A salary check using IDR’s interactive benchmarking tool, Pay Benchmarker, shows that the median basic salary for a sales assistant found at IDR job level 3, is currently £21,220 a year, equivalent to £10.85, based on a 37.5 hour week. This job title covers supermarket workers, high-street store workers, retail assistants and sales advisors. The figure of £10.85 is some 43p above the current National Living Wage (NLW) but will fall short by April 2024 when the next uplift to the statutory rate occurs. The new rate will be £11.44 per hour, which represents an increase of 9.8% so we are likely to see significant pay rises for sale assistants.



Regional variations

IDR’s Pay Benchmarker tool demonstrates that sales assistants working in London receive a higher salary, with a median of £22,528 reducing to £21,312 for all regions and £21,250 being the national rate at the median (equivalent to £11.53, £10.90 and £10.87 per hour respectively when based on a 37.5 hour week). The gap between London and the national rate is typically worth £1,278 a year and presents a ‘premium’ of 6% for workers in the capital.

Demand for engineers has long been high in the UK, mainly due to a continued shortfall of employees with the requisite skills. As a result, a wide range of engineering jobs appear on the Government’s shortage occupation list, which is produced as an aid to employers experiencing recruitment problems and is aimed at workers from abroad who would like to come and live in the UK. Workers whose occupation is one of the following are among those eligible to apply for a skilled worker visa:

-        Mechanical engineer;

-        Electrical engineer;

-        Electronics engineer;

-        Design and development engineer;

-        Production and process engineer.

When the guidance was last updated on 7 August 2023, the shortage occupation list indicated that the ‘going rate’ for such jobs, ranged from £32,000 for a production and process engineer to £39,300 for an electrical engineer.

This correlates quite closely to the data for engineering roles in IDR’s Pay_Benchmarker tool. Roles under the heading of ‘engineer’ involves different levels of responsibility and skill, but we classify most as either IDR job levels 4, 5 or 6.

Roles at level 4 generally require broad and deep administrative, technical or craft skills and experience to carry out a range of activities including the undertaking of specialist routines and procedures and providing some advice to others. Level 5 positions involve detailed experience and possibly some level of vocational qualification to be able to oversee the operation of an important procedure or to provide specialist advice and services, involving applied knowledge of internal systems and procedures.   Finally, jobs classified as level 6 usually require a vocational qualification and sufficient relevant technical experience to be able to manage a section or operate with self-contained expertise in a specialist discipline or activity.

According to Pay Benchmarker, the median annual salary for an engineer at level 4 is £30,606, while the average is £31,027. At level 5, the respective figures are £34,725 and £34,244. The section management capabilities entailed in many level 6 roles produce a wider differential, with the median at £42,500 and the average at £44,240. 

Want to know more about pay in engineering?

Our 2023 survey on pay and conditions in engineering collected information from employers on pay for different jobs across manual and white-collar engineering functions, from operator roles to team leaders and senior managers. Findings from the survey also revealed the latest insights on pay awards and labour market pressures in engineering, which you can read about on our website here.

A salary check using IDR Pay Benchmarker shows that trainees starting a graduate training programme can expect to earn an annual salary of £29,000. Meanwhile IDR’s salary benchmarking tool shows that the median starting salary for a trainees with a post graduate level qualification is higher at £31,800.

The latest market salary data in Pay Benchmarker shows that the median starting salary for graduate trainees has risen by £1,000 on the figure for 2022. This follows a period of stagnation in graduate pay, due to changes in the labour market driven by the pandemic and a growing popularity in degree-level apprenticeships. 

Salary information by region in the benchmarking tool shows that the median starting salary for graduates in London is £32,762, representing a London premium worth 3.3% compared to the national rate. Salary data from Pay Benchmarker by sector shows little variation, with  the median in manufacturing and production and private services matching that for the whole economy. The salary benchmarking tool shows that graduate pay in the public and not for profit sectors falls behind.

