium) | £20,000 – £35,000 | +8–12 |
| Remuneration Committee Chair (premium) | £15,000 – £25,000 | +5–8 |
The FTSE 250 fee bracket is materially below the FTSE 100 but the role demands are still significant. A FTSE 250 Chair is a serious time commitment with full governance, regulatory, and shareholder responsibilities. The fee gap between FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 narrows for committee chair premiums where the workload is similar across both indices.
FTSE Small Cap and AIM Board Fees
| Role | FTSE Small Cap (£) | AIM (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | £100,000 – £180,000 | £60,000 – £120,000 |
| Senior Independent Director | £50,000 – £75,000 | £35,000 – £55,000 |
| Non-Executive Director (base) | £40,000 – £60,000 | £30,000 – £50,000 |
| Audit Committee Chair (premium) | £15,000 – £25,000 | £10,000 – £20,000 |
AIM-listed company NED fees can vary widely. The larger AIM companies pay close to FTSE Small Cap levels while smaller AIM constituents often pay below these ranges, particularly for non-financial NED roles. Equity participation through share options is more common at the AIM end of the market, sometimes representing a meaningful component of total NED remuneration.
FCA-Regulated Firm Board Fees
FCA-regulated firms apply additional governance requirements under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, and SMF-designated NED appointments typically attract a premium relative to equivalent non-regulated roles. The time commitment is also higher given the regulatory engagement and the personal accountability framework that SMF roles carry under SMCR.
| Role (FCA-regulated firm) | Typical fee range (£) | Days per year |
|---|---|---|
| Chair — major bank or insurer | £500,000 – £800,000+ | 80–120 |
| Chair — mid-sized regulated firm | £150,000 – £300,000 | 40–60 |
| Chair — small regulated firm / challenger bank | £70,000 – £150,000 | 25–40 |
| Senior Independent Director (SMF14) | £60,000 – £120,000 | 25–40 |
| Non-Executive Director (regulated firm) | £50,000 – £100,000 | 20–35 |
| Audit Committee Chair (SMF11) | £25,000 – £60,000 | +10–15 |
| Risk Committee Chair (SMF10) | £25,000 – £60,000 | +10–15 |
The regulatory premium at FCA-regulated firms reflects three things. First, the time commitment is higher due to regulator engagement, supervisory meetings, and the heightened governance expectations that come with regulated status. Second, the personal accountability under SMCR is meaningful — Senior Managers carry personal regulatory liability for the activities within their Statement of Responsibility. Third, the candidate pool is narrower, with regulator approval through the Form A process and fitness and propriety requirements narrowing who can take the role.
Private Company and PE-Backed Board Fees
| Role | Typical fee range (£) | Equity? |
|---|---|---|
| Chair — large PE-backed business | £100,000 – £250,000 | Often yes |
| Chair — mid-market PE-backed | £60,000 – £120,000 | Usually |
| NED — PE-backed business | £40,000 – £80,000 | Usually |
| Chair — owner-managed business | £30,000 – £80,000 | Sometimes |
| NED — owner-managed business | £20,000 – £50,000 | Sometimes |
Private company and PE-backed NED appointments often include an equity component alongside the cash fee. For PE-backed businesses this typically takes the form of sweet equity or co-investment alongside the management equity plan. For owner-managed businesses the equity component may be share options or a small founders-share allocation. The cash fee alone often does not represent total compensation in these markets.
Family Office and Trustee Roles
| Role | Typical fee range (£) |
|---|---|
| Single family office NED | £30,000 – £80,000 |
| Multi family office Chair | £60,000 – £150,000 |
| Private trust NED / trustee | £20,000 – £60,000 |
What Drives the Fee Range Within Each Bracket
Within any single tier the spread between the lowest and highest fees can be 50% or more. Five factors drive where a specific role lands within the bracket.
Firm size and complexity. The largest firms within any index pay more than the smallest. A FTSE 100 bank Chair fee is meaningfully higher than a FTSE 100 small-services-firm Chair fee, reflecting the complexity of governing a major regulated firm with international operations.
Sector. Financial services, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, and large industrial firms typically pay higher Chair fees than services, technology, or consumer firms at equivalent index level. The complexity and regulatory exposure drives the differential.
Committee load. NEDs with multiple committee memberships earn more than NEDs who sit on the main board only. The committee chair premium is paid in addition to the base NED fee, so a NED who chairs Audit and sits on Risk and Remuneration earns the base fee plus the Audit Chair premium plus typically a small premium for each additional committee membership.
Candidate reputation and experience. Boards typically pay premium fees to attract candidates with strong reputations in the relevant sector. A FTSE 100 chair role is more likely to attract a former CEO of a major firm at a higher fee level than at the lower end of the bracket.
Governance challenges. Boards facing specific challenges — turnaround, regulatory issues, contested shareholder situations, M&A activity — often pay above-bracket fees to attract candidates with relevant experience.
Trends in UK NED Fees 2026
Three trends are visible in the UK NED fee market through 2026.
Committee chair premiums have widened. The differential between the base NED fee and the Audit Committee Chair fee has grown over the past five years, reflecting the increasing technical demands of the role and the time commitment required to engage properly with auditors, finance leadership, and regulators. The Risk Committee Chair premium has similarly widened, particularly at regulated firms.
Chair fees at the largest firms have grown faster than NED fees. Chair fees at the top of the FTSE 100 have continued to climb, particularly at banks, insurers, and complex international groups where the time commitment can approach full-time. NED base fees have grown more modestly, narrowing the differential between SID and base NED at some firms.
Regulated firm Chair fees have outpaced equivalent non-regulated. The premium for chairing an FCA-regulated firm has grown as SMCR has matured. Boards now recognise that the personal accountability framework and the time commitment to regulator engagement justify a meaningful premium over equivalent non-regulated Chair roles.
About the Founder — Adrian Lawrence FCA
Adrian Lawrence is the founder of Exec Capital and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Adrian holds an ICAEW practising certificate in his own name and is an ICAEW Verified Fellow. Exec Capital is an ICAEW-Registered Practice. Adrian leads every Chair, NED, and SID appointment at Exec Capital personally, with a particular focus on FCA-regulated firm board appointments where the ICAEW practising credentials and regulated FS experience are directly relevant.
Speak to Adrian: 0203 834 9616 · recruitment@execcapital.co.uk
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