The HR leaders who work the longest hours reside in southern England, but they also earn the most, analysis of ONS data has found.
An analysis of regional pay figures has revealed a 51 percent pay difference between the highest and lowest-paid HR managers and directors across the UK. This includes managers and directors in HR, recruitment, L&D, DE&I and reward.
HR managers and directors in London are paid the most on average, based on mean hourly earnings of £35.38. This equals £68,807 a year, according to HR and payroll software provider Ciphr, which conducted the analysis. The provider found that this represents around £24,000 more than the average salary for HR leaders in Wales.
HR leaders in the capital are paid around 7 percent more than professionals working in the Southeast and 13 percent more than those in the Southwest. Pay for these regions averages £33.03 an hour (£64,409 a year) and £31.40 an hour (£61,067 a year) respectively.
Analysts found that senior HR professionals in Wales, the East Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber have the lowest mean hourly rate compared to the rest of the UK. For these three regions, average hourly wages were £23.37 (£44,964 a year), £25.89 (£49,812 a year), and £26.69 (£51,352 a year) respectively. This is below the UK average for HR leaders, which is £30.88 or £59,413 per year.
Ciphr also found that senior HR people in the Southeast of England work the longest hours putting in an average of 37.5 a week, while HR professionals in London work 37.4 hours a week.
HR leaders in Scotland average the shortest working hours at 36.1 a week on average.
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.”
