HR Salary Guide 2023
As the combined pressures of high costs, inflation and a recession continue to bite in 2023, HR teams face a huge challenge controlling budgets whilst attracting and retaining hard to find talent.
Explore salaries for HR roles in your region.
| Role Category | Title | Region | Lower Quartile | Median | Upper Quartile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | National Average | £78,853 | £96,376 | £122,661 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | London | £90,000 | £110,000 | £140,000 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | SouthEast | £83,333 | £101,852 | £129,630 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | SouthWest | £77,586 | £94,828 | £120,690 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | EastEast | £80,357 | £98,214 | £125,000 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | WestMidlands | £78,261 | £95,652 | £121,739 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | EastMidlands | £78,261 | £95,652 | £121,739 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | Yorkshire | £75,630 | £92,437 | £117,647 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | NorthEast | £75,000 | £91,667 | £116,667 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | NorthWest | £75,630 | £92,437 | £117,647 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | Scotland | £78,947 | £96,491 | £122,807 | |
| CHRO/CPO | CHRO/CPO | Wales | £74,380 | £90,909 | £115,702 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | National Average | £78,853 | £87,615 | £105,138 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | London | £90,000 | £100,000 | £120,000 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | SouthEast | £83,333 | £92,593 | £111,111 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | SouthWest | £77,586 | £86,207 | £103,448 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | EastEast | £80,357 | £89,286 | £107,143 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | WestMidlands | £78,261 | £86,957 | £104,348 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | EastMidlands | £78,261 | £86,957 | £104,348 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | Yorkshire | £75,630 | £84,034 | £100,840 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | NorthEast | £75,000 | £83,333 | £100,000 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | NorthWest | £75,630 | £84,034 | £100,840 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | Scotland | £78,947 | £87,719 | £105,263 | |
| Human Resources Director | Human Resources Director | Wales | £74,380 | £82,645 | £99,174 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | National Average | £48,188 | £56,950 | £70,092 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | London | £55,000 | £65,000 | £80,000 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | SouthEast | £50,926 | £60,185 | £74,074 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | SouthWest | £47,414 | £56,034 | £68,966 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | EastEast | £49,107 | £58,036 | £71,429 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | WestMidlands | £47,826 | £56,522 | £69,565 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | EastMidlands | £47,826 | £56,522 | £69,565 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | Yorkshire | £46,218 | £54,622 | £67,227 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | NorthEast | £45,833 | £54,167 | £66,667 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | NorthWest | £46,218 | £54,622 | £67,227 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | Scotland | £48,246 | £57,018 | £70,175 | |
| HR Manager | HR Manager | Wales | £45,455 | £53,719 | £66,116 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | National Average | £52,569 | £56,950 | £65,711 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | London | £60,000 | £65,000 | £75,000 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | SouthEast | £55,556 | £60,185 | £69,444 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | SouthWest | £51,724 | £56,034 | £64,655 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | EastEast | £53,571 | £58,036 | £66,964 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | WestMidlands | £52,174 | £56,522 | £65,217 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | EastMidlands | £52,174 | £56,522 | £65,217 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | Yorkshire | £50,420 | £54,622 | £63,025 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | NorthEast | £50,000 | £54,167 | £62,500 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | NorthWest | £50,420 | £54,622 | £63,025 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | Scotland | £52,632 | £57,018 | £65,789 | |
| HR Business Partner | HR Business Partner | Wales | £49,587 | £53,719 | £61,983 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | National Average | £39,427 | £43,807 | £48,188 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | London | £45,000 | £50,000 | £55,000 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | SouthEast | £41,667 | £46,296 | £50,926 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | SouthWest | £38,793 | £43,103 | £47,414 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | EastEast | £40,179 | £44,643 | £49,107 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | WestMidlands | £39,130 | £43,478 | £47,826 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | EastMidlands | £39,130 | £43,478 | £47,826 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | Yorkshire | £37,815 | £42,017 | £46,218 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | NorthEast | £37,500 | £41,667 | £45,833 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | NorthWest | £37,815 | £42,017 | £46,218 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | Scotland | £39,474 | £43,860 | £48,246 | |
