Council chiefs across Gwent collectively earn more than £800,000 a year, with individual packages worth well over £150,000 once pension contributions are included.
Monmouthshire County Council’s chief executive received a basic salary of £140,352 in 2025-26, up from £131,208 the previous year, with expenses and benefits in kind of £1,685 taking total pay before pension to £142,037. With pension contributions added, the council says the chief executive’s total remuneration for 2025-26 was £172,053.
The authority stressed there was no payment in 2025-26 for the chief executive’s role as returning officer, and pointed out that election fees for UK Parliament, Senedd, Police and Crime Commissioner and referenda are set by legislation rather than by the council.
In Torfaen, pay policy documents show the chief executive’s salary as head of paid service would normally sit between £125,892 and £139,655, but is higher to reflect his joint role leading both Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent.
His current salary, agreed by both councils and endorsed by the former Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales, is £165,266. Torfaen’s pay policy notes that its median employee wage is £32,061, giving a top-to-median pay ratio of 4.36:1, which the authority describes as one of the lowest in Wales.
Blaenau Gwent’s pay policy confirms the joint chief executive arrangement and also records a salary of £165,266 for the post, shared 50/50 between the two councils. Separate tables for Blaenau Gwent-specific roles show its standalone chief executive grade running from £120,495 to £123,692, but the current post-holder is paid at the higher joint rate because of the responsibilities across both authorities.
Newport City Council’s draft 2025-26 accounts disclose that its chief executive, who heads an organisation of almost 6,000 staff delivering more than 600 services, received a salary of £162,801 with no expenses or other payments.
Total remuneration excluding pension contributions is listed as £162,801, with employer pension contributions of £36,552 taking the overall package to £199,353. The council said its chief executive has never claimed a car allowance since taking up the role.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s latest financial accounts also set out chief officer pay, with the chief executive’s salary published annually alongside total remuneration and pension costs.
The most recent figures show the chief executive’s basic pay at £162,801, with employer pension contributions bringing the total remuneration close to £200,000, in line with Newport’s package for the same year.
All five authorities emphasise that senior pay is governed by national frameworks and is scrutinised through annual pay policy statements and published accounts, with councils required to justify salary levels against responsibilities and to show how top pay compares to median earnings across their wider workforce.
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