SALARY SURVEY
2016
MD’s Address 2016
While
there remains inherent caution after the upheaval
of recent years, all the statistics are good for
Northern Ireland now, and for the years to come. This is firmly
reflected across our salary survey - confidence and growth, tinged
with caution. Retaining and acquiring key staff can be costly and
competitive, but there is no alternative if you wish to recruit and retain
the best staff.
All the indices for Northern Ireland are good, but remain below
the pace being set by Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Unemployment in NI is currently 5.9%
(5.3% across the whole UK, 8.9% for ROI). Economic activity is up, business activity is up, the PMI
(Purchasing Managers Index) is at 52.7% (anything about 50% equals growth) and GDP is running
at about 1.6%. However, for the UK as a whole GDP is up 2.4% and ROI looks well above the 4%
predicted for 2015.
It is important to note that while Government statistics show low salary growth in NI and even higher
in the UK (2014 it was down 1.4% in NI and down 0.1% in UK), that this is not reflected in our survey.
We have found growth in salaries and benefits, including increasing the option of flexi-packages where
mostly larger companies are offering their staff a sweet of options (where an employee can pick their
benefits out of Life Insurance, holiday entitlement, pension, health et al). The key difference for us is
that Brightwater recruit the best of the best, and in all markets and in all economies those people are
paid a premium. You cannot offer a standard 1% pay-rise to your key IT specialist. The key today is to
make sure your key employees feel valued. They are indeed crucial to your company and they must be
made to feel so. This must be done by remuneration, but recent surveys have shown that they must be
shown love and consideration, in a positive working environment.
The one key issue for NI remains productivity, and this must be addressed if NI is to join their
neighbours as some of the most dynamic economies in the EU. Lack of productivity affects profits
and therefore remuneration. The one clear upside of lower remuneration and general costs is that INI
(Invest Northern Ireland) are able to attract and retain FDI… and they are doing an excellent job. Not
just IT companies, but specialist professional services firms are moving into Northern Ireland every
month. This will eventually lead to a larger private sector, higher employment, lower unemployment
(the last 12 months drop of 23.1% in unemployment is the largest since 2007), raising of salaries,
increased stability and the attraction of international expertise and companies into Northern Ireland.
The future is bright.
For information on each of our specialist areas, please read the enclosed. We are also happy to meet
with you to explain our findings.
David Bloch
Managing Director
2016 - The Northern Ireland Outlook
In
2015 the UK experienced economic growth of 2.5% with
Northern Ireland experiencing 1.6%, this will strengthen as
we move into 2016. We have seen a healthy increase in recruitment
activities across all of Brightwater’s divisions. Whilst our engineering
/ technical and supply chain areas have welcomed an increased
demand for mid to senior level professionals, it is the legal, IT and
accountancy sectors which have benefitted most from the expansion
of shared services, utility organisations, Big 4 and new global entrants.
This positive trend will undoubtedly continue with the recent
announcement of a reduced Corporation Tax rate in 2018.
The service sector has shown marginal improvement but we are seeing this change as we move into
2016 as the demand for a new kind of business support and a flexible workforce gets stronger. This
has also driven the demand for temporary and contract staff. In 2016 we can see increased demand
for temporary and contract staff within business support, HR, accountancy and IT as organisations
embark on strategic projects, in addition to the normal sickness, maternity cover and seasonal peaks.
2015 has been a year of increased market confidence. More senior professionals have been making
strategic career moves and this has created a healthy churn in the market, both for organisations and
jobseekers. There is an enhanced curiosity about embracing new challenges and job security concerns
have decreased. Professionals of all levels are very interested to hear about opportunities in the market
and 2016 will see further upward movement. Key motivators are competitive remuneration packages,
clear career progression paths and a range of flexible options. It’s also healthy for Northern Irish
companies to embrace new perspectives and processes from new hires and leadership. Northern Irish
industry must not stagnate and indicators for 2015 moving into 2016 clearly demonstrates this will not
happen.
Salary levels have increased by a moderate 3-5% for the majority of professions. We have seen a huge
increase in counter offers and subsequent salary hikes for professionals in the IT, legal and practice
sectors, where business critical roles are being ringfenced. Employers are benchmarking and making
improvements to their engagement and benefits offerings; training sponsorships, completion bonuses,
enhanced conditions and flexible working. This will continue as we move into 2016 and we can see
other sectors and professions such as engineering, manufacturing and sales being impacted as demand
for expertise continues to rise.
The outlook for 2016 looks very positive. Northern Ireland is retaining top talent, and professionals
across all of our core business areas are in high demand, enjoying new work challenges and
opportunities. 2016 is the year to progress and organisations and candidates alike are ready for this!
Stephanie Mulholland
Associate Director
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE
6
ACCOUNTANCY - GENERAL
7
PUBLIC PRACTICE & TAXATION
8
ACCOUNTANCY - TEMPORARY & CONTRACT
10
BANKING
11
INSURANCE
12
LEGAL
14
HUMAN RESOURCES
15
MARKETING
16
ENGINEERING
18
SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS
19
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - PERMANENT
20
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - TEMPORARY & CONTRACT
21
BRIGHTSTAR RECRUITMENT
24
BUSINESS SUPPORT - PERMANENT
26
BUSINESS SUPPORT - TEMPORARY
27
PUBLIC SECTOR
28
SALES
29
EXECUTIVE
2015 has seen an increase in recruitment across senior
management and executive level. The outlook is positive from
ACCOUNTING & FINANCE
both employers and employees, with confidence growing to
hire skilled professionals looking to progress their careers.
Staff retention and recruitment are hot topics at present as
NI £
Chief Financial Officer
100,000+
Financial Director
75,000+
Financial Controller
50,000+
workloads and confidence in the market continue to grow,
with many clients looking to increase their headcount.
Competition to attract senior professionals is starting to rise, as
are salaries at executive level. However, organisations are keen
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
to retain their senior talent so we are also seeing an increase in
PUBLIC PRACTICE / CONSULTING
the number of counter-offers.
