HR manager: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Human resource managers and directors (SOC 1136)
About £46,196 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +6.4% on last year
£5,120 a month About £3,850 a month after tax 157 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £46,004 in 2021 to £61,445 in 2026 (+34%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £29,035 | £35,729 | £46,004 | £60,092 | x |
| 2022 | £28,717 | £36,464 | £46,957 | £62,369 | x |
| 2023 | £30,052 | £39,521 | £50,064 | £66,441 | x |
| 2024 | £31,970 | £41,252 | £53,113 | £70,471 | x |
| 2025 | £33,207 | £44,126 | £57,758 | £79,568 | x |
| 2026 | £34,555 | £46,053 | £61,445 | £86,079 | £116,689 |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £61,445 a year and half earn more. That is 50% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £46,053 and £86,079; the middle 80% between £34,555 and £116,689.
Ranked by median, it is number 21 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
The mean (£75,400) is well above the median: a minority in this job earn much more than most.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £3,850 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £3,701 in Scotland.
The median for men is £67,810 and for women £58,995, a gap of 13% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £34,555 | £2,880 |
| 20th | £42,449 | £3,537 |
| 25th (P25) | £46,053 | £3,838 |
| 30th | £48,357 | £4,030 |
| 40th | £54,417 | £4,535 |
| Median (50th) | £61,445 | £5,120 |
| 60th | £69,636 | £5,803 |
| 70th | £79,646 | £6,637 |
| 75th (P75) | £86,079 | £7,173 |
| 80th | £93,810 | £7,817 |
| 90th (P90) | £116,689 | £9,724 |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £67,810 | £83,503 | 51 |
| Women | £58,995 | £71,564 | 107 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £46,196 | £3,850 |
| Scotland | £44,417 | £3,701 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £61,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 61 job titles to SOC 1136 Human resource managers and directors. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Compensation and benefits director
- Compensation and benefits manager
- Director
- Director of communications
- Director of HR
- Director of human resources
- Director of personnel
- Director of training
- Diversity and equality manager
- Employee development manager
- Employee relations manager
- Equality and diversity manager
- Group HR director
- Head of HR
- Head of human resources
- Head of learning and development
- Head of people
- Head of personnel
- Head of recruitment
- Head of training
- HR business partner
- HR change manager
- HR director
- HR manager
- HR operations manager
- HR service delivery manager
- Human resource manager
- Human resources business partner
- Human resources director
- Human resources manager
- Industrial relations manager
- Learning and development manager
- Management development director
- Management services manager
- Manager
- Nvq unit manager
- O&m manager
- Operational research manager
- Organisation and efficiency manager
- Organisation and methods manager
- People business partner
- People development manager
- People manager
- People services manager
- Personnel and training manager
- Personnel director
- Personnel manager
- Recruitment business partner
- Recruitment director
- Recruitment manager
- Resource planning manager
- Reward manager
- Self development manager
- Staff manager
- Talent acquisition manager
- Talent acquisition partner
- Talent manager
- Training development manager
- Training director
- Volunteer manager
Show all 61 titles
- Works study manager
Similar occupations
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Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.