This 2024 survey on pay for graduates will provide key pay and progression benchmarking information for employers with these roles. Click below to take part in our survey and receive a free participant summary of the findings from the study: IDR graduate and apprentice pay survey 2024

The latest data from Skills for Care, the strategic workforce development and planning body for adult social care in England, shows that the adult social care workforce in England grew by 1% in 2022/23, while the vacancy rate now stands at 9.9%, down from 10.6% a year ago.  Nonetheless, while the number of vacancies has fallen since 2022, it still stands at 152,000, with 390,000 people leaving their roles last year. According to Skills for Care, increased overseas recruitment (70,000 people in 2022/23, compared with 20,000 the previous year) ‘has played a part in the increase in filled posts and reduction in vacant posts’ seen in its report. However, with the Government’s recent announcement that it intends to tighten the rules on health and social care visas as part of its efforts to cut net migration, roles in the sector could again become more difficult to recruit. 

Care assistants are the most populous role within adult social care. They are tasked with a range of responsibilities such as supporting individuals with day-to-day activities including personal care; they may also be responsible for monitoring patients’ conditions (for example taking temperatures, checking their pulse, and possibly helping with medication). A salary check using IDR’s benchmarking tool Pay Benchmarker, which places the role at IDR job level 2, shows that the annual median salary for care assistants is £21,189 – which is equivalent to an hourly rate of £10.98 for a 37-hour week or £10.83 for a 37.5-hour week. Taking the former rate, this represents a differential of 54pph with the National Living Wage (NLW). Median hourly rates would have to increase to at least £11.98 to maintain the same monetary differential with the statutory floor when the NLW rises to £11.44 in April. Any reduction in the differential with the NLW could compound existing recruitment and retention problems – but care providers are often limited in how much they can do in this respect as they are often reliant on local authority funding. The average salary sits slightly lower than the median at £20,917.

Senior care assistants are categorised at job level 3 according to Pay Benchmarker. Jobholders at this level will have relevant qualifications such as a Level 3/4 Diploma in Health and Social Care and may also have the added responsibility of supervising care assistants. They may also be the contact point for relatives regarding patients’ care. Senior care assistants typically earn above the median salary of care assistants at £21,874 – this equates to £11.33 an hour on the basis of a 37-hour week or £11.18 for a 37.5-hour week, or a differential of 35pph for taking on these additional duties. The average salary for these roles is 6.3% (or £1,323 per year) higher than that for care assistants (£20,917), at £22,240.

Technicians play a key part within engineering by providing essential support to engineers. Salary benchmark data from IDR’s recent survey of pay and conditions in engineering shows that the median basic salary for technicians at IDR job level 4 is £32,078.

Technicians at this level carry out planned and reactive maintenance on all the equipment within a site, ensuring accurate records are kept regarding details of completed and in-progress maintenance and are qualified to NVQ Level 3 (equivalent to A-levels or an advanced apprenticeship).

A salary check using IDR Pay Benchmarker for senior technicians at IDR Job Level 5 shows that the median basic salary is £39,208. Senior technicians at this level commission and install complex equipment and resolve less straightforward problems. The role might include some supervision of colleagues and postholders typically hold a HNC (equivalent to the first year at university or a level 4 apprenticeship) or a HND (equivalent to two years at university or a level 5 apprenticeship).

The manufacturing and primary sector contains the largest proportion of market salary data within IDR levels 4 and 5, 61% and 40% respectively. However, it is within private services where the salaries are highest. The median salary for technicians at IDR level 4 is £34,782, whereas the median salary for senior technicians at IDR level 5 is £41,762. The manufacturing and primary sector is slightly behind this with level 4 at £34,000 and level 5 at £40,340.

The median national rate (which excludes location premiums) is £31,301. This is equivalent to an hourly rate of £16.01, based on a typical 37.5-hour week. Regional pay for this position varies slightly. The median for Wales is highest at £34,391 followed by central/inner London at £33,538. The East of England, East Midlands and West Midlands have the lowest median at £31,301 which is also the median national rate. This is a difference of £3,090 or 9% between the highest paid and lowest paid regions. Senior technicians at IDR level 5 command the highest median salary of £43,079 within the London Commuter Belt and the lowest median salary of £37,554 in the South West.