| Senior HR Advisor | Senior HR Advisor | Wales | £37,190 | £41,322 | £45,455 | |
| HRAdvisor | HR Advisor | National Average | £35,046 | £39,427 | £43,807 | |
| HRAdvisor | HR Advisor | London | £40,000 | £45,000 | £50,000 | |
| HRAdvisor | HR Advisor | SouthEast | £37,037 | £41,667 | £46,296 | |
| HRAdvisor | HR Advisor | SouthWest | £34,483 | £38,793 | £43,103 | |
| HR Advisor | HR Advisor | EastEast | £35,714 | £40,179 | £44,643 | |
| HRAdvisor | HR Advisor | WestMidlands | £34,783 | £39,130 | £43,478 | |
| HRAdvisor | HR Advisor | EastMidlands | £34,783 | £39,130 | £43,478 | |
| HR Advisor | HR Advisor | Yorkshire | £33,613 | £37,815 | £42,017 | |
| HRAdvisor | HR Advisor | NorthEast | £33,333 | £37,500 | £41,667 | |
| HR Advisor | HR Advisor | NorthWest | £33,613 | £37,815 | £42,017 | |
| HRAdvisor | HR Advisor | Scotland | £35,088 | £39,474 | £43,860 | |
| HR Advisor | HR Advisor | Wales | £33,058 | £37,190 | £41,322 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | National Average | £36,798 | £43,807 | £56,950 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | London | £42,000 | £50,000 | £65,000 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | SouthEast | £38,889 | £46,296 | £60,185 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | SouthWest | £36,207 | £43,103 | £56,034 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | EastEast | £37,500 | £44,643 | £58,036 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | WestMidlands | £36,522 | £43,478 | £56,522 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | EastMidlands | £36,522 | £43,478 | £56,522 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | Yorkshire | £35,294 | £42,017 | £54,622 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | NorthEast | £35,000 | £41,667 | £54,167 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | NorthWest | £35,294 | £42,017 | £54,622 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | Scotland | £36,842 | £43,860 | £57,018 | |
| Learning and Development | Learning and Development | Wales | £34,711 | £41,322 | £53,719 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | National Average | £40,303 | £49,940 | £56,950 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | London | £46,000 | £57,000 | £65,000 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | SouthEast | £42,593 | £52,778 | £60,185 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | SouthWest | £39,655 | £49,138 | £56,034 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | EastEast | £41,071 | £50,893 | £58,036 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | WestMidlands | £40,000 | £49,565 | £56,522 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | EastMidlands | £40,000 | £49,565 | £56,522 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | Yorkshire | £38,655 | £47,899 | £54,622 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | NorthEast | £38,333 | £47,500 | £54,167 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | NorthWest | £38,655 | £47,899 | £54,622 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | Scotland | £40,351 | £50,000 | £57,018 | |
| Employee Relations | Employee Relations | Wales | £38,017 | £47,107 | £53,719 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | National Average | £26,284 | £28,475 | £30,665 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | London | £30,000 | £32,500 | £35,000 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | SouthEast | £27,778 | £30,093 | £32,407 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | SouthWest | £25,862 | £28,017 | £30,172 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | EastEast | £26,786 | £29,018 | £31,250 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | WestMidlands | £26,087 | £28,261 | £30,435 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | EastMidlands | £26,087 | £28,261 | £30,435 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | Yorkshire | £25,210 | £27,311 | £29,412 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | NorthEast | £25,000 | £27,083 | £29,167 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | NorthWest | £25,210 | £27,311 | £29,412 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | Scotland | £26,316 | £28,509 | £30,702 | |
| HR Assistant | HR Assistant | Wales | £24,793 | £26,860 | £28,926 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | National Average | £24,094 | £26,284 | £28,475 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | London | £27,500 | £30,000 | £32,500 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | SouthEast | £25,463 | £27,778 | £30,093 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | SouthWest | £23,707 | £25,862 | £28,017 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | EastEast | £24,554 | £26,786 | £29,018 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | WestMidlands | £23,913 | £26,087 | £28,261 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | EastMidlands | £23,913 | £26,087 | £28,261 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | Yorkshire | £23,109 | £25,210 | £27,311 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | NorthEast | £22,917 | £25,000 | £27,083 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | NorthWest | £23,109 | £25,210 | £27,311 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | Scotland | £24,123 | £26,316 | £28,509 | |