NI £
Salaried Partner
85,000+
Director
65,000+
Senior Manager
45,000+
Director of Internal Audit
65,000+
Director of Tax
65,000+
Head of Risk / Compliance
70,000+
LEGAL
NI £
“Competition to attract
senior professionals is
starting to rise, as are
salaries at executive level.”
Salaried Partner
60,000+
Senior Associate
50,000+
Head of Legal
70,000+
General Counsel
55,000+
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
NI £
Chief Technical Officer (CTO)
6 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
65,000 - 120,000
Operations Manager
60,000 - 80,000
Head of IT Function
65,000 - 90,000
ACCOUNTANCY - GENERAL
Continued economic recovery and investment have resulted
in a sustained confidence amongst Northern Irish businesses.
Qualified
There has been an encouraging uplift in recruitment
NI £
activities within SMEs and the shared service sector which
Finance Director - T/O > £10m
75,000+
is a consequence of growth. Most notable however has been
Finance Director - T/O < £10m
55,000 - 65,000
the increased recruitment activity within the FMCG and
Financial Controller - T/O > £10m
45,000 - 55,000
manufacturing sector for qualified accountants. Coupled
Financial Controller - T/O < £10m
40,000 - 50,000
with the requirement for demonstrable technical skills, it is
Finance Manager
35,000 - 45,000
interesting to note the growing requirement for commercially
Group Management Accountant
38,000 - 45,000
astute accountants who have good relationship building skills.
Management Accountant
38,000 - 45,000
Those candidates who can demonstrate experience proactively
Financial Accountant
32,000 - 40,000
identifying opportunities to increase company profitability
Internal Auditor
30,000 - 40,000
are in hot demand. 2015 saw an increase in clients looking
Project Accountant
30,000 - 45,000
for finance business partners to support and influence critical
Systems Accountant
35,000 - 45,000
business decisions through financial insight, business acumen
Treasury Accountant
45,000 - 50,000
and strong analytical skills, and we expect this to continue
Financial Analyst
30,000 - 35,000
throughout 2016.
Cost Accountant
28,000 - 36,000
Newly Qualified Accountant
30,000 - 32,000
For the newly qualified candidate, the marketplace remains
competitive, where importance is now put on relevant sector
experience, an ability to show strong communication skills
and an aptitude to interact confidently at all levels of an
Part-Qualified
organisation.
To retain and attract the best talent, many companies
regardless of their size have chosen to expand their benefits
to enhance their offering. This has included performance
bonuses, childcare vouchers, annual leave schemes, health and
wellbeing vouchers and company paid social events.
In the part-qualified market, specific skills have shown an
increased demand including payroll, credit control and
accounts payable. Due to this increased demand, salaries have
improved with many employers offering additional benefits
to attract the best talent. However, salary continues to be the
biggest factor for any employer trying to recruit. Due to the
difficulty in finding good quality candidates, counter offers
are becoming more common as employers try to retain the
candidates.
NI £
Finalist
22,000 - 26,000
Assistant Accountant / Part-Qualified
Accountant
18,000 - 24,000
Accounts Technician
18,000 - 22,000
Accounts Assistant
18,000 - 21,000
Accounts Administrator
16,000 - 19,000
Credit Controller
18,000 - 24,000
Payroll Manager
20,000 - 25,000
Credit Manager
19,000 - 23,000
Accounts Payable Manager
21,000 - 25,000
Accounts Receivable Manager
21,000 - 25,000
Payroll Administrator
17,000 - 20,000
Accounts Receivable
16,000 - 19,000
Accounts Payable
16,000 - 19,000
Bookkeeper
18,000 - 21,000
It is important to note than in the part-qualified market,
employers are more interested in candidates’ experience
than their qualifications. Employers are more interested in
candidates who can ‘hit the ground running’ and who can
bring their wealth of experience to their company. Industry
specific experience is not as important in this market with
employers being more interested in role specific experience.
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 7
Salary Survey 2016
PUBLIC PRACTICE & TAXATION
There are a number of reports that have been produced
Due to the shortage of candidates in this sector and the risk of
recently and the conclusion in all of them is that Northern
high performing employees being enticed away, many firms
Ireland is experiencing a talent shortage. The public practice
are now looking at cost effective staff retention strategies.
and taxation sectors in Northern Ireland are no exception.
However, simply focusing on salary is a short term fix. Salary
These sectors are performing very well and firms are under
is important, that is a given, but it is not the only motivator
increased pressure to add to their headcount in order to service
for candidates. They are motivated by a sense of purpose,
their clients.
career advancement opportunities and feeling valued by their
employers.
In particular, the volume of roles within the assurance / audit
area have increased with all of the top tier firms recruiting
A flexible working environment and a healthy respect for work
particularly at the recently qualified and audit senior levels.
/ life balance is key for attracting staff. Career advancement
The difficulty is that supply is not there to meet this demand.
and being treated with respect in the workplace will always be
Many of the firms decreased or cut their intake when the
a key factor in motivating professionals to make a move.
market conditions were tough over the last few years and this
has resulted in fewer candidates in the market to fill these
There is an issue with candidate perceptions being managed
vacancies.
and ensuring that they understand that there is a very different
culture within each practice. However, there are excellent
We have seen a real increase in the number of tax vacancies
across the province. Individuals, small businesses and large
companies all need good, clear and simple tax advice. As a tax
specialist, there is an important role to play in helping clients
understand the world of tax and making sure they are paying
the correct amount of tax.
A career in tax offers a mixture of law, administration and
accountancy and it draws on a huge range of intellectual,
presentation and personal skills. There is the opportunity to
work with clients and to offer advice in an ever-changing and
dynamic sector. This is an excellent career option and one to
be encouraged.
The demand for top quality candidates is not limited to
assurance and tax. We have seen a real increase in the number
of roles we are working on in both advisory and corporate
finance. The majority of these roles are filled by recently
qualified ACAs so competition is tough between the firms
to secure the best candidates. We also work with ACCA and
CIMA candidates and we have seen an increase in the number
of ACCA candidates in audit and risk roles. Candidates
are careful about a career move and they are seeking career
progression opportunities in conjunction with a good overall
package.
