How should I run payroll for myself as the only director of my company?

Many director-only companies pay a modest salary up to a level that preserves state pension qualifying years and NI credits without triggering much employee or employer NI, then take further income as dividends, which are taxed differently and don't attract NI. The optimal salary level depends on current NI thresholds, your personal allowance, dividend tax rates and other income you have, and these figures move each tax year, so there's no single "right" number to quote generically. This is genuinely worth a short conversation with an accountant each year, since the most efficient split can change with each Budget.