| HR Administrator | HR Administrator | Wales | £22,727 | £24,793 | £26,860 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | National Average | £70,092 | £87,615 | £96,376 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | London | £80,000 | £100,000 | £110,000 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | SouthEast | £74,074 | £92,593 | £101,852 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | SouthWest | £68,966 | £86,207 | £94,828 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | EastEast | £71,429 | £89,286 | £98,214 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | WestMidlands | £69,565 | £86,957 | £95,652 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | EastMidlands | £69,565 | £86,957 | £95,652 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | Yorkshire | £67,227 | £84,034 | £92,437 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | NorthEast | £66,667 | £83,333 | £91,667 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | NorthWest | £67,227 | £84,034 | £92,437 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | Scotland | £70,175 | £87,719 | £96,491 | |
| Head of Talent | Head of Talent | Wales | £66,116 | £82,645 | £90,909 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | National Average | £52,569 | £61,330 | £70,092 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | London | £60,000 | £70,000 | £80,000 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | SouthEast | £55,556 | £64,815 | £74,074 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | SouthWest | £51,724 | £60,345 | £68,966 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | EastEast | £53,571 | £62,500 | £71,429 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | WestMidlands | £52,174 | £60,870 | £69,565 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | EastMidlands | £52,174 | £60,870 | £69,565 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | Yorkshire | £50,420 | £58,824 | £67,227 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | NorthEast | £50,000 | £58,333 | £66,667 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | NorthWest | £50,420 | £58,824 | £67,227 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | Scotland | £52,632 | £61,404 | £70,175 | |
| Talent Manager | Talent Manager | Wales | £49,587 | £57,851 | £66,116 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | National Average | £43,807 | £48,188 | £52,569 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | London | £50,000 | £55,000 | £60,000 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | SouthEast | £46,296 | £50,926 | £55,556 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | SouthWest | £43,103 | £47,414 | £51,724 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | EastEast | £44,643 | £49,107 | £53,571 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | WestMidlands | £43,478 | £47,826 | £52,174 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | EastMidlands | £43,478 | £47,826 | £52,174 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | Yorkshire | £42,017 | £46,218 | £50,420 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | NorthEast | £41,667 | £45,833 | £50,000 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | NorthWest | £42,017 | £46,218 | £50,420 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | Scotland | £43,860 | £48,246 | £52,632 | |
| Talent Advisor | Talent Advisor | Wales | £41,322 | £45,455 | £49,587 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | National Average | £26,284 | £30,665 | £35,046 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | London | £30,000 | £35,000 | £40,000 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | SouthEast | £27,778 | £32,407 | £37,037 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | SouthWest | £25,862 | £30,172 | £34,483 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | EastEast | £26,786 | £31,250 | £35,714 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | WestMidlands | £26,087 | £30,435 | £34,783 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | EastMidlands | £26,087 | £30,435 | £34,783 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | Yorkshire | £25,210 | £29,412 | £33,613 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | NorthEast | £25,000 | £29,167 | £33,333 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | NorthWest | £25,210 | £29,412 | £33,613 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | Scotland | £26,316 | £30,702 | £35,088 | |
| Talent/Rec Coordinator | Talent/Rec Coordinator | Wales | £24,793 | £28,926 | £33,058 |
Salary guidance
Salaries typically fall between the lower and upper quartiles depending on candidate availability, demand for those skills, level of experience, industry sector and the size of the business or organisation.
Key observations
From mid-2022 to mid-2023 growth hiring in the HR job market has fallen, leading to fewer roles being available. Salary increases have remained stable at 7%, but new talent acquisition salaries are falling.
