New data from the ONS shows a persistent wage gap between HR leaders based in the South and North of the UK, with those in London, the Southeast and Southwest of England earning more per hour than many of their counterparts across the rest of the country.
Analysis of regional pay figures, by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr, revealed a 51% pay disparity between the highest and lowest-paid HR managers and directors (including managers and directors in HR, recruitment, L&D, DE&I and reward).
HR managers and directors based in London are paid the most on average, based on mean hourly earnings of £35.38 (excluding overtime). This works out to about £68,807* per year, which is nearly £24,000 more than the average salary of their peers in Wales.
HR leaders’ wages in London are also around 7% higher than those based in the Southeast of the UK and 13% higher than those in the Southwest (which average at £33.03 and £31.40 respectively).
At the opposite end of the earnings scale, HR managers and directors in Wales, the East Midlands, and Yorkshire and The Humber have the lowest mean hourly rate compared to anywhere else in the UK. Their average salaries, of £23.37, £25.89, and £26.69 an hour respectively, are considerably less than the UK average for these jobs of £30.88 or £59,413 per year.
Parts of the UK where HR managers and directors have the highest mean average wages:
- London – £35.38 an hour or £68,807 a year
- South East – £33.03 an hour or £64,409 a year
- South West – £31.40 an hour or £61,067 a year
- East of England – £29.60 an hour or £57,566 a year
- North West – £28.90 an hour or £55,604 a year
The capital’s HR managers and directors may earn more, on average, but they also put in longer full-time hours than most – clocking in 37.4 hours per week or about 1,945 hours a year. The average working week for HR managers and directors in the Southeast of England is slightly higher at 37.5 hours, or 1,950 a year.
By comparison, HR leaders in Scotland average the shortest working week at 36.1 hours, or 1,877 a year.
Parts of the UK where HR managers and directors have the longest working week:
- South East – 37.5 a week or 1,950 a year
- East of England – 37.4 a week or 1,945 a year
- London – 37.4 a week or 1,945 a year
- South West – 37.4 a week or 1,945 a year
Based on Ciphr’s research, HR professionals (at all levels) employed by organisations in London enjoy the biggest HR salaries. The region is home to some of the best-paid HR and industrial relations officers, who earn an average hourly rate of £20.91 or about £40,775 a year (for a 37.5 hour working week). 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 UK regions for these types of HR roles are Scotland (£18.93) and the East Midlands (£18.73). Both come in above the national average of £18.41 an hour or £35,900 a year.
HR administrators working in London, or for companies based in London, also earn more than others in these roles around the UK, at £16.20 per hour (the national average is £14.95).
To find out how your pay compares, try Ciphr's hourly wage calculator.
Commenting on the findings, Claire Williams, chief people and operating officer at Ciphr, says: “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.”
Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Based in Reading, Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.
For more information, please visit www.ciphr.com.
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Notes:
*Basic annual salary figures were calculated by multiplying the average mean full-time hourly pay (excluding overtime) for this job in this region by the median number of paid hours, excluding overtime, worked a year by full-time employees in this job in this region. For example: £30.88 (the mean average hourly rate of full-time HR managers and directors in the UK) multiplied by 1,924 (the median number of paid hours, excluding overtime, worked a year by full-time HR managers and directors in the UK) equals £59,413 (basic mean annual salary).
Mean pay data has been quoted in this release, due to median pay data being unavailable for several parts of the UK.
All pay data was sourced from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Figures quoted are based on the provisional annual earnings datasets for full-time UK employees released on 5 February 2025 (relating to the tax year ending 5 April 2024): Earnings and hours worked, region by occupation by four-digit SOC (work geography) – Table 15 (4).6a Hourly pay - Excluding overtime (£) and Table 15 (4).10a Paid hours worked – Basic: https://bit.ly/49PrSOO
Data for UK averages: Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC: ASHE Table 14 (released on 29 October 2024) – Table 14.6a Hourly pay - Excluding overtime (£) and Table 14.10a Paid hours worked – Basic: https://bit.ly/3YGxtTv
Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.
The Ciphr Group is a privately held company backed by ECI Partners and headquartered in Reading. Over 230 employees work across the group, which includes Ciphr and Avantus.
Ciphr spokespeople are available to provide expert media comment on a broad range of topics, including HR strategy, people management, employee experience and wellbeing, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), payroll, pay, benefits and rewards, learning and development, the future of work, tech trends, business and leadership, marketing, and more.
