Operations · Client side · Updated September 2026
Head of Operations salary
in the UK.
Based on Stonor Search's salary data, Operations leaders in the UK typically earn between £90,000 and £140,000 depending on level: around £90,000 – £120,000 at director level, rising to £110,000 – £140,000 at vp / senior director level. London roles sit higher, at £100,000 to £160,000, roughly 13% 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: VP Operations, Strategy & Operations Director, Business Operations Manager, BizOps, Strategy and Operations Director, Strategy & Ops, Chief Operating Officer, COO.
UK average
High confidence£115,000
Typical salary (band midpoint)
- Salary range
- £90,000 – £140,000
- London
- £100,000 – £160,000
- Levels covered
- Director to VP / Senior Director
- Last updated
- September 2026
Head of Operations 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DirectorStrategy and Operations Director | £90,000 – £120,000 | £105,000 | £100,000 – £130,000 | £115,000 |
| VP / Senior DirectorVP / Head of Operations | £110,000 – £140,000 | £125,000 | £130,000 – £160,000 | £145,000 |
What does a Head of Operations earn by location?
- London
- £100,000 – £160,000
- UK average
- £90,000 – £140,000
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 Operations leaders earn around 13% more than the UK average at the same level. Regional searches outside London fall back to the UK figure and say so.
Market context
Stonor's report publishes the bands for this role without a written market commentary, so we haven't invented one. The numbers above are the honest extent of what we can say, plus the factors below.
About this data
- Sources
- Stonor Search SaaS & Tech Salary Benchmark 2025
- Sector coverage
- 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 Head of Operations's salary?
Seniority
The biggest lever. In Stonor's data a director Head of Operations sits around £105,000, while vp / senior director level is around £125,000. Titles inflate faster than pay, so check the scope, team size and budget behind the title before assuming the top band applies.
Location
London pays about 13% more than the UK average for Operations leaders 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.
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