While pay across the commercial sector is broadly stable for both temporary and permanent staff, some of the most in-demand roles have seen salary drops over the last year, finds commercial recruiter Office Angels’ salary and vacancy update for July.

Over the year, permanent salaries have been up by a marginal 0.16%, and over the month they dropped by 0.14%. Temp pay is static month-on-month and up by 0.05% on the year.

Of the five jobs most in demand – administrator, customer service, sales, secretary and telesales – all but one saw permanent salaries over the year drop by more than 2%, with the exception to the rule, sales advisor, seeing pay drop by just 0.05%.

While remaining the best paid workers, secretaries salaries dropped 4.99% to £28,662, while telesales wages were down 2.4%, administrator roles 4.66% and customer service wages dropped by 7.43%.

Office Angels managing director Steven Kirkpatrick says: “We will get a better sense over the coming months whether this decline is the start of a bigger trend or if salaries will hold firm.”