The pay gap between HR professionals working in London and those working in Northern Ireland has increased by 13 per cent since 2002.
The findings come from the latest reward survey of over 6,500 HR professionals from Croner Reward in association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Personnel Officers in London now earn £29,087, 11 per cent above the national average, whereas their counterparts in Northern Ireland, at £23,838, are the lowest paid in the UK at 9 per cent below the national average.
Charles Cotton, CIPD pay expert, said: “Regional pay variations will be influenced by the cost of living – house prices and commuting – and the mix of business activities in the different regions with the high-paying service sector and company headquarters predominant in London and the home counties.
“The findings also show that personnel professionals with overseas responsibilities can also earn more which reflects the contribution that HR can bring to business. They face growing challenges to co-ordinate HR processes across the countries in which they operate, through recruitment initiatives, the brand values, performance management systems, selection and development activities.”
But although they receive the highest wages, personnel officers in London report the lowest levels of job satisfaction, with just 37 per cent rating their job good or excellent. Of those working in the North-West, 78 per cent rated their job good or excellent.
Vivienne Copeland, director of client services at Croner Reward, said: “The level of satisfaction suggest personnel professionals are not just motivated by money but a whole range of incentives, which supports CIPD’s research on employee attitudes.
“Organisations need to work hard to make sure they are fulfilling the needs of their HR professionals, not just with pay but things like work-life balance and job security.”
Areas of specialisation are also commanding higher salaries. The average HR senior manager earns £41,000 but the average salary for a recruitment manager is 10 per cent higher and for reward managers it’s 23 per cent above the average at £49,700.
Nearly a quarter of respondents are seeking to move job with lack of promotion prospects being cited by 30 per cent, followed by management and low salaries.
