Taking up his role in January, Samuel (pictured right) has accepted a three-year contract with an annual salary of £280,000 plus an annual bonus of up to £50,000 which will be dependent on performance.
If Samuel takes home the full bonus on top of his annual salary over the three years, he will become the highest paid civil servant in the UK.
Shaun Kingsbury, head of the Green Investment Bank, is currently the best paid civil servant with a salary of £325,000 a year.
The prime minister is paid £142,000 a year.
A Department of Energy & Climate Change spokesperson said: “As the OGA chairperson role is critical to make sure we maximise the recovery of remaining oil and gas resources in the North Sea, it was essential that we offered a remuneration package which allowed us to attract high calibre candidates for the role.”
DECC is consulting on the OGA’s new regulatory powers.