AI & Machine Learning · Client side · Updated September 2026
Chief AI Officer salary
in the UK.
Based on Stonor Search's salary data, Chief AI Officers in the UK typically earn between £110,000 and £180,000, with a typical salary of around £147,500. London roles sit higher, at £120,000 to £200,000, roughly 12% above the UK average in our data. Pay varies with seniority, location, company stage and sector, and the real scope of the role.
Also covers: CAIO, Junior AI Analyst, Senior AI Analyst, Head of AI, AI Lead, AI Specialist, AI Strategist.
UK average
High confidence£147,500
Typical salary (band midpoint)
- Salary range
- £110,000 – £180,000
- London
- £120,000 – £200,000
- Levels covered
- C-suite / Executive
- Last updated
- September 2026
Chief AI Officer salary by seniority and location
Annual base salary, GBP. "Typical" is the midpoint of the published band. London and UK-average bands are published separately.
| Level | UK average range | UK typical | London range | London typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-suite / ExecutiveChief AI Officer | £110,000 – £180,000 | £147,500 | £120,000 – £200,000 | £165,000 |
C-suite / Executive (UK) combines 2 published bands: Chief AI Officer, Client side — AI & Machine Learning: £110,000 – £160,000 (Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025); Chief AI Officer, Client side — SaaS & Tech: £140,000 – £180,000 (SaaS & Tech Salary Benchmark 2025).
C-suite / Executive (London) combines 2 published bands: Chief AI Officer, Client side — AI & Machine Learning: £120,000 – £180,000 (Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025); Chief AI Officer, Client side — SaaS & Tech: £160,000 – £200,000 (SaaS & Tech Salary Benchmark 2025).
What does a Chief AI Officer earn by location?
- London
- £120,000 – £200,000
- UK average
- £110,000 – £180,000
Other regions use the UK average band: South East, South West, Midlands, North West, North East & Yorkshire, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Remote (UK).
In Stonor's data, London Chief AI Officers earn around 12% more than the UK average at the same level. Regional searches outside London fall back to the UK figure and say so.
Market context
Expertise in AI tools and data analytics is commanding premium pay. Data scientists, engineers and ML engineers are the most sought-after data professionals, and government investment in AI and supercomputing is expected to push demand further.
Source: Stonor Search Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025
About this data
- Sources
- Stonor Search Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025; Stonor Search SaaS & Tech Salary Benchmark 2025
- Sector coverage
- Client side — AI & Machine Learning, Client side — SaaS & Tech
- Benchmark period
- 2025
- Includes
- Base salary only. No bonus, commission or equity.
- Confidence
- High confidence. A published Stonor band for this exact role and location.
What affects a Chief AI Officer's salary?
Scope of the role
This page covers the c-suite / executive band only. Within it, £110,000 to £180,000 is a wide spread. The top end usually reflects broader remit, a bigger budget or team, or a specialism that's hard to hire.
Location
London pays about 12% more than the UK average for Chief AI Officers in Stonor's data. Hybrid roles based outside London are increasingly benchmarked against the national band rather than the London one, and candidates know it.
Sector and company stage
This benchmark draws on Client side — AI & Machine Learning and Client side — SaaS & Tech data, and the bands differ between them. Earlier-stage businesses often pay a lower base with more equity; established SaaS firms pay closer to the top of the band in cash.
Skills that push pay higher
Hands-on AI and ML tooling. Blending technical AI skill with strategic, human-centred thinking. Personalisation and customer-journey work. (Source: Stonor Search Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025.)
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