We have seen an increase in salaries due to the demand and the
competition between the firms which we predict will continue.
This has encouraged a counter-offer environment where
employees who have secured a new role are, in some cases,
being promoted ahead of time and being given significant
salary increases to stay with their current employer and not to
make the move.
8 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
opportunities available to candidates within the sector.
Top Tier Practice
Top Tier Practice
AUDIT & ASSURANCE
ADVISORY / CORPORATE FINANCE / CORPORATE
NI £
Partner
Up to 130,000
Director
60,000 - 80,000
Senior Manager
40,000 - 55,000
Manager
37,000 - 40,000
Assistant Manager
29,000 - 33,000
Audit Senior (1+ year’s exp.)
27,000 - 30,000
Newly Qualified / Audit Senior
25,000 - 29,000
Trainee
14,000 - 20,000
RECOVERY/ FORENSICS
NI £
Partner
Up to 130,000
Director
60,000 - 80,000
Senior Manager
40,000 - 55,000
Manager
35,000 - 40,000
Assistant Manager
31,000 - 33,000
Audit Senior (1+ year’s exp.)
27,000 - 30,000
Newly Qualified / Audit Senior
25,000 - 29,000
Trainee
14,000 - 20,000
General Practice
Taxation
SMALL & MEDIUM FIRMS
NI £
Partner
Up to 100,000
Director
50,000 - 70,000
Senior Manager
38,000 - 45,000
Manager
32,000 - 38,000
Assistant Manager
28,000 - 30,000
Audit Senior (1+ year’s exp.)
26,000 - 28,000
Newly Qualified / Audit Senior
23,000 - 27,000
Trainee
15,000 - 20,000
NI £
Tax Partner
Up to 130,000
Tax Director
60,000 - 80,000
Senior Tax Manager
40,000 - 55,000
Tax Manager
37,000 - 40,000
Tax Assistant Manager
31,000 - 33,000
Tax Senior (1+ year’s exp.)
29,000 - 31,000
Newly Qualified / Tax Senior
27,000 - 29,000
Tax Trainee
14,000 - 20,000
“The demand for top quality candidates is
not limited to assurance and tax. We have seen a real
increase in the number of roles we are working on in both
advisory and corporate finance.”
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 9
Salary Survey 2016
ACCOUNTANCY - TEMPORARY & CONTRACT
2015 was a strong year for the temporary & contract market
across accountancy, particularly with transactional finance
Qualified
roles. Towards the latter end of 2015 there was a surge in the
NI £ p/a
NI £ p/h
temporary market place for junior finance roles such as billing
Financial Director
55,000 - 75,000
28.00 - 39.00
assistants, accounts payable, accounts receivable and credit
Financial Controller
40,000 - 55,000
20.50 - 28.00
controllers. Major utility and energy companies are ramping
Finance Manager
35,000 - 45,000
18.00 - 23.50
up their flexible workforce as they go into 2016 with bigger
Financial Accountant
32,000 - 40,000
16.50 - 21.00
demands to go into competition with each other for new and
Management Accountant
32,000 - 40,000
16.50 - 21.00
continued business.
Project Accountant
30,000 - 45,000
15.50 - 23.50
Cost Accountant
28,000 - 36,000
14.50 - 18.50
Due to the continued growth of businesses, the needs of SMEs
Financial Analyst
30,000 - 35,000
15.50 - 18.00
and independent companies are also increasing with a higher
Systems Accountant
35,000 - 45,000
18.00 - 23.50
demand for skill sets that encompass a wider range of financial
Internal Auditor
30,000 - 40,000
15.50 - 21.00
abilities. In smaller companies, a temporary finance assistant
Newly Qualified
will need to manage the full end to end customer process.
Accountant
30,000 - 32,000
15.50 - 16.50
There has also been a rise in contract roles within the junior
finance sector. Our clients are now finding that offering
guaranteed employment for a definite amount of time is
Part-Qualified
becoming a more successful method of hiring a temporary
employee. Companies are often offering a set bonus for
completion of a contract, encouraging candidates to hold off
their permanent job search and securing a more dedicated
team member.
“Due to the continued
growth of businesses,
the needs of SMEs and
independent companies are
also increasing with a higher
demand for skill sets that
encompass a wider range of
financial abilities.”
10 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
NI £ p/a
NI £ p/h
22,000 - 26,000
11.50 - 13.50
Accountant
20,000 - 24,000
10.50 - 12.50
Accounts Technician
18,000 - 22,000
9.50 - 11.50
Accounts Assistant
18,000 - 21,000
9.50 - 11.00
Accounts Administrator
16,000 - 19,000
8.31 - 10.00
Payroll Manager
20,000 - 30,000
10.50 - 15.50
Credit Manager
20,000 - 25,000
10.50 - 13.00
Credit Controller
18,000 - 22,000
9.50 - 11.50
Payroll Administrator
17,000 - 20,000
9.00 - 10.50
Accounts Receivable
17,000 - 19,000
9.00 - 10.00
Accounts Payable
17,000 - 19,000
9.00 - 10.00
Bookkeeper
18,000 - 22,000
9.50 - 11.50
Finalist
Assistant Accountant /
Part-Qualified
The above hourly rates are candidate’s pay and are exclusive of
employer’s NI, holiday pay, payroll charges and Brightwater’s
management fees.
BANKING
The banking sector in Northern Ireland is in better shape as we
move into 2016. There has been significant restructuring and
Treasury
down-sizing in the banks with some redundancy programmes
NI £
still in place. The result is an increase in deal flow in the
Head of Treasury
60,000 - 80,000
Northern Irish economy.
Treasury Operations Manager
50,000 - 60,000
Treasury Dealer
40,000 - 55,000
The banks have navigated though a difficult market and are
Treasury Assistant Manager
30,000 - 40,000
now refocusing on the business development and sales side of
Treasury Officer
21,000 - 28,000
their business having managed to relieve themselves of a lot of
toxic debt and are now lending and looking at market share.
