- Pay for professional roles in finance and accounting, information technology and administration predicted to rise by an average of 3% in 2016
- Highest average rises for finance and accounting roles in Wales will be approximately 4.0% for senior positions
- Information technology salaries will grow by 4.0% on average but mobile application developers will receive the highest salary increase (7.4%)
Cardiff, 14 October 2015 – Starting salaries for professional occupations in Wales including finance and accounting, information technology and administration will grow by an average of 3% over the next 12 months, according to the Robert Half 2016 Salary Guide. This is a higher increase than predicted in last year’s guide, which identified a 2.6% rise. It is also slightly higher than the average annual salary rise of 2.8% announced by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in October 20151 and well ahead of the current inflation rate of -0.1%.
The Robert Half 2016 Salary Guide is the most comprehensive and authoritative resource on starting salaries and recruitment trends in finance and accounting, information technology and administration. The Salary Guide enables employers and employees to benchmark salaries for 275 different permanent professional roles on a national and regional basis.
The roles that are the most difficult to fill are predicted to see salaries rising the most quickly in 2016, including those in information technology roles (4.0% on average), particularly digital and IT security roles.
Kris Harris, Senior Manager, Wales, Robert Half said: “Businesses are actively seeking the skilled professionals they need to achieve their growth goals. With the growing war for talent in Wales, salaries for specialised roles are expected to rise while hard-to-fill roles are experiencing higher than average pay rises due to the increased competition for these candidates.”
Accountancy and finance
Starting salaries for accountancy and finance roles are predicted to rise on average by 2.2% across 100 positions in SME and large businesses. Overall, there are higher rises on offer for more senior-level roles, reflecting the ongoing need for finance professionals who can add value through business partnering and providing strategic insight for the business, not just fiscal control. The highest average rises for finance and accounting roles are around 4.0%, so hard-to-source senior and specialist professionals can expect a steady climb in remuneration prospects.
Table 1: accountancy and finance highest by role
| Top three | 2015 Wales average | 2016 Wales average | % change |
| Financial analyst | £33,300 - £39,800 | £33,600 - £42,500 | 4.0 |
| Chief financial officer | £76,500 - £94,200 | £76,700 - £100,700 | 3.9 |
| Finance director | £55,700 - £91,500 | £56,600 - £96,200 | 3.8 |
Technology
Hiring within the technology function is predicted to see the greatest rise overall (4%). Digital technology and IT security functions are expected to see the highest raises, including digital technology specialists (7%) and IT security (6%). Key drivers behind these substantial rates include the need to introduce innovation to drive growth and productivity, as well as the burgeoning technology sector itself, which is recognised as one key area to deliver future growth for the Welsh economy.
Table 2: technology highest rises by role
| Top three | 2015 Wales average | 2016 Wales average | % change |
| Mobile applications developer | £28,000 - £50,300 | £29,100 - £55,000 | 7.4 |
| Web developer | £30,900 - £45,400 | £32,700 - £49,200 | 7.3 |
| Senior web developer | £43,400 - £55,500 | £46,300 - £59,700 | 7.2 |
Administration and office support
As businesses pursue growth strategies, there is an increased need to enhance the internal structures required to support expansion activities and this is creating demand for talented administrative staff. Average starting salaries for certain roles are predicted to grow beyond the average, including receptionists at 3.4% and administrative assistants at 3.2%. The average rise for all roles across the function is predicted to be 2.1%.
Table 3: administration and office support highest rises by role
| Top three | 2015 Wales average | 2016 Wales average | % change |
| Receptionist | £13,600 - £19,500 | £13,900 - £20,400 | 3.4% |
| Administrative assistant | £13,900 - £20,800 | £13,900 - £21,900 | 3.2% |
| Customer helpdesk | £15,900 - £18,300 | £16,300 - £18,800 | 2.6% |
Harris added: “As Welsh businesses continue to rely on specialist professionals who are able to add value from day one, there is a growing need for businesses to offer candidates competitive market salaries. With the increased competition for top performers, companies in the region also need to ensure star performers are receiving competitive remuneration as a retention strategy. Benchmarking salaries can provide clarity on suitable remuneration while ensuring budgets accurately reflect business needs.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/october-2015/statistical-bulletin.html
About the 2016 Salary Guide
Since 1950, Robert Half has produced Salary Guides to offer business owners, hiring managers and professionals information on prevailing starting salaries in their geographic areas and insight into the latest employment trends. Companies consult the annual Salary Guide to determine appropriate remuneration for accounting and finance, financial services, technology and administrative professionals at all levels.
Information in the Salary Guide is based on the thousands of job searches, negotiations and placements managed each year by Robert Half's recruitment consultants, along with the company's ongoing surveys of executives. Continuing or ongoing salaries are not reported because many external factors – such as seniority, work ethic, job performance and training – impact the salaries of permanent professionals as work histories develop. Download the Robert Half 2016 Salary Guide.
Customising salaries for local markets
The regional variance is supported by data from HM Revenue & Customs, the Office for National Statistics, our local offices and ongoing surveys of senior executives. National starting salaries can be localised to your market using the variance index numbers below. The average salary index for all 11 regions is 100.
The index figures serve as a guide to determining average starting salaries. Factors such as company size, employee benefits, the candidate’s skills and current market conditions can affect actual starting salaries.
Regional variances
| UK | 100.0% |
| Scotland | 98.4% |
| North East England | 90.0% |
| North West England | 92.9% |
| Yorkshire | 91.9% |
| East Midlands | 91.8% |
| West Midlands | 92.8% |
| East of England | 97.9% |
| London | 129.0% |
| South East England | 106.0% |
| South West England | 92.3% |
| Wales | 89.5% |
About Robert Half
Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialised recruitment consultancy and member of the S&P 500. We have once again been named to FORTUNE’s “World’s Most Admired Companies®” list and remains the top-ranked staffing firm (2022). Founded in 1948, the company has over 300 offices worldwide providing temporary, interim and permanent recruitment solutions for accounting and finance, financial services, technology, legal and administrative professionals. Robert Half offers workplace and jobseeker resources at roberthalf.co.uk and twitter.com/roberthalfuk.