Why I Wrote This
Every week I speak to FM professionals who have no idea whether they're being paid fairly. Some are significantly underpaid and don't know it. Others have an inflated idea of their market value and are pricing themselves out of roles they'd actually love.
The salary guides that exist online are either outdated, too vague to be useful, or written by people who have never actually placed an FM professional in their life. This one is different. These figures come from live roles I'm working on, conversations I'm having right now, and offers I've seen accepted and rejected in 2026.
Use this as your benchmark. If you're being paid less than the range for your role and region, it's worth having a conversation.
A note on ranges: Salaries vary based on sector (public vs private), contract type (hard FM vs soft FM), company size, and benefits package. The figures below are base salary ranges for permanent roles. Package — including vehicle, pension, and bonus — can add significantly to the total.
FM Management Roles
These are the roles responsible for managing facilities operations — from single-site coordinators to multi-site directors.
| Role | Salary Range | Typical Experience |
|---|---|---|
| FM Helpdesk / Coordinator | £22,000 – £30,000 | 0–3 years |
| Assistant Facilities Manager | £28,000 – £38,000 | 2–4 years |
| Facilities Manager (Single Site) | £38,000 – £52,000 | 4–8 years |
| Senior Facilities Manager | £50,000 – £65,000 | 7–12 years |
| Regional / Multi-Site FM | £60,000 – £80,000 | 10+ years |
| Head of Facilities / FM Director | £80,000 – £120,000+ | 15+ years |
The jump from Facilities Manager to Senior FM is where I see the most bottlenecks. Most people hit £50k and plateau because they're not managing people, P&L, or contracts — they're just managing a building well. If you want to break through that ceiling, you need to be actively involved in commercial conversations and start building a team.
FM Engineering Roles (Hard FM)
Hard FM engineering roles — M&E, HVAC, BMS — consistently command higher salaries than soft FM equivalents and tend to have stronger career trajectories. If you're a time-served engineer in the built environment, you have more options than you think.
| Role | Salary Range | Typical Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Junior / Apprentice Engineer | £22,000 – £30,000 | 0–3 years |
| FM Engineer (Time Served) | £32,000 – £46,000 | 3–6 years |
| Senior FM Engineer | £44,000 – £58,000 | 6–10 years |
| Shift Leader / Lead Engineer | £50,000 – £65,000 | 8–12 years |
| Contracts Manager | £58,000 – £75,000 | 10–15 years |
| Operations Manager | £68,000 – £90,000 | 15+ years |
The contract opportunity: Experienced FM engineers willing to work day-rate contract can earn £300–£500 per day depending on specialism and location. If you're a Senior Engineer considering the move to contract, the difference in take-home can be substantial.
Regional Salary Differences
Location has a significant impact on FM salaries. London commands a substantial premium — but the cost of living reflects that. Outside London, the Midlands tends to act as the baseline, with the North and Wales tracking below and the South East sitting in between.
What Else Should Be in Your Package?
Base salary is only part of the picture. In FM, a competitive package at manager level and above should typically include:
- Company vehicle or car allowance — £4,000–£7,500 per year at manager level
- Pension — look for employer contributions above the 3% statutory minimum; 5–8% employer contribution is strong
- Bonus — typically 10–20% of base at management level, tied to contract performance or P&L
- Private healthcare — becoming more common, particularly in larger FM service providers
- 26+ days holiday — anything below 25 days excluding bank holidays is worth negotiating
- Phone and laptop — standard at manager level and above
For engineering roles, look at overtime rates, call-out allowances, and shift premiums — these can add £5,000–£15,000 to your annual earnings on top of base salary.
What's Happening in the Market Right Now
A few things I'm seeing in 2026 that are worth knowing about:
Demand for experienced engineers remains high
The skills gap in hard FM engineering is real. Time-served M&E engineers with 5+ years of experience are in short supply and can be selective. If that's you, you have more leverage than you might think.
Management roles are more competitive
At FM Manager and Senior FM level, there are more candidates than roles in most regions outside London. Your CV needs to be sharp and your commercial awareness needs to be evident — not just your operational track record.
Soft FM salaries haven't kept up
Cleaning, catering, and security management roles have seen slower salary growth than hard FM equivalents. If you're in soft FM management and haven't had a meaningful pay rise in the last two years, it's probably time to see what else is out there.
Private sector pays more — but not always
In specialist areas like healthcare, education, and defence, public sector FM roles can be competitive when you factor in pension contributions, job security, and work-life balance. Don't rule them out purely on headline salary.
Not sure where you sit in the market?
Register with me and I'll give you an honest assessment of your market value — no obligation, no hard sell. Just a straight conversation about what you're worth and what's out there.
Talk to Jack →How to Use This in a Pay Review
If you're using this to make a case for a pay rise, a few things that will help:
- Be specific. "I've seen roles paying X for someone with my experience" lands better than "I think I deserve more."
- Focus on what you've delivered. Salary benchmarks give you a floor to stand on — your performance is what gets you to the top of the range.
- Know your walk-away number. If you're not prepared to leave, don't make threats you won't follow through on.
- Timing matters. Budget cycles, contract wins, and performance review periods are the right moments.
If you've had a conversation and it hasn't gone the way you hoped, get in touch. Sometimes the most straightforward route to a pay rise is a new role.