HR has moved up the graduate pay league, emerging as one of the highest
paying sectors, but vacancies for university leavers have fallen by 25 per cent
over the past year.
The Careers Services Unit’s Graduate Salary Market Trends reveals the
average starting salary for a graduate has increased three per cent to £18,021.
The HR sector has climbed from fifth to third place in the graduate pay
league, offering new starters an average salary of £18,413.
The report shows vacancies for graduates have fallen in HR by 4.1 per cent.
Across all sectors, the worst hit areas are the East Midlands, South East and
London, with job vacancy falls of 31.8, 31.5 and 27.5 per cent respectively.
The top paying sectors for graduates are management consultancy and IT,
which offer salaries of £20,033 and £19,121 respectively.
Mike Hill, chief executive of the Higher Education Careers Services Unit,
said the rise in graduate salaries reflects the growing importance of the
profession.
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"HR professionals are responsible for Health and Safety, employment
law, pay negotiations and many other key areas of successful business. They
have to be multi-skilled, business like, and capable of advising line managers
wisely while being aware of the full business picture. This is why HR graduates
need to be well paid," he said.
