Labour has accused the Tories of leeching cash away from frontline medical staff to fund massive salaries for NHS bosses.
Figures show more than 8,000 health service penpushers are now paid at least £80,000 a year.
That includes 36 who rake in more than £250,000 – at least eight times more than a qualified nurse.
While 7,018 pick up between £80,000 and £129,999 a year, a further 1,071 are paid £130,000 to £199,999 and another 114 get between £200,000 and £249,999.
The number of staff on more than £250,000 has risen 50% in a year, to 36.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said huge sums of taxpayers’ money were being paid to managers and consultants.
He added: “That means less investment in the front line, where some barely earn enough to get by.”
Rachel Harrison, of the GMB union, added: “As staff on the front line face a real-terms cut, senior managers pocket eye-watering salaries. This must change.”
Nurses are threatening to strike over a 3% pay award that fails to keep up with rising prices. Their salaries have fallen behind inflation by as much as £6,000 since 2010.
Health minister Ed Argar said the bosses’ earnings quoted included overtime, allowances and on-call payments.
But Tory Paul Bristow, on the Commons Health Select Committee, said: “Salaries of over £250,000 does not look like money well spent.”
Officials say the NHS is one of the world’s most efficient health services, spending less than 2% on admin, compared with 5% in Germany and 6% in France.
An NHS spokesman said: “Managers are essential to ensuring the NHS has the right staff with the right skills to deliver improvements for patients.”