The salary benchmarking tool gives basic pay, but due to the nature of engineering technicians working patterns, they often receive additional pay for overtime working and shift premiums. Overtime rates for these technicians are typically worth time and a half, Monday to Saturday, and double time on Sundays. The median premiums for shift-working for technicians ranges from 17% for double days to 33% for night-shifts.

Benchmarking salaries for key roles looks set to be a key activity for employers in 2024, according to research conducted by Incomes Data Research (IDR). IDR’s survey of pay planning for 2024 conducted in the summer of 2023 found that 55% of the 120 mainly large private sector firms planning on benchmarking pay as part of their reward strategy for 2024.

Pressure to remain competitive

This is further supported by IDR’s recent November 2023 poll on pay intentions for 2024 which found that pressure to remain competitive on pay is the second most influential factor affecting pay decisions behind affordability, based on 158 responses from mostly medium and large-sized private sector firms employing nearly 1.2 million workers in total.

Salary benchmarking tool

Pay benchmarking is the best way to obtain a view of the market salary for jobs or job levels. The approach can be used for recruitment to new roles, promotions or changes to roles, as an aid to retention, as part of planning ahead for salary reviews or as a guide for the development of salary ranges. We have a great online tool that can help you with this – IDR Pay Benchmarker.

IDR’s salary benchmarking tool enables like-for-like comparisons using IDR job levels, which has been developed to provide a straightforward process for identifying comparable roles and positions in terms of job responsibilities, qualifications, and experience. The market salary data can be further interrogated by both sector and region.

Salary benchmarking companies

The salary information also includes actual rates or salaries that organisations are paying for a particular job, in most cases by company name. This allows you to view salary ranges for jobs at specific organisations to enable robust pay benchmarking analysis. 

A salary check using IDR’s interactive benchmarking tool Pay Benchmarker shows that the median basic salary for Administrators found at IDR job level 2 is currently £20,102 a year. Level 2 typically covers entry-level or junior administrators and a look at how the market rate for more experienced administrators at IDR job level 3 compares shows a median salary of £21,732 a year – £1,630 or 8.0% higher than that for those at job level 2. Meanwhile the typical salary for senior administrators at IDR Level 4 is £26,973 – representing a significant premium for highly-experienced administrators. 

Variations by sector and region

Looking at the data in more detail, administrators at IDR job level 2 within the private services receive a marginally higher salary than those within the other sectors. Those at IDR job level 3 within the manufacturing and primary sector fare better than their counterparts in other sectors, while senior administrators at IDR job level 4 in the public sector come out on top with a median rate of £27,042.

Regionally IDR’s benchmarking data indicates that median salaries in London are higher than the national rate, with the London ‘premium’ typically worth around 10%.

Discover Pay Benchmarker

Pay Benchmarker allows you to quickly and easily compare your salaries to market data in real-time informing your reward decisions. Pay Benchmarker online tool is designed with ease-of-use in mind, so you can get the information you need quickly and without hassle. Simply enter or search the job title and location, and you will get an instant comparison to market data, including upper quartile, median and lower quartile.

Teaching assistants (TAs) perform a key role in the school community, providing valuable support to pupils, and teaching staff. Pay for workers in these roles varies depending on the level of qualification and there is clear progression between each level.

A salary check using IDR Pay Benchmarker shows that the median starting salary for TAs with a level 2 qualification is £20,476. For those with a level 3 qualification, the typical salary rises by £4,048 (or 19.2%) to £24,524. Higher-level TAs (those with a level 4 qualification) can expect to earn £28,142 and this represents a gap of £3,618 (or 14.7%) at the median salary, up from level 3. The salary uptick between qualification levels reflects the added responsibilities TAs are tasked with at each level of the role.

