Published in full, free, with no email wall. These are fixed base salary bands from live placements and offers — not survey responses. Bonus and equity sit on top and vary sharply by company stage and sector.
All roles, all markets
| Role | India (₹ LPA) | UAE (AED/yr) | UK (£/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFO | ₹80–180L | 400k–800k | £150k–250k |
| Finance Director | ₹60–120L | 300k–550k | £110k–180k |
| VP Finance / Controller | ₹45–80L | 240k–400k | £90k–140k |
| Head of FP&A | ₹35–65L | 200k–350k | £75k–115k |
| Head of Treasury | ₹30–60L | 180k–320k | £70k–110k |
| Head of Compliance | ₹30–65L | 200k–360k | £80k–130k |
| GCC Finance Head (US-backed, India) | ₹60–90L + 20–30% bonus | — | — |
CFO pay by company stage in India
The single band hides most of what matters. Stage drives CFO compensation more than sector does.
| Stage | Base (₹ LPA) | Typical bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Listed / large enterprise | ₹120–180L | 25–40% |
| Growth stage (Series B–D) | ₹80–140L | 20–30% + equity |
| Early stage | ₹60–90L | Equity-weighted |
Reading across markets
UAE packages are typically tax-free, which changes the comparison materially. An AED 600,000 CFO package in Dubai is closer in net terms to a UK package well above £150,000. Housing and schooling allowances are common on top and are often negotiable.
UK figures carry a London premium of roughly 15 to 25 percent over regional markets. Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol sit at the lower end of each band.
Indian packages are increasingly equity-weighted at growth stage. A candidate comparing two offers is often comparing risk appetite, not cash.
What moved in 2026
- The GCC premium is real and growing. US and global parents building India centres compete for a small pool of leaders who hold both US GAAP fluency and India statutory depth. That combination now commands 20 to 30 percent over an equivalent domestic finance head role.
- ACCA and CA mobility has tightened supply. Qualified finance leaders willing to relocate within India have more options than they did eighteen months ago, and price accordingly.
- Equity mix has shifted at growth stage. Series B and C companies are leaning harder on equity to close CFO hires, which works with candidates who have had a good outcome before and rarely with those who have not.
- Counter-offers have become standard. Budget for the incumbent employer to respond. A first offer at the middle of the band increasingly loses.
How to use these numbers
Benchmark against the band, then decide where in it you intend to sit. Companies that consistently close fast tend to open at the upper-middle of the band rather than the bottom, and treat the difference as the cost of a shorter search rather than an overpayment.
The most common costly mistake: benchmarking against last year's data. Finance leadership compensation in India has moved materially in eighteen months. An offer built on stale numbers reads as under-market to a candidate holding two others — and the candidate rarely explains why they declined.
Methodology
Figures are drawn from live placement and offer data across finance leadership searches in India, the UAE and the UK, rather than from survey responses. All figures are fixed base salary. Bonus, equity, allowances and benefits sit on top. Bands are updated quarterly.
Want a role-specific benchmark for a hire you are budgeting now — including bonus, equity and market-specific benefits? Request a custom report.
Related
CFO headhunters — what headhunting costs and how it differs from recruitment →
CFO recruitment in India →
GCC Finance Head recruitment →