There have been some key senior hires in the banking market
Senior Management
which could lead to further restructuring. The volatility of the
NI £
market has led to stagnation of salaries at all levels which we
Head of Credit
60,000 - 80,000
feel will be a theme that is carried into 2016. Organisations are
Head of Operations
50,000 - 60,000
now preferring to reward their staff with incentivised bonuses
Senior Lending Manager
40,000 - 65,000
rather than with any significant rise in their basic salaries.
Senior Operations Manager
40,000 - 65,000
Senior Risk Manager
40,000 - 65,000
However, with industries such as construction & property and
Corporate Lending Manager
45,000 - 65,000
retail seeing significant economic improvements, the banking
HNW Portfolio Management Consultant
40,000 - 65,000
sector should start to follow suit which we hope will lead to
(2-5 years’ exp.)
progression in the near future.
Senior Equity Analyst
Mid Management
NI £
45,000 - 62,000
Financial Services
SALES & MARKETING
Senior Credit Analyst
40,000 - 50,000
Credit Analyst
25,000 - 35,000
Senior Corporate Lender
35,000 - 50,000
Banking Sales Manager
30,000 - 50,000
Senior Commercial Lender
35,000 - 50,000
Banking Sales Executive
20,000 - 28,000
Corporate Lender
30,000 - 40,000
Senior Wealth Manager
50,000 - 60,000
Commercial Lender
32,000 - 40,000
Wealth Manager
35,000 - 50,000
Equity Analyst
25,000 - 35,000
Financial Advisor
20,000 - 30,000
Risk Analyst
25,000 - 35,000
Senior Portfolio Manager
40,000 - 50,000
Operations Supervisor
25,000 - 35,000
Portfolio Manager
30,000 - 40,000
Loans / Credit Administrator
18,000 - 22,000
Stockbroker
30,000 - 45,000
Graduate
16,000 - 18,000
Junior Stockbroker
20,000 - 30,000
FX Sales Trader
28,000 - 40,000
Equity / Bond Sales Trader
28,000 - 40,000
Pension / Investment Sales
26,000 - 40,000
Product Manager
30,000 - 40,000
Senior Mortgage Sales Manager
40,000 - 50,000
Mortgage Sales Executive
22,000 - 32,000
Bancasssurance Advisor
20,000 - 25,000
Paraplanner
20,000 - 30,000
Financial Planning Assistant
18,000 - 24,000
Compliance
NI £
Head of Compliance
60,000 - 80,000
Compliance Manager (5-7 years’ exp.)
40,000 - 50,000
Compliance Manager (3-5 years’ exp.)
30,000 - 40,000
Compliance Officer (2-3 years’ exp.)
20,000 - 30,000
Compliance Officer (1-2 years’ exp.)
20,000 - 25,000
AML Officer
20,000 - 25,000
Fraud Risk Manager
30,000 - 40,000
Fraud Risk Officer
20,000 - 25,000
NI £
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 11
Salary Survey 2016
INSURANCE
The Northern Irish insurance market was fairly stable
throughout 2015 and this trend looks set to continue into 2016.
There continues to be a heavy reliance on personal lines over
commercial and this is unlikely to change in the foreseeable
future.
Recruitment has been steady with a focus on sales / business
development and support roles. Brokers in the region are
fighting extremely hard against the strong presence of both
direct writers and internet sellers. This has led to a demand for
skilled business developers to drive sales and, in turn, create
increased opportunities for underwriters, claims and customer
service hires.
According to the CII, there is some concern within the sector
regarding the pipeline of talent coming through and it’s
recognised that action needs to be taken. As a result, there has
been more focus on training, graduate schemes and return to
work initiatives.
Salaries for insurance have not changed significantly this year
but we have seen more emphasis being placed on bonuses and
performance incentives. The only exception to this is with
niche skills areas such as actuarial where demand and counteroffers are more frequent.
The insurance sector in Northern Ireland is delicately balanced
and while we haven’t seen a significant upturn just yet, we
should start to see more positive signs emerge throughout
2016.
12 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
General Insurance
Claims
NI £
NI £
Underwriting Manager (10+ years’ exp.)
45,000 - 60,000
Head of Claims
35,000 - 50,000
Underwriting Manager (5-10 years’ exp.)
35,000 - 50,000
Senior Claims Handler (5-10 years’ )
25,000 - 35,000
Underwriting Manager (3-5 years’ exp.)
30,000 - 38,000
Claims Handler (3-5 years’ exp.)
20,000 - 30,000
Developmental Underwriter (10+ years’ exp.)
35,000 - 50,000
Claims Handler (1-3 years’ exp.)
16,000 - 22,000
Developmental Underwriter (5-10 years’ exp.)
30,000 - 40,000
Underwriter - General (5-10 years’ exp.)
25,000 - 35,000
Underwriter - General (3-5 years’ exp.)
20,000 - 25,000
Underwriter - General (1-3 years’ exp.)
17,000 - 22,000
Key Specialist Areas
NI £
Life & Pensions
Senior Business Analyst
30,000 - 45,000
Business Analyst
25,000 - 35,000
NI £
Pensions Consultant (5-10 years’ exp.)
35,000 - 60,000
Pensions Consultant (3-5 years’ exp.)
30,000 - 45,000
Pensions Consultant (1-3 years’ exp.)
25,000 - 35,000
Pensions Administrator (3-5 years’ exp.)
20,000 - 28,000
Pensions Administrator (1-3 years’ exp.)
18,000 - 24,000
Life Administrator (3-5 years’ exp.)
20,000 - 24,000
Life Administrator (1-3 years’ exp.)
17,000 - 22,000
Actuarial
NI £
Chief Actuary
60,000 - 80,000
Pensions Actuary Qualified
40,000 - 60,000
Pensions Actuary Part-Qualified
30,000 - 40,000
General Broking
NI £
Corporate Broker (10+ years’ exp.)
45,000 - 60,000
Corporate Broker (5-10 years’ exp.)
35,000 - 45,000
Corporate Broker (1-5 years’ exp.)
25,000 - 35,000
Corporate Servicing Executive
(10+ years’ exp.)
