Recruitment managers are earning on average £45,000, 10% more than the average senior manager working in the human resource function, according to the latest reward survey from Croner Reward in association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The survey found that the average bonus for recruitment managers is 10%. Employee relations managers receive the highest bonus of 17% and health and safety managers receive a mere 6% bonus.

Charles Cotton, CIPD pay and reward adviser, says: “The survey shows that UK organisations are continuing to experience recruitment difficulties, with more than eight out of 10 employers reporting difficulties in finding staff. In order to remain competitive employers need to develop a good recruitment strategy that will help attract and retain talent. Organisations are realising just how vital recruitment professionals are in this ‘war for talent’ and this is being reflected in the salaries that recruiters can now command.”

The survey also found that a third of recruitment and selection professionals feel that they are paid below or well below the market rate, 15% feel they are paid above it and 52% think about the same. About 5% of recruitment and selection professionals rate their job satisfaction as poor and 58% as excellent or good. 61% of recruitment and selection professionals feel job security is good or excellent.