Human resources and industrial relations officers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time human resources and industrial relations officers in the UK earned a median £35,194 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £3,845 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 197th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £29,116 and £43,735.
Median full-time pay: women £34,311 a year, men £37,353 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 160,000 employee jobs, 86% full-time.
From £28,268 in 2021, the median is up 24.5%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 196,000 people in this line of work, 17% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,306 | £507.90 | £13.50 | £20,625 | £463.50 | £13.42 |
| 20th percentile | £27,942 | £542.50 | £14.80 | £26,178 | £517.50 | £14.75 |
| 25th percentile | £29,116 | £561.50 | £15.33 | £27,273 | £534.80 | £15.20 |
| 30th percentile | £29,988 | £581.30 | £15.67 | £28,315 | £555.50 | £15.60 |
| 40th percentile | £32,264 | £622.80 | £16.78 | £30,305 | £596.50 | £16.65 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £35,194 | £670.80 | £18.12 | £33,012 | £642.30 | £17.98 |
| 60th percentile | £38,237 | £724.60 | £19.58 | £36,472 | £693.60 | £19.51 |
| 70th percentile | £41,615 | £795.60 | £21.50 | £40,250 | £766.60 | £21.43 |
| 75th percentile | £43,735 | £839.20 | £22.70 | £42,406 | £811.50 | £22.76 |
| 80th percentile | £46,661 | £881.70 | £23.97 | £44,756 | £862.40 | £23.87 |
| 90th percentile | – | £1,052.20* | £28.79* | – | £1,031.40* | £27.91* |
| Mean | £40,029 | £762.90 | £20.45 | £37,272 | £717.90 | £20.38 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £28,268 | £535.00 | £14.15 | £26,243 | £498.50 | 148 |
| 2022 revised | £28,681 | £536.90 | £14.29 | £26,731 | £516.90 | 139 |
| 2023 revised | £30,338 | £577.20 | £15.44 | £28,675 | £561.20 | 166 |
| 2024 revised | £33,178 | £636.00 | £16.85 | £31,364 | £606.20 | 175 |
| 2025 provisional | £35,194 | £670.80 | £18.12 | £33,012 | £642.30 | 160 |
Human resources and industrial relations officers by region
UK: 196,000 (± 17,200), April 2025 to March 2026. 1 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 33,000* | ± 9,400 |
| South East | 24,600* | ± 6,200 |
| North West | 22,800* | ± 5,800 |
| East of England | 22,100* | ± 6,400 |
| Scotland | 19,900* | ± 5,100 |
| West Midlands | 17,200* | ± 5,400 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 12,200* | ± 4,100 |
| East Midlands | 11,800* | ± 4,600 |
| South West | 10,800* | ± 3,700 |
| Wales | 8,000* | ± 2,500 |
| North East | 7,900* | ± 2,800 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What human resources and industrial relations officers do
Human resources and industrial relations officers conduct research, analyse data and advise on recruitment, training, staff appraisal and industrial relations policies and assist specialist managers with negotiations on behalf of a commercial enterprise, trade union or other organisation. (ONS SOC 2020, 3571)
Also covers: employment consultant, human resources advisor, human resources analyst, recruitment consultant, talent attraction consultant, account manager, conciliation officer, consultation officer, equalities adviser, equalities officer, equality adviser, equality officer, head hunter, HR adviser, HR analyst, HR assistant, HR consultant and HR coordinator (91 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Undertakes research and analyses data on pay differentials, productivity and efficiency bonuses and other payments
- Develops and recommends personnel and industrial relations policies, assists with their implementation and drafts staff handbooks
- Assists with negotiations between management and employees or trades unions concerning pay and conditions of employment
- Interviews candidates for jobs
- Advises on training and recruitment, negotiating procedures, salary agreements and other personnel and industrial relations issues
- Deals with grievance and disciplinary procedures, and with staff welfare and counselling provision
There are no formal academic requirements although most entrants possess a degree or equivalent qualification and/or relevant experience. Many employers expect staff to gain membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development through study for professional qualifications. Vocational qualifications in this area are available at levels 2 to 7.
Related
HR, training and other vocational associate guidance professionals (median £35,486) · Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists · Information technology trainers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026