Salary by Profession in the UK: Compare Jobs, Regions and Pay Levels

How Much Do HR Managers Earn in the UK? — 2026 Salary Guide

Complete guide to HR manager salaries in the UK for 2026. HR advisors, HR business partners, HR directors by industry, company size, CIPD qualifications, and career progression.

· · 6 min read

Salary and income data is based on ONS and other official UK statistical sources. Figures are averages and may not reflect your individual circumstances.

Human Resources management offers strong salaries, clear progression, and roles across every industry. Here’s the complete breakdown for 2026.

For a broader comparison across occupations and pay bands, see our Salary by Profession hub.

HR Salary by Level

Career Progression

LevelSalary RangeCIPD Level
HR Administrator£22,000-£28,000Level 3
HR Coordinator£25,000-£32,000Level 3/5
HR Advisor£30,000-£42,000Level 5
Senior HR Advisor£38,000-£50,000Level 5
HR Manager£42,000-£60,000Level 5/7
Senior HR Manager£55,000-£75,000Level 7
HR Business Partner£50,000-£75,000Level 7
Head of HR£65,000-£100,000Level 7
HR Director£80,000-£150,000+Level 7
Chief People Officer£120,000-£250,000+Level 7

By Specialism

Generalist HR

RoleSalary Range
HR Generalist£32,000-£45,000
HR Manager (generalist)£42,000-£58,000
HR Business Partner£50,000-£70,000

Recruitment/Talent Acquisition

RoleSalary Range
Recruitment Coordinator£24,000-£30,000
Talent Acquisition Specialist£35,000-£50,000
Recruitment Manager£45,000-£65,000
Head of Talent Acquisition£65,000-£95,000
Talent Director£85,000-£130,000

In-house recruitment typically pays less than agency but offers better work-life balance.

Learning & Development

RoleSalary Range
L&D Coordinator£26,000-£32,000
L&D Advisor£32,000-£42,000
L&D Manager£45,000-£65,000
Head of L&D£65,000-£95,000
L&D Director£85,000-£130,000

Compensation & Benefits

RoleSalary Range
Reward Analyst£35,000-£50,000
Compensation & Benefits Manager£55,000-£80,000
Head of Reward£75,000-£120,000
Reward Director£100,000-£160,000

Reward specialists command premium salaries due to technical skills required.

Employee Relations

RoleSalary Range
ER Advisor£32,000-£45,000
ER Manager£48,000-£68,000
Head of Employee Relations£70,000-£100,000

HR Analytics/People Analytics

RoleSalary Range
HR Data Analyst£35,000-£50,000
People Analytics Manager£55,000-£80,000
Head of People Analytics£80,000-£120,000

Growing specialism with strong demand — combines HR with data skills.

By Industry

Financial Services

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£38,000-£52,000
HR Manager£55,000-£75,000
HR Business Partner£65,000-£95,000
HR Director£110,000-£180,000

Investment banks and asset managers pay highest — retail banking lower.

Technology

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£35,000-£48,000
HR Manager£50,000-£70,000
HR Business Partner£60,000-£85,000
HR Director£95,000-£160,000

Tech companies often add equity/RSUs to base salary.

Professional Services (Big 4, Law Firms)

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£35,000-£48,000
HR Manager£50,000-£68,000
HR Business Partner£60,000-£85,000
HR Director£100,000-£150,000

Pharmaceutical/Healthcare

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£34,000-£46,000
HR Manager£48,000-£65,000
HR Business Partner£55,000-£78,000
HR Director£90,000-£140,000

Manufacturing

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£30,000-£40,000
HR Manager£42,000-£58,000
HR Business Partner£48,000-£68,000
HR Director£75,000-£115,000

Retail

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£28,000-£38,000
HR Manager£38,000-£52,000
HR Business Partner£45,000-£62,000
HR Director£70,000-£110,000

Public Sector/NHS

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor (Band 5-6)£29,000-£42,000
HR Manager (Band 7)£43,000-£50,000
Senior HR Manager (Band 8a)£50,000-£57,000
Head of HR (Band 8b-8c)£58,000-£75,000
HR Director (Band 9/VSM)£85,000-£120,000

NHS uses Agenda for Change banding. Local authorities similar.

Charity/Non-Profit

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£28,000-£38,000
HR Manager£38,000-£52,000
HR Director£60,000-£95,000

Typically 10-20% below private sector, offset by purpose-driven work.

By Company Size

Startups (Under 50 employees)

RoleTypical Salary
HR Generalist/Manager (sole HR)£40,000-£55,000
Head of People£55,000-£80,000

Wide remit — covering everything. Equity often part of package.

SMEs (50-250 employees)

RoleSalary Range
HR Manager£42,000-£55,000
HR Business Partner£48,000-£65,000
HR Director£65,000-£90,000

Mid-Size (250-1,000 employees)

RoleSalary Range
HR Manager£48,000-£62,000
HR Business Partner£55,000-£75,000
HR Director£85,000-£120,000

Large Corporates (1,000+ employees)

RoleSalary Range
HR Manager£52,000-£68,000
HR Business Partner£60,000-£85,000
HR Director£100,000-£160,000+

FTSE 100/250

RoleSalary Range
HR Business Partner£70,000-£100,000
HR Director (Divisional)£120,000-£180,000
Group HR Director£180,000-£350,000+

By Region

London

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£35,000-£50,000
HR Manager£50,000-£72,000
HR Business Partner£60,000-£90,000
HR Director£95,000-£180,000

London premium typically 15-25% above national average.

