According to newly released data by the Office for National Statistics, there are substantial differences in salaries for Human Resources (HR), with the East of England being the highest-paying region for these professionals.
According to the statistics analysed by the HR software provider Ciphr there is a 52 percent gap in pay between the regions with the highest and the lowest salaries for the 150 400 full-time HR directors and managers.
The average salary of HR professionals in East England is PS67,172. This is a significant increase over the average full-time wage of PS40.544 in the East of England.
Surprisingly the HR salaries of Greater London and South-East England are 7 percent higher in the East.
In contrast, HR directors and managers in the North East of England and West Midlands are at the bottom end of the salary spectrum with average salaries of £44,158 (£47,037 respectively).
The five highest-paying regions for HR directors and managers in England are:
- East (PS67,172)
- London (PS62,788)
- South East (PS60,198)
- South West (PS56,357)
- North West (PS50,615)
ONS did not have comparable data available for Wales or Northern Ireland. Scotland’s HR directors and managers earn PS48 601, contributing to UK average of PS57 314
The East of England is also the highest-paid region for industrial relations and HR officers. Their average salary is PS39,636. This group includes HR specialists, recruiters and consultants. They outrank their counterparts from the West Midlands and South West.
The wages have fallen
Claire Williams, Chief Operating Officer and People Officer at Ciphr highlights the wider economic context despite the positive trends of HR salaries. Claire Williams notes that “While HR salaries have risen compared to the beginning of the cost of living crisis in 2022 many people will see their wages fall in real terms in comparison with inflation.”
London and the South West are the only two regions where the pay of full-time HR directors and managers will exceed inflation in 2023. The average salary in these regions increased by 7.8 percent. The South West and West Midlands saw increases in salaries above inflation during the same time period.
