Human resource managers and directors salary in the UK (2025/26)
Official UK Average earnings data 2025
£54,474
Typical Annual pay range
Employment patterns
- 86% of Human resource managers work full-time
- 8% are self-employed
- 98.6% of employees have permanent contracts
Understanding Human resource managers and directors pay in the UK
The typical human resource managers and directors in the UK earns a median salary of £54,474 in 2025/26. These figures come from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), so they reflect actual reported pay rather than self-reported estimates or job-advert ranges.
The middle half of human resource managers and directors earnings fall between £40,108 and £75,459 a year. That is a wide range, a sign that pay climbs steeply with experience, specialism and employer, so the median is a starting point rather than a ceiling.
The mean (average) salary is higher, at £65,374. When the mean sits above the median like this, a smaller group of high earners is pulling the average up, which is why the median is the better guide to what a typical human resource managers and directors actually takes home.
Where you work changes the picture: human resource managers and directors pay ranges from £42,497 in Wales up to £66,725 in London, a difference of £24,228 (57%). The full regional breakdown is below.
Dig deeper: see human resource managers and directors pay in London, Human resource managers and directors vs Accountant or read how we source and check this data.
How pay varies by region
London is the highest-paying region for human resource managers and directors at £66,725 — 22% above the UK median. Wales is lowest at £42,497.
UK median £54,474
| Region | Median payUK median £54,474 | Median | Mean | vs UK median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | £66,725 | £66,725 | £83,363 | +22% |
| South East | £63,289 | £63,289 | £72,019 | +16% |
| East of England | £54,912 | £54,912 | £59,859 | +1% |
| South West | £52,370 | £52,370 | £59,179 | -4% |
| West Midlands | £51,662 | £51,662 | Value unavailable | -5% |
| Scotland | £49,688 | £49,688 | £52,721 | -9% |
| North West | £49,067 | £49,067 | £60,630 | -10% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £48,675 | £48,675 | £51,967 | -11% |
| East Midlands | £45,493 | £45,493 | £46,620 | -16% |
| Wales | £42,497 | £42,497 | £45,252 | -22% |
| Region | Median | vs UK |
|---|---|---|
| London £66,725 | £66,725Mean £83,363 | +22% |
| South East £63,289 | £63,289Mean £72,019 | +16% |
| East of England £54,912 | £54,912Mean £59,859 | +1% |
| South West £52,370 | £52,370Mean £59,179 | -4% |
| West Midlands £51,662 | £51,662 | -5% |
| Scotland £49,688 | £49,688Mean £52,721 | -9% |
| North West £49,067 | £49,067Mean £60,630 | -10% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber £48,675 | £48,675Mean £51,967 | -11% |
| East Midlands £45,493 | £45,493Mean £46,620 | -16% |
| Wales £42,497 | £42,497Mean £45,252 | -22% |
Sorted highest median to lowest. The vertical line marks the UK median (£54,474); ‘Vs UK median’ compares each region’s median to it. Suppressed values mean ONS withheld this figure because the sample was too small to publish.
Make it local
Calculate take-home pay for your region
Choose a region above to see local human resource managers and directors pay and calculate your monthly take-home after tax on the local salary page.
Back to region listHow human resource managers and directors pay has changed over time
UK median annual pay for human resource managers and directors by year (ONS ASHE).
Median salary
▪ 25th–75th percentile range
Pre-2021 figures mapped from SOC 2010 via ONS concordance table
Compare with…
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