South East

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£32,000-£44,000
HR Manager£45,000-£62,000
HR Business Partner£52,000-£75,000
HR Director£80,000-£140,000

Midlands

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£28,000-£40,000
HR Manager£40,000-£55,000
HR Business Partner£48,000-£68,000
HR Director£70,000-£115,000

North of England

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£27,000-£38,000
HR Manager£38,000-£52,000
HR Business Partner£45,000-£65,000
HR Director£65,000-£110,000

Manchester and Leeds command higher salaries in the North.

Scotland

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£28,000-£40,000
HR Manager£40,000-£55,000
HR Business Partner£48,000-£68,000
HR Director£70,000-£115,000

Edinburgh and Glasgow financial sector pushes up averages.

Wales & Northern Ireland

RoleSalary Range
HR Advisor£26,000-£36,000
HR Manager£36,000-£50,000
HR Business Partner£42,000-£60,000
HR Director£60,000-£95,000

CIPD Qualifications — Impact on Salary

CIPD Levels Explained

LevelEquivalentTypical Roles
Level 3 (Foundation)A-LevelHR Administrator, Coordinator
Level 5 (Associate)Foundation DegreeHR Advisor, HR Manager
Level 7 (Advanced)PostgraduateSenior Manager, HRBP, Director

Salary Impact

QualificationSalary Premium
No CIPD vs Level 3+£2,000-£4,000
Level 3 vs Level 5+£5,000-£8,000
Level 5 vs Level 7+£8,000-£15,000
Chartered Member (MCIPD)+£3,000-£6,000
Chartered Fellow (FCIPD)+£5,000-£10,000

CIPD Costs

LevelTypical CostDuration
Level 3£1,500-£3,0006-12 months
Level 5£3,000-£6,00012-18 months
Level 7£5,000-£10,00018-24 months

Many employers fund CIPD qualifications as part of development.

Benefits Packages

Typical HR Benefits

BenefitPrevalence
Pension (employer 5-10%)Very common
Bonus (10-20% of salary)Common at manager+
Private healthcareCommon
Life assuranceCommon
25+ days holidayStandard
Flexible/hybrid workingVery common
CIPD fundingCommon
Professional membershipsCommon

Bonuses by Level

LevelTypical Bonus
HR Advisor5-10%
HR Manager10-15%
HR Business Partner15-20%
HR Director20-40%
CPO/HRD30-50%+

Financial services and large corporates pay higher bonuses.

Career Progression

Typical Career Path

StageTimelineRoleSalary
EntryYears 0-2HR Administrator£22,000-£28,000
Early careerYears 2-5HR Advisor£30,000-£42,000
Mid-careerYears 5-10HR Manager/HRBP£45,000-£70,000
SeniorYears 10-15Head of HR£65,000-£100,000
ExecutiveYears 15+HR Director/CPO£100,000-£200,000+

Fastest Routes to HR Director

PathTimeframe
Graduate scheme at large corporate10-12 years
HRBP track in high-growth company8-12 years
Specialist to generalist (Reward → HRD)12-15 years
Consultancy then in-house10-15 years
Start-up Head of People path8-10 years

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

HR Manager Typical Duties

AreaActivities
Employee relationsDisciplinaries, grievances, performance management
RecruitmentHiring managers, interviewing, offers
PolicyWriting and updating HR policies
TrainingL&D programmes, mandatory training
Payroll liaisonWorking with payroll on changes
Data/reportingHR metrics, board reports
ProjectsChange management, restructures, TUPE

Working Hours

RoleTypical Hours
HR AdministratorStandard 9-5
HR AdvisorStandard with occasional extra
HR Manager40-45 hours typically
HR Director45-50+ hours

HR is generally reasonable hours compared to finance or law — but busy periods around restructures, year-end, or major projects.

Job Market — 2026

Demand Areas

SpecialismDemand Level
People AnalyticsVery high
Reward/CompensationHigh
Employee RelationsSteady
L&D (digital focus)High
HR Technology/HRISVery high
DE&I specialistsModerate
GeneralistSteady
TrendImpact
AI in HRCreating demand for HR tech skills
Hybrid workingOngoing policy development needed
Skills-based hiringChanging recruitment approaches
Employee experienceGrowing focus area
Cost pressuresLean HR teams, broader roles

How to Increase Your HR Salary

Quick Wins

ActionPotential Increase
Get CIPD qualified£5,000-£15,000
Move to London/South East15-25%
Switch to financial services20-30%
Add analytics/data skills10-20%
Move from public to private sector10-20%

Long-Term Strategies

StrategyTimelineImpact
Specialist then generalist path5-10 yearsAccess to director roles
International HR experience3-5 years£10,000-£20,000+
MBA or Masters2-3 years£5,000-£15,000
Board-level exposureOngoingEssential for HRD roles

Sources

  1. ONS — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings