51% pay disparity found between the highest and the lowest paid HR managers – Ciphr

Analysis by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr has found a 51% pay disparity between the highest and lowest-paid HR managers and directors across the UK.

HR leaders in London earned the highest wages, with a mean hourly rate of £35.38, equating to an annual salary of approximately £68,807.

This was nearly £24,000 more than their counterparts in Wales, where HR managers and directors earned the lowest average salary of £44,964 per year or £23.37 per hour.

Those in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and The Humber also fell below the UK average for these roles, with hourly wages of £25.89 and £26.69 respectively.

The national average stood at £30.88 per hour or £59,413 annually.

HR professionals in the South of England generally earned more than those in other parts of the country.

In the Southeast, the average hourly wage was £33.03, amounting to £64,409 per year, while those in the Southwest earned £31.40 per hour or £61,067 annually.

The East of England followed as the highest-paying region outside the South, with a mean wage of £29.60 per hour or £57,566 per year.

HR managers and directors in the North West earn £28.90 per hour, equivalent to £55,604 per year, while those in the West Midlands earn £28.72 per hour or £55,257 annually.

In Scotland, HR leaders have an average hourly wage of £28.48, amounting to £53,463 per year.

The North East follows with £27.94 per hour or £53,757 per year.

Although London-based HR leaders earned the most, they also worked some of the longest hours, averaging 37.4 per week or 1,945 hours per year.

This is the same as HR professionals in the East of England and the Southwest.

The Southeast had the longest working week at 37.5 hours or 1,950 hours annually.

In contrast, Scotland had the shortest working week for HR managers and directors, averaging 36.1 hours or 1,877 hours per year.

The wage disparity is not limited to senior roles.

HR and industrial relations officers, including specialists, generalists, recruiters, and diversity advisers, earned the highest salaries in London, with an average hourly rate of £20.91 or £40,775 per year for a 37.5 hour work week.

Scotland and the East Midlands followed, with hourly pay of £18.93 and £18.73 respectively, both exceeding the UK average of £18.41 per hour or £35,900 annually.

HR administrators in London also earned above the national average, with an hourly rate of £16.20 compared to £14.95.

Claire Williams, chief people and operating officer at Ciphr, said: “This ONS data is very useful to get a better understanding of what similar HR roles are being paid around the country.

“But, as with any job, salary can vary considerably depending on the size and type of an organisation that someone works in, their seniority and skillset, the critical functions they perform, and their contribution to business outcomes.

“Any salary benchmarking must also take into account the cost of living – or level of affordability (compared to wages) across the different UK regions.

“While pay is rarely the only consideration when people are choosing to join an employer or stay in a role, they do want to feel fairly rewarded for the value they bring to an organisation.”