35,000 - 45,000
Corporate Servicing Executive
(5-10 years’ exp.)
28,000 - 35,000
Corporate Servicing Executive
(1-5 years’ exp.)
23,000 - 30,000
Account Handler (5-10 years’ exp.)
25,000 - 35,000
Account Handler (3-5 years’ exp.)
20,000 - 24,000
Account Handler (1-3 years’ exp.)
18,000 - 22,000
Personal Lines (5-10 years’ exp.)
20,000 - 28,000
Personal Lines (3-5 years’ exp.)
18,000 - 24,000
Personal Lines (1-3 years’ exp.)
16,000 - 20,000
“The insurance sector
in Northern Ireland is
delicately balanced and
while we haven’t seen a
significant upturn just
yet, we should start to see
more positive signs emerge
throughout 2016.”
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 13
Salary Survey 2016
LEGAL
Practice
The legal market has continued to grow over the last year with
Practice
a broad range of firms recruiting. Whilst last year the growth
NI £
was mainly within the larger global firms and also the top tier,
Salaried Partner
60,000+
we have seen smaller law firms recruiting again which shows
6-9+ years’ PQE
40,000 - 55,000
positive signs for the market moving forward.
3-6 years’ PQE
28,000 - 45,000
1-3 years’ PQE
25,000 - 35,000
This year we saw continued growth within the existing global
Newly Qualified Solicitor
22,000 - 27,000
firms with many adding new roles and teams to their Belfast
Legal Executive / Paralegal
16,000 - 20,000
operations. This, coupled with new entrepreneurial entrants
to the local market, shows that Belfast is still seen as a top
destination for legal services for many large global law firms
driven strongly by the quality of the local legal talent within
In-House
Northern Ireland. These firms are hiring a broad range of
NI £
candidates from partner level down to legal graduates and
Head of Legal
70,000+
across a broad range of sector specialities, giving candidates
Senior Lawyer
40,000 - 60,000+
really exciting career opportunities.
Legal Counsel
35,000 - 45,000
Assistant Legal Counsel
25,000 - 35,000
The local top tier corporate / commercial firms are still
Company Secretary
growing steadily and, whilst last year growth was mainly
Legal Executive / Paralegal
25,000 - 35,000+
16,000 - 20,000
within certain sectors such as corporate, commercial property
etc, we have seen growth and therefore recruitment across all
corporate/commercial sectors. Again, these roles range from
partner level down to newly qualified level.
This growth and positivity in the market has meant that there
is a very wide range of roles available for candidates at all levels
and, as such, firms are now competing harder for top quality
talent leading many to review their salaries and benefits last
year. Whilst there is increased competition, Northern Ireland
still has a strong pool of high quality legal candidates at all
levels.
In-House
This year has seen a huge increase in the number of in-house
legal opportunities available. This has been driven both by
firms setting up an internal legal function and also growth of
existing in-house teams through increased risk and compliance
legislation within businesses. Where before we would have
seen more roles mainly at senior general counsel level, 2015
saw an increase in the number of legal counsel roles at 3-5
years’ PQE level and also some more legal executives being
hired in-house. We expect this trend to continue in Northern
Ireland throughout 2016.
“Belfast is still seen as a top destination for legal services
for many large global law firms.”
14 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
HUMAN RESOURCES
With the economic recovery continuing in 2015, commercial
confidence is improving and this looks set to continue into
Generalist Human Resources
2016. This has impacted the HR employment market positively
NI £
with a significant increase at all levels within both temporary /
HR Director
55,000 - 85,000
contract and permanent markets.
Senior HR Manager
40,000 - 55,000
HR Manager / Business Partner
35,000 - 50,000
We have seen a significant increase in a number of specialist
HR Consultant
35,000 - 50,000
roles including learning & development, global mobility,
HR Generalist
23,000 - 33,000
compensation & benefits and talent acquisition. The demand
HR Officer / HR Advisor
20,000 - 30,000
for HR officers, generalists and advisors continues across a
HR Assistant
18,000 - 21,000
broad range of Northern Irish organisations.
HR Graduate / Administrator
16,000 - 19,000
There is a shortage of global mobility and compensation &
benefits specialist roles in Northern Ireland and often require
an in-depth, bespoke sourcing strategy outside Northern
Ireland to attract candidates to the roles.
Learning & Development
2015 has seen a change in mindset for businesses to engage
Learning & Development Director
50,000 - 70,000
Learning & Development Manager
35,000 - 45,000
Trainer
25,000 - 35,000
Training Officer / Coordinator
20,000 - 28,000
Training Administrator
16,000 - 19,000
more with employees in order to retain their talent and
maximise their performance. HR has become much more of
a business partnering function in order to drive organisations
further through their most valued asset; their people.
NI £
Key competencies of successful HR professionals are
commercial acumen, stakeholder management and
decision making to mitigate risk but also to add value to the
organisation.
2016 will see Northern Irish employers focus more
on retention of top talent, employee engagement and
compensation & benefits. Salary increases are averaging 4%6% but the value of the entire benefits package is becoming
more valuable to new recruits and employees.
The Northern Irish HR market is competitive. There is strong
competition between companies to secure the highest calibre
Compensation & Benefits /
Recruitment
NI £
Compensation & Benefits Manager
55,000 - 65,000
Compensation & Benefits Specialist
40,000 - 45,000
Recruitment Manager
33,000 - 38,000
Talent Acquisition Specialist
24,000 - 28,000
Sourcing Specialist
24,000 - 28,000
Recruitment Specialist
25,000 - 30,000
employees. HR continues to be a popular career with the CIPD
qualification continuing to dominate. Where employers are
seeking to recruit a HR graduate, those who have completed a
Key Specialist Areas
placement year are at a distinct advantage.
“2016 will see
employers focus more on
retention of top talent,
employee engagement and
compensation and benefits.”
