by Mike Berry
Senior HR professionals can now expect to earn in excess of £200,000 a year, according to an annual HR salary guide.
Professionals working in London and the South East in the banking, pharmaceutical, professional services and energy sectors are enjoying these ‘premium’ base salaries, the guide by HR recruitment consultancy Frazer Jones shows.
The figures are based on assignments handled by the firm over the past 12 months and information provided by candidates. Other sectors paying premium salaries for their senior HR professionals are media, manufacturing and fast-moving consumer goods.
However, the bigger businesses will not necessarily be paying the bigger salaries.
The guide cites the example of a 600-strong law firm paying £150,000 for its head of HR, and a major retail bank that was looking to pay £100,000 for a role heading up HR for more than 3,000 employees.
Mark Brewer, partner at Frazer Jones, said: “The importance of having a credible and effective HR function continues to be high on the agenda. Commercially orientated HR professionals are increasingly valued, which continues to drive up their earning power.”
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The guide suggests good-quality HR people are hard to find, and harder to keep.
At the junior end of the market, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development status is still seen as preferred – but not essential – by employers. HR administrators can expect to earn anything between £16,000 and £33,000, depending on which sector they work in.
