Could you earn 21% more as an HR contractor?

HR professionals who work as contractors could boost their average pay by 21%, according to salary data analysis from CV-Library.

The job board analysed average salary data from hundreds of thousands of contractor jobs posted on its site, and found the average annual pay for HR contractors to be £39,243 per year, compared to £32,431 for the average annual pay for a permanent professional.

The HR sector makes the top 10 for contractor pay, according to CV-Library, just above marketing where contractor pay is 16.4% above average pay.

The top industries in terms of comparatively high pay for contractors were as follows:

1. Engineering – 75.5% above average
2. Social Care – 72.2% above average
3. Manufacturing – 66.9% above average
4. Design – 66.8% above average
5. Construction – 46% above average
6. Financial Services – 45.1% above average
7. Legal – 44.8% above average
8. Accounting – 37.5% above average
9. HR – 21% above average
10. Marketing – 16.4% above average
11. IT – 15.8% above average
12. Customer Service – 9% above average
13. Recruitment – 5.9% above average
14. Administration – 4.7% above average
15. Education – 3.3% above average

Within HR, the average day rate for contractors was £186.41, although certain roles commanded a lot more.

Change management professionals earned an average of £376.13 per day, while learning and development professionals banked an average of £186.04 per day.

The average day rate for HR business partners was £170.09 per day, and HR advisors earned an average of £130.73 per day.

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, said: “It’s no secret that contractors command far higher salaries than the average UK worker and our data shows that HR professionals could be earning up to 21% more than average. That being said, contracting isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re looking for stability and key workplace perks from your employer.”

“High pay and flexibility can certainly be appealing factors, but at the end of the day, it’s up to your own personal preferences and what feels right for you.”