HR salary increases fall behind UK average

Research from recruitment company, Reed, shows that the HR industry is lagging behind the UK’s average salary growth, with HR salaries growing at just 4.8% in the past year, compared to average national salary increases of 6%.

However, certain roles in the sector are bucking this trend, with shared services managers, organisational development specialists and reward managers seeing increases of 21.6%, 15.2% and 11.5%, respectively, according to Reed’s data.

And despite last year’s salary growth sitting below the national 6% increase, HR salaries are still substantially more than the general workforce, with HR roles paying an average of £48,400 compared to the UK average salary £38,900. Despite this, many still remain unhappy with their salary – and, according to Reed’s research, 100% of those who are unhappy with their salaries said it was because it’s not risen in line with cost of living.

As part of Reed’s annual salary guides, it analysed more than 21 million job adverts and asked 5,000 UK workers a range of questions on their salary and benefits – both current and expected.

Alexia Catt Reed, said: “UK employees are navigating tough times and although some wages have risen, they generally don’t keep pace with inflation and the escalating cost of living. With more than three quarters (79%) of HR professionals open to new job opportunities, the sector needs to look at how best to incentivise and reward its workers. For employers unable to offer significant salary hikes, investing in strong, well-communicated benefits packages is essential. Tailored benefits can significantly impact employee satisfaction, signalling an organisation’s commitment to supporting work-life balance and wellbeing.

“Our survey showed that alongside salary increases, employees would feel more valued if they received more recognition for their achievements (27%), more flexible working hours (27%), clearer career progression (23%) and better communication from leadership (23%).”