HR professionals in the east of England and London get paid far more than many of their counterparts across England, as new figures reveal a 52% pay gap between the highest and lowest paid regions for the UK’s 170,000 HR managers and directors.
The analysis by HR software provider Ciphr, based on regional employee earnings figures from the Office for National Statistics released this month, show that HR managers and directors based in the east of England (not including the north-east or East Midlands) are among the highest earners in their profession based on mean earnings. They enjoy an average salary of £67,172, significantly more than their region’s average full-time salary of £40,544.
East of England is defined by the ONS as Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.
HR salaries in this region are also around 7% higher than those in Greater London and 12% higher than those in south-east England (which average at £62,788 and £60,198 respectively).
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Meanwhile, HR managers and directors in the north-east and West Midlands had the lowest mean average salaries compared with anywhere else in England at £44,158 and £47,037 respectively.
Scotland’s HR managers and directors reportedly earned £48,601, less then all but three English regions (West Midlands, north-east England and Yorkshire/Humber). The average across the UK is £57,314.
According to Ciphr, the east of England is also home to some of the best paid HR and industrial relations officers, who enjoy an average salary of £39,636. This group includes employees with job titles such as HR specialist, HR generalist, HR consultant, diversity and equality adviser, recruiter, and personnel officer.
The next two highest-paying regions for these roles are the West Midlands (£35,374) and south west England (£34,563). Both coming in above the UK average of £33,692.
While HR salaries were mostly higher than they were at the start of the cost-of-living crisis in 2022, many people’s wages will likely have fallen in real terms compared when inflation is taken into account.
London and south-west England were the only areas where full-time HR managers and directors saw inflation-beating pay growth in 2023 (with mean and median average salaries for these regions both increasing by over 7.8%). Full-time HR and industrial relations officers in the south west and West Midlands also benefited from the same above-inflation increases.
Claire Williams, chief people and operating officer at Ciphr, said salaries were not the key factor in choosing a job. She added: “Pay is never the only consideration for people looking to change jobs or move areas – otherwise everyone would simply down tools now and head to the east of England! But this ONS data is very useful to get a better understanding of what similar roles are being paid around the country.
“One of my favourite things about being an HR professional is the versatility of working in almost any type of organisation, anywhere in the UK. And knowing that, wherever you are in your career journey and whichever industry you work in, your specialist skills and strategic business insights will always be highly valued and in demand by employers.”
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