NI £
Organisational Development Manager
40,000 - 50,000
Industrial / Employee Relations (IR/ER)
Manager
35,000 - 45,000
Global Mobility Manager
35,000 - 45,000
Global Mobility Specialist
25,000 - 30,000
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 15
Salary Survey 2016
MARKETING
Last year we predicted a continuing rise in job levels across
marketing. This has proven to be the case across most areas
of marketing, particularly within digital. As the pace of
technology increases with customers spending more time
online, many more companies are now expanding their
marketing teams to include digital specialists. They see the
value of being able to interact with customers in real time.
The key characteristic of digital marketing is that it is
constantly changing. Therefore digital marketeers must be able
to adapt and grow along with the new technologies to remain
relevant in the sector.
We have, however, seen a distinct decrease in the number of
communications based roles in 2015 which could be attributed
to the fact that these responsibilities are being absorbed by the
digital roles.
Salaries are still stabilising across the marketing sector so
we are not witnessing any considerable increases in salaries.
However, employers are looking to make their offerings more
attractive with positive changes to their bonus structure and
benefits package.
Marketing
NI £
Marketing Director
40,000 - 60,000
Marketing Manager
30,000 - 50,000
Marketing Executive (5+ years’ exp.)
20,000 - 30,000
Marketing Executive (1-5 years’ exp.)
18,000 - 25,000
Brand Manager (5+ years’ exp.)
35,000 - 50,000
Brand Manager (1-5 years’ exp.)
25,000 - 35,000
Activation / Trade Marketing Manager
30,000 - 50,000
Channel Marketing Manager
30,000 - 50,000
Customer Marketing Manager
30,000 - 50,000
Marketing/Brand Innovation Manager
30,000 - 50,000
Insights Manager
30,000 - 50,000
Product Manager (5+ years’ exp.)
40,000 - 60,000
Product Manager (1-5 years’ exp.)
30,000 - 50,000
Category Manager (5+ years’ exp.)
40,000 - 50,000
Category Manager (1-5 years’ exp.)
30,000 - 40,000
Category Executive
25,000 - 35,000
16 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
“Employers are looking
to make their offerings
more attractive with positive
changes to their bonus
structure and benefits
package.”
Communications & Public
Relations
NI £
PR / Communications Manager
35,000 - 50,000
PR / Communications Executive
20,000 - 30,000
Marketing & Campaign Manager
30,000 - 40,000
Public Affairs Consultant
25,000 - 35,000
Media Advisor / Specialist
25,000 - 40,000
Events & Sponsorship
NI £
Events Manager
20,000 - 30,000
Events Executive
16,000 - 25,000
Sponsorship Manager
20,000 - 30,000
Sponsorship Executive
16,000 - 25,000
Fundraising Manager
20,000 - 30,000
Fundraising Executive
16,000 - 25,000
Online / Digital Marketing
NI £
Online / Digital Marketing Manager
30,000 - 50,000
Online / Digital Marketing Executive
25,000 - 30,000
e-Commerce Manager
25,000 - 35,000
Digital Content Manager
25,000 - 35,000
Community Manager
25,000 - 30,000
Social Media Manager
25,000 - 35,000
Social Media Executive
20,000 - 25,000
SEO Specialist
18,000 - 25,000
PPC Specialist
18,000 - 25,000
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 17
Salary Survey 2016
ENGINEERING
2015 has been another strong and positive year for companies
in the Northern Irish engineering and manufacturing sectors.
Managerial
According to a report by Northern Ireland Statistics and
NI £
Research Agency (NISRA), total sales by manufacturing
Managing Director
80,000 - 100,000
companies in Northern Ireland were estimated to be worth
Technical Director
60,000 - 70,000
£18.1 billion in 2013/14. This represents an increase of 4.0%
General Manager
60,000 - 80,000
over the year in current prices and an increase of 3.2% in
Operations Manager
40,000 - 60,000
real terms. This compared to an increase last year of 4.4% in
Production Manager
30,000 - 40,000
current prices.
Maintenance Manager
35,000 - 50,000
Process Improvement Manager
35,000 - 45,000
This is despite a growing skills shortage across the region
NPD Manager
30,000 - 45,000
which needs to be addressed. Across the sector, companies are
Technical Manager
30,000 - 45,000
reporting struggles to recruit shop floor staff such as welders
NPI Manager
30,000 - 45,000
/ fabricators, mechanical and electrical design engineers,
Quality Manager
30,000 - 40,000
manufacturing engineers etc.
Environmental, Health & Safety Manager
30,000 - 45,000
Project Manager
30,000 - 45,000
As demand for technically skilled staff is growing, so are the
Design Manager
30,000 - 40,000
average salaries as companies realise the importance of keeping
Service Manager
30,000 - 40,000
hold of their staff.
Facilities Manager
30,000 - 40,000
2016 looks to be continuing in the same vein, with demand
for products up, salaries on the rise and an increase in skills
shortages.
Engineering & Technical
NI £
Project Engineer
25,000 - 35,000
Process Improvement Engineer
25,000 - 35,000
Process Engineer
25,000 - 35,000
NPI Engineer
25,000 - 35,000
Mechanical Design Engineer
25,000 - 40,000
Electronic / Electrical Design Engineer
25,000 - 40,000
Quality Engineer
20,000 - 35,000
Health & Safety Engineer
20,000 - 35,000
Maintenance Engineer
20,000 - 35,000
Commissioning / Validation Engineer
25,000 - 35,000
Automation / Controls Engineer
30,000 - 40,000
Service Engineer
20,000 - 30,000
Facilities Technician
20,000 - 30,000
NPD Technologist
20,000 - 30,000
QA / QC Technician
15,000 - 25,000
Laboratory Technician
15,000 - 25,000
Draughtsman
20,000 - 30,000
Maintenance Technician
20,000 - 30,000
Test Technician
20,000 - 35,000
“As demand for technically skilled staff is growing,
so are the average salaries as companies realise
the importance of keeping hold of their staff.”
18 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS
After a number of challenging years, there have been signs of
a slight upturn in the supply chain & logistics sector. There
are encouraging indications that businesses are more willing
to invest in new talent, and candidates are more open to
considering new opportunities.