Shifting priorities
Since the middle of 2022, growth hiring has diminished, leading organisations to shift their focus from talent attraction strategies to retaining and developing their existing teams through upskilling and people-centric initiatives. This change in priorities reflects a strategic emphasis on nurturing and maximizing the potential of the current workforce.
Role of HR
The role of HR has been crucial in managing rapidly changing work environments brought about by the pandemic. HR leaders have been at the forefront of supporting and coaching employees, implementing people-centric programs, and demonstrating the positive impact of engaged and happy teams on productivity and profitability.
Employee feedback and workforce planning
HR departments have embraced strategic workforce planning over the last few years, using employee feedback, market data and competitor workforce analyses to map out how the development of future skills will align with business objectives. These proactive efforts have resulted in substantial savings for companies, particularly in employee attrition, over the past three years.
HR Salaries
HR recruitment has declined over the past year, paralleling the broader trend across sectors. At the same time, availability of candidates has improved, leading to an employer-led market in terms of salary negotiations. Consequently, financial rewards for existing teams have diminished, with fewer companies addressing the cost of living crisis through inflation-matched pay increases or one-time support payments in 2023.
The average salary increase across mainstream HR roles has remained stable in 2023 at 7%.
In line with a fall in demand, talent acquisition salaries have suffered as many large employers such as Microsoft and Amazon shed employees. This lack of demand has impacted salaries - the role of head of talent in particular has seen a 10% decrease in advertised salaries compared to the height of 2022.
Future challenges
The challenge for HR leaders in the upcoming year will be to maintain innovation while accommodating flexible working practices. Many businesses are seeking to return to office-based work amidst a subdued job market, but full-time office work is unpopular with employees. HR teams will need to contend with the risk of employees leaving as the job market picks up in 2024, potentially leading to talent attrition.
Learning and development
To cope with the skills shortage, many employers have turned to hiring less experienced individuals and implementing training plans to bridge the gaps. This strategy allows organisations to develop talent internally and ensure a skilled workforce in the long term. [Provide link to relevant article]
New technology adoption
Learning and development will become more of a priority for HR departments as businesses invest more in training and put their people at the heart of their growth strategies. Demand for this will increase as more organisations work to upskill people to meet changing business goals.
January 2023
There has been a gradual tail off in the number of new HR roles advertised since July 2022.
The fastest drop in demand has been for talent acquisition teams, with demand falling since March, a reflection of a slowdown in growth planning.
The biggest growth has been within employee engagement and learning & development roles to support retention and develop existing talent in the face of a skills shortage.
Salaries have remained flat for the second half of 2022. We predict salaries will track inflation through 2023 and the demand for HR professionals to soften.
Post-Covid, businesses have almost universally sought to humanize their interaction with employees, driving up engagement with the goal of maintaining happy, inclusive and productive remote teams. As the pressures of high costs, inflation and a recession continue to bite in 2023, businesses will shift to having a greater focus on maintaining profits. HR will face a growing challenge of maintaining the human-first element within the organisation as these changes take place.
There will be a focus on using evidence-based data to prove the value of HR initiatives, and attempting to prove that profits and a human-first approach can co-exist in a tougher economic environment. But whether this data is readily available, and whether HR teams will be able to access the data they need, remains to be seen. We may see the rise of the HR data analyst in 2023 as a result.
In the face of potential budget cuts, business leaders will once again turn to HR teams to retain and maintain the productivity of existing employees. Investing in existing talent, upskilling, and coaching will continue as a feature of the next 12 months.
The next 12 months will be especially challenging for HR, and with teams already running at full tilt for the past three years there is a real danger of burnout as the department is asked to do more with less.
Investing in existing talent, upskilling and coaching will continue as a feature of the next 12 months.
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If you would like to find out more about how your salaries compare to others in the HR market, we offer our clients bespoke individual salary reports for a precise salary assessment, based on industry, geography, competition, job role and company size.
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