Understanding our staff salaries: fair and competitive pay

The British Red Cross employs around 3,600 people. They work in the UK and overseas to help people in crisis. We aim to pay wages that are fair and appropriate for our staff’s roles and responsibilities.

We employ people whose skills are in demand in a variety of sectors. These sectors include the health service, local government and other charities. Many of our employees require the same levels of professional and occupational qualifications and experience as staff working in these sectors.

When we set our salaries, we consider the pay offered by organisations that employ individuals with similar skills, competences and qualifications.

The British Red Cross generally expects to pay at a level comparable to the public sector and the charity sector.

The board of trustees has a people committee to:

• recommend to the board for adoption the broad salary policy, pay structure and changes to terms and conditions for the organisation
• receive and agree recommendations from the chief executive for salary and other benefit changes. These changes apply to all members of the executive leadership team, where market forces and other matters dictate the need.

Our chief executive's salary

The chair of the board of trustees determines salary and other benefit changes for the chief executive. These changes are only made when market forces and other matters dictate the need. The chair makes these decisions in consultation with the people committee described above.

See our senior pay for 2023

The salaries for our executive leadership team, including our chief executive, are available on page 36 of our 2023 trustees' report and accounts.

Our senior-level salaries are below those for similar-sized organisations in the private sector and some areas of the public sector.