Degree-level apprenticeships were introduced by the Government in 2015 to enable employees to study for role-related Bachelor and Masters-level qualifications (equivalent to the new level 6 and 7 apprenticeships) while working. These apprenticeships have risen in popularity - the most recently reported statistics reveal a rise of 9.3% in the number of degree apprenticeship starts  in 2022 when compared to 2021. IDR has observed rapid pay growth for these roles since 2018 and this suggests a desire by employers to recruit trainees and grow talent within their organisations. The median starting salary for degree-apprentice roles in 2023 is £20,000 according to IDR’s interactive benchmarking tool Pay Benchmarker. This is some £4,000 (or 25%) higher than the median we observed in 2018 of £16,000.

Basic salary for degree apprentices

The market data in our benchmarking tool also includes data on starting salaries for traditional apprentices working towards lower qualifications such as NVQs.  The median basic salary on commencement of an intermediate-level apprenticeship (eg NVQ level 2) is £16,000 and for those apprentices training in an advanced-level scheme (equal to a level 3 NVQ) typically earn a salary of £17,338. Trainees working towards a higher-level apprenticeship (eg NVQ level 4) can expect to earn around £19,000. 

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) regulations provide a floor for apprentices’ pay; however, the statutory minimum rate for apprentices - currently £5.28 an hour - has little influence on actual pay rates, particularly for those working towards a higher or degree-level apprenticeship. At the median, the typical hourly rates for intermediate and advanced-level apprentices are £8.77 and £9.50 respectively (based on a 35-hour week). This represents a lead of £3.49 an hour (or 66%) above the statutory rate for intermediate-level apprentices and £4.22 (80%) for advanced-level roles. The median hourly rates for higher and degree apprentices are significantly higher than the statutory minimum rate for apprentices in their first year. Our higher-level apprentice median is £10.42 an hour and as such is some £5.14 (or 97%) above the NMW for apprentices. The median hourly rate for degree-level apprentices in their first year is £10.96, representing a lead of £5.68 or 108% over the rate that an apprentice worker is entitled to receive under the NMW.

 The comparatively high rates of pay for apprentices may reflect the continued labour market challenges that employers face in recruiting and retaining skilled workers. Our recent survey of pay and conditions for graduate and apprentices highlighted that retention of apprentices among employers had generally improved but that recruitment difficulties had worsened.

Retailers and other businesses together employ a large number of warehouse workers. This labour market has assumed more importance in the wake of the expansion of online commerce over the past decade. According to analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of business premises used for transport, logistics and warehousing in the UK almost doubled in the 10 years to April 2022. As a result, pressure on pay for roles in this area has increased. Indeed our latest analysis shows that pay for such roles has increased by 8% on last year, at a time when the median pay award has been lower than this, at between 5% and 6%.

The median basic salary for warehouse workers in 2023, according to IDR’s interactive benchmarking tool Pay Benchmarker, is £21,732 – up some £1,548 (or 7.7%) on the median of £20,184 last year. This latest figure relates to the national rate of pay and equates to £11.11 an hour (based on a 37.5 hour week) or £10.42 (based on a 40-hour week). The latter is equal to the current National Living Wage (NLW) for adult workers aged 23 and over and as a result the statutory minimum and movements in it are a key influence on pay for warehouse workers. The NLW rose by 9.7% in April 2023 and is set to rise by 6.3% next year, to reach its target of two-thirds of median earnings.

Our median is based on a range of actual salaries, from £10.42 per hour to £12.02 per hour, including rates such as the £10.90 per hour paid by retailer IKEA and £11.60 paid by food retailer Lidl.

The market data in our benchmarking tool shows that London pay is higher still, with the median for warehouse workers employed within the M25 standing at £22,254 per year (or £10.67 an hour based on 40 hours per week). This represents a London premium of 2.4%.