Logistics in particular has become quite a candidate rich
market, however this comes with its own challenges as
companies are realising they need to hold on to top talent. The
counter offer has become ever more prevalent as companies
realise the cost of replacing experienced and successful staff.
Pay rises are starting to return with companies realising that
they have to bring salaries and benefits in line with the current
market or they risk losing their best people. Bonuses have also
become more popular in an effort to reward and retain staff
and can range anywhere from 2% to 10% of annual salary.
The outlook for 2016 is continued growth with more strategic
recruitment and succession planning being key to future
success.
“There are encouraging indications that businesses are more
willing to invest in new talent, and candidates are more open
to considering new opportunities.”
Logistics
Supply Chain
NI £
NI £
Director of Operations
58,000 - 75,000
Director of Operations
47,000 - 63,000
Head of Supply Chain
40,000 - 70,000
General Manager
31,000 - 52,000
General Manager
30,000 - 60,000
Logistics / Transport Manager
25,000 - 36,500
Operations Manager
32,000 - 47,000
Transport Supervisor
23,000 - 28,500
Materials Manager
30,000 - 45,000
Warehouse Manager
26,000 - 35,000
Commodity Manager
30,000 - 35,000
Warehouse Supervisor
18,500 - 27,000
Procurement Manager
32,000 - 48,000
Logistics Coordinator
16,500 - 22,000
Procurement Specialist
22,000 - 30,000
Freight Forwarder
20,000 - 28,000
Procurement Officer
20,000 - 26,000
Transport Planner
18,000 - 27,000
Inventory Manager
21,000 - 32,000
Inventory Controller / Analyst
15,500 - 20,000
Demand Planner
18,500 - 26,000
Supply Chain Analyst
16,500 - 26,000
Senior Buyer
26,000 - 40,000
Buyer
20,000 - 28,000
Master Scheduler
25,000 - 35,000
Production Planner
19,000 - 25,000
Trading Manager
28,000 - 32,000
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 19
Salary Survey 2016
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - PERMANENT
The IT sector in Northern Ireland has continued to thrive
Northern Irish IT sector with strong signs this will continue
throughout 2015 and has remained the most competitive
in 2016 in a similar vein. Given the opportunities available,
sector in the market. Demand for skills within software
IT is an extremely popular career choice and will continue
development has continued to be high, seeing existing
to attract professionals to add to existing skills availability.
challenges to recruit skilled developers including mobile,
Meanwhile the continued growth and opportunities offered by
iOS, Android, Ruby and web technologies remain. Alongside
inward investment and established companies will provide a
growth in existing software houses, there have been a number
similar level of career prospects across exciting and up to date
of primarily US based high tech software start-ups enter the
technology arenas.
Northern Irish market in 2015.
As a result of demand and skills availability within the software
sector, salaries have increased in this area. There has been a
notable increase in senior specialist technical opportunities
Executive
such as data scientists, software architects, principal engineers
and product architects which offer candidates excellent career
prospects combined with previously unseen levels in salary and
package. Basic salary however is definitely not the deciding
factor for candidates when considering new opportunities:
NI £
Chief Technical Officer (CTO)
65,000 - 120,000
Operations Manager
60,000 - 80,000
Head of IT Function
65,000 - 90,000
associated benefits, bonuses, flexible working, location and
most importantly technology and career progression are all
key considerations. Share options have also been presented to
Software Development
candidates as part of their package.
Challenges to recruit in such a competitive market still exist.
Availability of skills, counter-offers, variety of opportunities
and multiple offers which are presented to candidates all make
it difficult for employers to hire. Companies are therefore
investing time and effort in their recruitment strategy to
ensure they secure the right candidates. There has been an
increase in internal recruiters focused on attracting candidates
and partnering with specialist recruitment companies in the
market.
High demand skills within the software development sector
include Java, C#, C++, SQL, Ruby on Rails, Android and iOS
across all levels. There has also been an increase in software
security related positions open over the last year. Although
candidates with three to six years’ experience are most sought
after, opportunities exist from graduate level for candidates
with strong placement experience in these technologies. In
addition there have been a number of initiatives to attract
school leavers and graduates into the IT sector through
training programmes and conversion courses.
Outside of the software sector, infrastructure and technical
support have been consistently buoyant. Demand has
increased for technology specialists within cloud computing
and virtualisation. Experienced third level network engineers,
database administrators, UNIX engineers and application
support will see a variety of attractive opportunities in
Northern Ireland offering salary increments.
It has been yet another positive year of growth for the
20 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
NI £
Engineering / Development Manager
55,000 - 75,000
Principal Developer / Technical Team Lead
45,000 - 65,000
Software Development Architect
55,000 - 70,000
Solutions Architect
55,000 - 70,000
Oracle Applications Consultant
(Technical / Functional)
40,000 - 55,000
C / C++ Developer
28,000 - 48,000
Java Developer
24,000 - 48,000
C# Developer
22,000 - 45,000
.NET Developer
22,000 - 45,000
Web Developer
18,000 - 38,000
Database Developer
(Oracle / SQL Server / Sybase)
30,000 - 48,000
Multimedia / Graphic / Web Designer
18,000 - 30,000
Delphi Developer
25,000 - 40,000
User Interface Specialist
25,000 - 45,000
Android Developer
25,000 - 42,000
iOS Developer
25,000 - 42,000
ROR Developer
30,000 - 60,000
UX Designer
25,000 - 45,000
Flash Developers
30,000 - 40,000
Digital Designer
18,000 - 30,000
Systems Analysis
ERP Consultancy / Specialist Roles
NI £
NI £
Business Systems Analyst / Consultant
28,000 - 50,000
SAP Consultant (Functional / Technical)
32,000 - 55,000
Principal Engineer / Systems Architect
50,000 - 70,000
SAP Basis Consultant
35,000 - 65,000
Business Intelligence Consultant
30,000 - 50,000
Oracle App (Functional / Technical)
35,000 - 60,000
Data Warehouse Consultant
35,000 - 55,000
SAP Analyst Developer
35,000 - 65,000
Data Scientist
45,000 - 75,000
Security / Anti-Fraud
IT / Project Management
NI £
Programme Manager
55,000 - 85,000
Senior Project Manager
45,000 - 70,000
Project Manager
35,000 - 50,000
Product Manager
40,000 - 60,000
Service Delivery Manager
35,000 - 50,000
Management Consultant
28,000 - 65,000
NI £
IT Security Consultant
35,000 - 50,000
IT Auditor
30,000 - 50,000
IT Security Architect
55,000 - 70,000
Support / Network / Infrastructure
NI £
Database Administrator
(Oracle / SQL Server / Sybase)
30,000 - 55,000
Unix / Linux Administrator
28,000 - 50,000
Network Systems Administrator
24,000 - 45,000
Network Engineer
24,000 - 45,000
Help Desk Support
16,000 - 27,000
Infrastructure Engineer
24,000 - 45,000
Application Support Consultant
24,000 - 42,000
Virtualisation Engineer
26,000 - 45,000
Infrastructure Manager
35,000 - 50,000
Cisco Engineer
40,000 - 60,000
Technical Architect
55,000 - 70,000
Cloud Engineer
35,000 - 60,000
QA / Technical Writing
NI £
QA Manager
45,000 - 60,000
QA Lead
35,000 - 48,000
QA Automation Engineer
24,000 - 38,000
QA Manual Engineer
23,000 - 35,000
Technical Writer
25,000 - 45,000
“Given the opportunities
available, IT is an extremely
popular career choice.”
