HR managers and directors in London and the South of England earn more per hour than their counterparts in other regions, but they also work some of the longest hours, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Analysis by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr shows a strong regional pay gap, with HR professionals in London earning an average of £35.38 per hour, compared to £23.37 in Wales.

The findings highlight a 51 percent pay disparity between the highest and lowest-paid HR managers and directors, which includes roles in recruitment, learning and development, diversity and inclusion and reward. HR leaders in the Southeast and Southwest earn above the UK average, with mean hourly wages; in contrast, the lowest-paid regions include Wales, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and The Humber, where HR managers earn significantly less.

Regional Pay Disparities in HR

London remains the highest-paying region for HR managers and directors, followed by the Southeast (£33.03 per hour) and the Southwest (£31.40 per hour). The East of England (£29.60 per hour) and the North West (£28.90 per hour) also offer salaries above the national average.

Despite earning more, HR leaders in London and the Southeast work some of the longest hours. The average full-time HR manager in London clocks in 37.4 hours per week, or around 1,945 hours per year. In the Southeast, this figure rises slightly to 37.5 hours per week, making it the region with the longest working hours for HR professionals.

By comparison, Scotland has the shortest average working week for HR managers and directors at 36.1 hours per week, or 1,877 hours per year.

Salaries for Other HR Roles Vary by Region

HR professionals at all levels also experience regional pay differences. According to Ciphr’s research, HR and industrial relations officers in London earn the highest wages, with an average hourly rate of £20.91, equating to an annual salary of around £40,775 for a 37.5-hour workweek. Scotland (£18.93 per hour) and the East Midlands (£18.73 per hour) are the next highest-paying regions for these roles, both above the national average of £18.41 per hour or £35,900 per year.

Claire Williams, chief people and operating officer at Ciphr, commented, “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.”

HR administrators in London also earn more than their peers in other parts of the UK, with an average hourly wage of £16.20, compared to the national average of £14.95.