The nature of warehouse working patterns is such that operatives often stand to receive shift pay and/or overtime on top of their basic hourly rate or salary. IDR’s Pay Benchmarker, tool includes information on such terms and conditions – as well as provisions such as weekly working hours, annual holiday entitlement and any extras such as staff discounts or life assurance – to provide a fuller overview of the typical reward package on offer and facilitate benchmarking of key employee benefits. 

Following the reopening of the hospitality economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it has become harder to recruit and retain experienced restaurant and bar staff. In order to do so, employers have had to offer more competitive pay packages. In fact, the median pay for such roles has increased by 12.6% since 2022, according to the latest figures from Pay Benchmarker.

The median hourly rate for restaurant and bar workers is currently £10.65 (or an average of £10.85), based on a 40-hour week. Expressed as an annual salary, the median is £21,493 (and the mean is £21,893). In Pay Benchmarker, this role is usually categorised as IDR Job Level 2 which means that the post requires the undertaking of routine tasks within existing procedures.

Salaries in London show only a minor lead on those nationally (outside the capital). The median hourly rate for those working in London sits at £11.19, some 52p above the national rate of £10.65. The range for hourly rates is relatively narrow with just a 60p gap between the lower and upper quartile, which are showing at £10.42 and £11.02 respectively.

The 12.6% rise in salaries between 2022 and 2023 is in part a reflection of companies both implementing and trying to stay ahead of the NLW, which rose relatively sharply by 9.7% this year. Over half (55%) of organisations are offering rates above the statutory floor compared to exactly a half of organisations in 2022.

In comparing pay for restaurant and bar workers to pay for other roles also benchmarked at level 2 (such as cleaners, operators and facilities assistants), it is the case that restaurant and bar workers are generally paid higher rates. For example, the median hourly rate for all roles benchmarked at level 2 sits at £10.42, the same as the NLW, in comparison to the higher median of £10.65 for bar and restaurant staff.

The labour market for facilities managers is a highly active one and organisations that employ staff in this role should ensure that starting and incumbent salaries compare favourably to external benchmarks, to assist with recruitment, retention and motivation.

Facilities managers are often employed by firms with large offices, in educational establishments and within the leisure industry. Their main role is to oversee the maintenance and operations of buildings and grounds which requires them to negotiate with contractors and suppliers. They supervise the cleaning, maintenance and security departments to ensure that basic facilities are maintained and buildings and codes are kept compliant.

Facilities managers are expected to hold relevant qualifications: for example, a Level 5 certificate in Facilities Management and Logistics Operations or a Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Procurement and Supply. Apprenticeships for facilities management roles enable trainees to gain the relevant skills and experience as previous experience in a management role is often required, along with a full driving licence as the role can involve the postholder working in different locations.

According to the latest data in IDR Pay Benchmarker, 85% of salaries are for posts at either IDR Job Level 5 (provides specialist services involving applied knowledge of internal systems and procedures), IDR Job Level 6 (manages a section or operates with self-contained expertise in a specialist discipline) or IDR Job Level 7 (experienced and qualified professional providing expertise and advice). The median salaries for these IDR Job Levels are £32,232, £40,319 and £47,217 respectively. 

Pay for facilities managers by IDR Job Level

According to IDR Pay Benchmarker, the whole UK economy median salary for facilities managers is £39,000. Employers in private services make up 19% of the sample and they offer the highest salaries with a median of £49,379. This is followed by the manufacturing and primary sector at £46,500, the public sector at £38,592 and the not-for-profit sector with a median salary of £34,000.

Pay for facilities managers by sector

The median national rate for facilities managers (which excludes location premiums) is £41,310. This is equivalent to an hourly rate of £21.13, based on a 37.5-hour week. The median for London is £46,000, a premium of around 11% on the typical national rate. 

Pay for facilities managers by region

Salaries for in-house legal professionals vary considerably by sector. A salary check using IDR Pay Benchmarker for legal advisers in private services shows that the national rate, ie the rate paid outside London, is currently £63,452 at the median. This represents a significant lead over the national median of £57,000 in manufacturing and primary and £45,184 in the public sector.

