Pay rates for learning and development (L&D) staff in England vary widely with those in London by far the best rewarded.

According to the 2007 Hudson HR salary survey, pay varies from £18,000 for an L&D officer’s post in the North of England to £95,000 for the head of L&D in London and the South East of England.

HR recruitment specialist Hudson said a head of L&D in the IT and telecoms sector working in London could earn up to £95,000 a year, while a similar position in the Midlands and East Anglia would be worth a maximum of £54,000. A head of L&D working in the energy and utilities sector could take in up to £91,000 in London compared with £60,000 in the Midlands and East Anglia and £62,000 in the North of England.

Public sector pay ranges vary less than those in the private sector, said Hudson.

L&D officers in that sector in London and the South East earn from £24,000 to £37,000 compared with a range of £20,000 to £32,000 in the North, and £22,000 to £33,500 in the Midlands and East Anglia. However, the rate for a head of L&D in the public sector in the North is £50,000 to £70,000, while in London and the South East it the range is £59,000 to £63,000.

Hudson claimed that 77% of employers offer private medical insurance to HR staff.

“Our survey confirms that bonuses and benefits are becoming critical as differentiators,” said Hudson’s director of recruitment practice Mark Carriban.

“Health benefits, in particular, represent a new front in the war for talent. We anticipate them playing a key part in how HR professionals are recruited and retained.”

Hudson said the survey was based on responses from its client base.