AI & Machine Learning · Client side · Updated September 2026
Head of AI salary
in the UK.
Based on Stonor Search's salary data, Heads of AI in the UK typically earn between £110,000 and £160,000, with a typical salary of around £135,000. London roles sit higher, at £120,000 to £180,000, roughly 11% 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: Junior AI Analyst, Senior AI Analyst, Chief AI Officer, CAIO, AI Lead, AI Specialist, AI Strategist.
UK average
High confidence£135,000
Typical salary (band midpoint)
- Salary range
- £110,000 – £160,000
- London
- £120,000 – £180,000
- Levels covered
- Head of / Associate Director
- Last updated
- September 2026
Head of AI 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head of / Associate DirectorHead of AI | £110,000 – £160,000 | £135,000 | £120,000 – £180,000 | £150,000 |
What does a Head of AI earn by location?
- London
- £120,000 – £180,000
- UK average
- £110,000 – £160,000
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 Heads of AI earn around 11% 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
- Sector coverage
- Client side — AI & Machine Learning
- 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 Head of AI's salary?
Scope of the role
This page covers the head of / associate director band only. Within it, £110,000 to £160,000 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 11% more than the UK average for Heads of AI 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.
Company stage
The band is a SaaS and tech figure. Where a company sits between seed and scale-up changes the cash-versus-equity mix more than the headline title does, and Stonor's reports don't publish a size split, so treat the range as covering that spread.
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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