Advice & reports

Careers guides, salaries and a monthly report on the UK public sector finance jobs market, built from the jobs advertised on PUBLICSECTORFINANCEJOBS.COM.

71jobs on the site in the last 12 months

9employers hiring right now

Councilsand public bodies across the UK

The Weekly, The Hiring Brief, the monthly report and the Quarterly: see what we publish and who each one is for →

★ Market report · new every month The first public sector finance jobs market report is on its way Each month we'll report on the UK public sector finance jobs market: who's hiring, where, and what the adverts pay, built from the jobs advertised on PUBLICSECTORFINANCEJOBS.COM. The live figures below are already filling in as jobs arrive. Get it in the Weekly →

Essential guides

The ones to read first, and to come back to.

How to Get into Public Sector FinanceCareer moves · 2 min read Public Sector Finance Salary Guide: What Finance Roles Pay in the UKPay · 2 min read Public Sector Finance Job Titles ExplainedRoles explained · 2 min read The CIPFA Qualification ExplainedQualifications and licences · 2 min read Public Sector Finance Interview Questions and How to Answer ThemApplying and interviews · 2 min read What Does a Section 151 Officer Do?Roles explained · 2 min read

Latest articles

Starting outNew2 min readPublic Sector Finance ApprenticeshipsFinance apprenticeships in councils, the NHS and other public bodies: the levels, from AAT to professional accountant, and where they lead.Read more →Applying and interviewsNew2 min readPublic Sector Finance CV and Application TipsHow to write a public sector finance CV and supporting statement that gets shortlisted against the person specification.Read more →Applying and interviewsEssentialNew2 min readPublic Sector Finance Interview Questions and How to Answer ThemCommon public sector finance interview questions: budgets, year-end, controls, working with budget holders and senior roles.Read more →Career movesNew2 min readMoving from Private to Public Sector FinanceHow accountants move from practice and industry into public sector finance: what carries over, what changes, pay and benefits, applying.Read more →

All articles →

Browse by topic

Every article sits in one topic, so you can always find it again.

Starting out 1Trainee schemes, apprenticeships and your first public sector finance job.Qualifications and licences 1CIPFA, AAT, ACCA and the other finance qualifications, and what each one is for.Roles explained 5What each job involves, the titles, and how the levels compare.Pay 1Salaries at every level, by region, and how to negotiate.Applying and interviews 2CVs, cover letters, interview questions and where to find jobs.Career moves 2Council, consultancy or charity, changing area, contracting, flexible working.

Salary guide

What do public sector finance jobs pay?

Typical pay at every level.

See the salary guide

The public sector finance jobs market today

Figures from the open jobs known to PUBLICSECTORFINANCEJOBS.COM, updated as jobs come and go. Hover over or tap a chart for the detail.

216open public sector finance jobs

71new this week so far

£40,000middle advertised salary

55%of adverts show the pay

Who’s hiringOpen jobs by type of employer

100%Councils216 open jobs

Employer type	Open jobs	Share
Councils	216	100%

Where the jobs areOpen jobs by region · jobs by area

Show the figures

Region	Open jobs
North West	26
South East	20
East of England	20
East Midlands	20
London	19
Yorkshire and the Humber	18
South West	14
Wales	14
North East	9
West Midlands	8
Scotland	6
Northern Ireland	2
UK-wide / not placed	40

What public sector finance jobs pay right nowSalaries stated in open adverts, lowest to highest · the middle advert. Most consultancy adverts say “Competitive”, so these are mostly council grades: for typical pay across every sector, see our salary guide.

Show the figures

Level	Lowest	Middle advert	Highest	Adverts
Trainee / Apprentice	£15,434	£31,941	£40,451	4
Finance Officer	£15,824	£32,570	£50,778	50
Accountant	£29,542	£43,087	£68,153	9
Senior / Principal	£32,046	£50,333	£70,396	16
Business Partner / Team Leader	£38,510	£52,326	£111,929	8
Finance Manager / Head of	£35,572	£51,434	£83,490	13
Director / S151	£29,559	£65,739	£187,505	14

Job title guides

What each role involves, what it pays and who’s hiring now.

Quick answers

How do I get a job in public sector finance?

Most councils advertise every vacancy on their own careers site and here on PUBLICSECTORFINANCEJOBS.COM. Applications are usually an online form rather than a CV, scored against the person specification in the job profile, so answer each point with an example.

What is a council pay grade?

Most councils use a pay scale of numbered points grouped into grades or bands. Each job is set at a grade, you start on one of its points and usually move up a point each year until the top of the grade.

How much do public sector finance jobs pay?

Live adverts on PUBLICSECTORFINANCEJOBS.COM range from £27,937 for entry-level roles to £77,048 for team leader, manager and head of service posts.