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Wiltshire: senior pay and councillor allowances
Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.
In its draft statement of accounts for 2025-26, Wiltshire reports total remuneration of £271,139 for its chief executive (including employer pension contributions), a year in which the post changed hands, 26 employees paid £100,000 or more, and £2,487,000 paid in members' allowances.
Key figures
- £271,139Chief Executive, 2025-26
- 26Staff paid £100,000 or more, 2025-26
- £2,487,000Members' allowances, 2025-26
- £17,585Basic allowance per councillor, 2026-27
Chief Executive
Total remuneration of £271,139 in 2025-26, including employer pension contributions. The post changed hands, or the figure covers part of a year, so it is not compared with the year before. The median among the 5 other unitary councils in England collected so far is £244,575.
| As printed | Year | Total |
|---|---|---|
Chief Executive - L TownsendDetails for Chief Executive - L Townsend | 2025-26 | £271,139 |
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Chief Executive - T Herbert (left 19 August 2024)Details for Chief Executive - T Herbert (left 19 August 2024) | 2024-25 | £148,842 |
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Chief Executive - L Townsend (appointed wef 19 August 2024)Details for Chief Executive - L Townsend (appointed wef 19 August 2024) | 2024-25 | £141,124 |
| ||
From the accounts: Totals include election expenses as printed. L Townsend also appears in 2024-25 as 'Corporate Director - People (DCS)' (salary 64,219) before appointment as Chief Executive. Total excluding pension is not printed.
PDF pages 80-81 (printed pages 68-69), Note 11
Employees paid £50,000 or more
878 employees in 2025-26, up 19.1% on 2024-25 (737). 26 were paid £100,000 or more, 4.9 per 100,000 residents. The median among the 7 other unitary councils in England collected so far is 4.9 per 100,000.
| Band | 2025-26 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
£50,000 to £54,999Details for £50,000 to £54,999 | 375 | 300 |
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£55,000 to £59,999Details for £55,000 to £59,999 | 202 | 140 |
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£60,000 to £64,999Details for £60,000 to £64,999 | 67 | 81 |
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£65,000 to £69,999Details for £65,000 to £69,999 | 75 | 64 |
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£70,000 to £74,999Details for £70,000 to £74,999 | 38 | 49 |
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£75,000 to £79,999Details for £75,000 to £79,999 | 41 | 36 |
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£80,000 to £84,999Details for £80,000 to £84,999 | 25 | 20 |
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£85,000 to £89,999Details for £85,000 to £89,999 | 12 | 13 |
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£90,000 to £94,999Details for £90,000 to £94,999 | 13 | 5 |
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£95,000 to £99,999Details for £95,000 to £99,999 | 4 | 4 |
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£100,000 to £104,999Details for £100,000 to £104,999 | 6 | 8 |
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£105,000 to £109,999Details for £105,000 to £109,999 | 5 | 2 |
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£110,000 to £114,999Details for £110,000 to £114,999 | 2 | 3 |
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£115,000 to £119,999Details for £115,000 to £119,999 | 0 | 2 |
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£120,000 to £124,999Details for £120,000 to £124,999 | 3 | 2 |
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£125,000 to £129,999Details for £125,000 to £129,999 | 2 | 1 |
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£130,000 to £134,999Details for £130,000 to £134,999 | 3 | 5 |
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£135,000 to £139,999Details for £135,000 to £139,999 | 1 | 0 |
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£140,000 to £144,999Details for £140,000 to £144,999 | 1 | 0 |
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£145,000 to £149,999Details for £145,000 to £149,999 | 2 | 1 |
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£180,000 to £184,999Details for £180,000 to £184,999 | 0 | 1 |
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£225,000 to £229,999Details for £225,000 to £229,999 | 1 | 0 |
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Includes senior officers. From the accounts: 'The number of other employees receiving more than £50,000 remuneration for the year, excluding pension contributions ... This table also includes the senior officers identified in the notes above.' Totals 878 (2025-26) and 737 (2024-25). The note does not say whether school staff are included.
Source: Wiltshire, Statement of accounts 2025-26 subject to audit (draft), PDF page 82 (printed page 70), Note 11. Read by hand; checked 2026-09-24.
Councillors' allowances
£2,487,000 in 2025-26, up 2.8% on 2024-25 (£2,419,000), or £4.72 per resident. The median among the 7 other unitary councils in England collected so far is £3.64 per resident.
The basic allowance for each councillor is £17,585 a year (2026-27).
From the accounts: "Allowances payable to Members 2,453 (2024-25 2,383); Expenses payable to Members 34 (36); Total 2,487 (2,419) £000" (PDF page 83 (printed page 71), Note 13)
What this data does and doesn't show
- Every figure is as Wiltshire printed it, in accounts that have not yet been audited. Counts in the £100,000 figure are our sum of the council's bands.
- Comparisons are with the other unitary councils in England read so far; no national figure is published for England.
- The council's Members' Allowances page states 'The basic allowance for 2026/27 is set at £17,585 per annum.' No annual allowances-paid publication with totals was located in the time available.