Senior independent school bursar salary
A senior independent bursar in 2025/26 typically sits in a £55,000 to £95,000 base-salary band, with the upper quartile crossing £100,000 in larger schools and where the role carries the Chief Operating Officer title. HMC schools normally pay above SoH equivalents.
The band
ISBA's salary survey records a clear step from the prep band into the senior independent band, principally a function of pupil numbers, total income and the complexity of the estate. The largest single-school posts (typically 1,000 pupils and above) routinely cross into the COO band and sit closer to MAT CFO pay.[1]
HMC vs SoH
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) covers most of the larger and longer-established senior schools and the median bursar salary in HMC schools is materially above the equivalent in Society of Heads schools, again principally a size effect.[2]
Day vs boarding
Boarding schools pay above day schools at the same pupil count, reflecting the extra estate, the safeguarding load and the seven-day operational rhythm. See the dedicated boarding-school salary page for the boarding-only band.[3]