IDR’s benchmarking data also demonstrates the extent to which pay for in-house legal roles in private services varies by seniority, with the median market rate for senior legal advisers at £75,003 and that for general counsels at £93,998.

Data on London pay indicates that being based in the capital continues to enhance the reward package for in-house lawyers, with median salaries in London typically around £4,000 to £5,000 higher than the national rate. 

Although economic growth has slowed, the labour market remains challenging for employers in many areas. A significant number of occupational areas continue to be fast-moving, with flows in and out of jobs placing extra pressure on employers to do all they can to attract and retain staff. In these circumstances it is important to know whether the wages and salaries you offer are competitive.

Pay benchmarking is the best way to obtain a view of the market salary for jobs or job levels. The approach can be used for recruitment to new roles, promotions or changes to roles, as an aid to retention, as part of planning ahead for salary reviews, or as a guide for the development of salary ranges. We have a great online tool that can help you with this – IDR Pay Benchmarker.

Benefits of using IDR Pay Benchmarker

·        Allows you to compare your pay rates to those in different industries/sectors

·        With the cost of living still rising, pay awards remain in focus and IDR Pay Benchmarker keeps you in touch with the going rate for increases in your sector

·        The tool supports budgeting processes with data on guideline salaries for when you are looking to recruit new staff

·        Gives you a better insight into the wider job market so roles can be remunerated at the right level, attracting the right candidates

·        Helps with staff retention by showing you how you can match the market, thereby discouraging staff from looking elsewhere.

Organisations that do not routinely benchmark their pay and reward packages may be on the back foot when it comes to staying competitive in the labour market.

Pay for electricians has risen at a faster rate than that for other tradespeople in the housing and social care, local government and leisure sectors according to our recent survey, with growth of 11% since our last trades and maintenance survey prior to the pandemic.

The median basic salary for electricians is £34,078, up 11% from the previous figure of £30,688. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that the median salary for a full-time electrician is £34,005. [1]

The median salary for painters and decorators has risen by 8.6% and that for general builders has risen by 6.1%. Meanwhile there has been little movement in the median salary for carpenters and plumbers, with growth of between 1.2% and 2.9% since the last survey.

These are the results of a recent survey carried out by IDR which captured salaries for directly employed tradespeople in the housing and social care, local government and leisure sectors.

[1] Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), April 2022.

In the run-up to Christmas, the demand for HGV drivers usually rises, and this is adding to existing pressure on pay for these roles. To qualify as a HGV driver, the employee must have a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card and a Tacho card which ensures drivers and employers follow the rules on drivers’ hours. Different categories of driving licences enable drivers to drive different sizes of vehicle, and this short article looks at pay for drivers of the largest of the vehicles, Class 1. Formerly known as LGV/HGV vehicles, the drivers of these vehicles must hold a valid Category C+E licence.

HGV drivers are still limited by EU regulations as to how many hours they can drive. This is 56 hours per week, which is over the average basic working week for HGV drivers, according to our research, which is 45 hours a week. Due to this, overtime pay and bonuses are commonplace within the industry.

 According to the latest IDR Pay Benchmarker data, the median national rate salary for Class 1 Drivers, which excludes location premiums, is £31,356 annually. This is equivalent to an hourly rate of £13.36, based on a 45-hour week. The graph below shows that pay in London, the South East, the South West and the West Midlands is higher than the national rate, with the highest regional median in the South East, at £34,462. The regional variations in the data are on one hand due in part to the higher cost of living in London and the South East which in turn affects pay. On the other hand, the variations are connected to the demand for drivers in the densely populated West Midlands and along the M4 corridor.

We have classified Category 1 HGV drivers at IDR Job Level 3. This applies to roles which involve a specific practical skill requiring qualifications and that could entail close contact with the public. The median salary for Category 2 drivers (holding a Category C driving licence) is £28,156 and Category 3 drivers (holding a C1 driving licence) is £26,091.