Head of Service

Illustrative calculators for Head of Service within Councils, part of the Local Government sector. Pick a tool below to model pay, working patterns, leave, take-home pay or CPD. Then confirm anything important with your employer, contract or union.

All figures are illustrative. Use your contract, payslip or employer for definitive amounts.

About this role

Find out more about the Head of Service role within Councils and whether it would be the right role for you.

What is a Head of Service?

A Head of Service leads a major service or directorate in a local authority. Pay is on chief officer or senior management scales.

Typical demands, progression and balance

Headship offers council-wide impact. Pay and satisfaction depend on authority and service. Progression to director or chief executive is common.

Progression and pay

Service Manager → Head of Service → Director. Use the calculators on this page to see how pay changes over time.

Calculators for this role

Browse our career-focused calculators for those who work as a Head of Service, covering pay progression, promotion paths, take-home pay, working patterns, leave, allowances and more. Click the calculators below to get started.

Pay progressionProject gross pay through spine points or pay ranges over the years ahead.Open calculatorPromotion timingCompare promoting now versus later with illustrative pay paths.Open calculatorPart-time impactCompare full-time versus reduced FTE and illustrative gross pay.Open calculatorReduced/compressed hoursFour-day week, 9-day fortnight, term-time only, annualised hours and more.Open calculatorAllowances & extrasAdd London weighting, unsocial hours and other extras to band pay.Open calculatorCareer break impactEstimate earnings during a break and return-to-work pay.Open calculatorTake-home payEstimate net pay after tax, National Insurance and pension.Open calculatorAnnual leaveIllustrative leave days and hours, including pro-rata where relevant.Open calculatorSick payContractual sick pay periods by length of service (illustrative).Open calculatorMaternity & paternityIllustrative enhanced maternity or paternity pay for your sector.Open calculatorCPD & professional developmentRegulator expectations, official links and optional hours tracking.Open calculator

Explore further

All roles at Councils Local Government sector Browse by calculator type Home