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
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.
Bespoke salary report
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.
Access IT, Accountancy & Marketing Salary Guides
Explore industry specific salary data
Information Technology 
Accountancy 
Marketing Latest HR Jobs
HR Advisor
An award-winning, reputable firm based in Central London is searching for an enthusiastic HR Advisor to join the team for a 1-year fixed term contract. This role is predominantly home-based, but you will be required to work from the office 1 day per week. In this standalone role, you will take full ownership of the...
Read moreHR Manager
An award-winning, reputable firm based in Central London is searching for an enthusiastic HR Manager to join the team for a 1-year fixed term contract. This role is predominantly home-based, but you will be required to work from the office 1 day per week. In this standalone role, you will take full ownership of the...
Read moreHR Manager
An award-winning, reputable firm based in Central London is searching for an enthusiastic HR Manager to join the team for a 1-year fixed term contract. This role is predominantly home-based, but you will be required to work from the office 1 day per week. In this standalone role, you will take full ownership of the...
Read more
Looking to hire?
More than 20,000 people register with the Ashdown Group every month. We have access to hundreds of high-calibre professionals living within an easy commute of your business.