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 21
Salary Survey 2016
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - TEMPORARY & CONTRACT
In 2015, the IT contract market in Northern Ireland wasn’t
as competitive as in previous years. This is largely due to the
Executive
increased demand for permanent hires across all sectors within
IT.
New business and investment within the Northern Irish
NI £ Daily
Chief Technical Officer (CTO)
500 - 700
Operations Manager
350 - 600
Head of IT Function
400 - 650
market are now more focused on permanent employees,
which is extremely encouraging for IT candidates and the
Northern Irish market as a whole. Temporary solutions within
the IT industry remain reactive and somewhat unpredictable.
Software Development
Contract opportunities do still remain active within the public
sector.
Demand tends to be across support and technical areas
including business analysis, project management and software
development. Within software development, the demand
for programming skills includes Java, C#, .NET and mobile
technologies. Specialist skills that are sought after within the
contract market are security and infrastructure. Some sectors
of the technology market have seen massive competition
and companies may see challenges in delivery, thus creating
opportunities for contractor work usually for a finite duration.
Contractor rates across all disciplines in Northern Ireland have
become competitive although it can be noted that contract
candidates are increasingly open to permanent opportunities.
Favourable salaries, attractive rewards and benefits attribute to
this.
The contract market in 2016 will continue to be reactive.
Northern Ireland is becoming more competitive within the
technology sector which will create more opportunities for
both contract and permanent IT candidates.
NI £ Daily
Engineering / Development Manager
350 - 500
Principal Developer / Technical Team Lead
350 - 500
Software Development Architect
350 - 500
Solutions Architect
350 - 500
Oracle Applications Consultant
(Technical / Functional)
350 - 500
C / C++ Developer
300 - 400
Java Developer
280 - 400
C# Developer
250 - 400
.NET Developer
250 - 400
Web Developer
220 - 350
Database Developer
(Oracle / SQL Server / Sybase)
300 - 400
Multimedia / Graphic / Web Designer
150 - 200
Delphi Developer
250 - 300
User Interface Specialist
250 - 350
Android Developer
280 - 450
iOS Developer
280 - 450
ROR Developer
300 - 500
UX Designer
220 - 375
Flash Developers
280 - 450
Digital Designer
150 - 250
Systems Analysis
NI £ Daily
Business Systems Analyst / Consultant
275 - 425
Principal Engineer / Systems Architect
400 - 500
Business Intelligence Consultant
300 - 400
Data Warehouse Consultant
300 - 450
Data Scientist
350 - 550
The above daily rates are exclusive of employer’s NI, holiday pay, payroll
charges and Brightwater’s management fee.
22 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
IT / Project Management
ERP Consultancy / Specialist
NI £ Daily
NI £ Daily
Programme Manager
400 - 625
SAP Consultant (Functional / Technical)
375 - 500
Senior Project Manager
350 - 450
SAP Basis Consultant
300 - 400
Project Manager
250 - 380
Oracle App (Functional / Technical)
400 - 550
Product Manager
250 - 375
SAP Analyst Developer
300 - 400
Service Delivery Manager
250 - 400
Management Consultant
350 - 550
Security / Anti-Fraud
Support / Network / Infrastructure
NI £ Daily
Database Administrator
(Oracle / SQL Server / Sybase)
250 - 350
Unix / Linux Administrator
250 - 325
Network Systems Administrator
200 - 300
Network Engineer
200 - 350
Help Desk Support
100 - 175
Infrastructure Engineer
200 - 350
Application Support Consultant
125 - 200
Virtualisation Engineer
250 - 400
Infrastructure Manager
300 - 450
Cisco Engineer
250 - 400
Technical Architect
350 - 500
Platform Engineer
250 - 400
Cloud Engineer
350 - 550
QA / Technical Writing
NI £ Daily
QA Manager
250 - 350
QA Lead
220 - 320
QA Automation Engineer
200 - 280
QA Manual Engineer
200 - 280
Technical Writer
150 - 200
NI £ Daily
IT Security Consultant
300 - 450
IT Auditor
250 - 350
IT Security Architect
400 - 600
The above daily rates are candidate’s pay and are exclusive of employer’s
NI, holiday pay, payroll charges and Brightwater’s management fees.
“Some sectors of the
technology market have
seen massive competition
and companies may see
challenges in delivery, thus
creating opportunities for
contractor work usually for a
finite duration.”
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 23
Director’s Address 2016
The outlook across the island of Ireland is one of increasing positivity
for employers and job seekers alike. Positive sentiment and consistent
growth have seen the jobs market improve. The pace of recovery does
differ between sectors and geographical locations but on the whole,
BrightStar has seen a surge in recruitment across most of our divisions.
We expect this to continue throughout 2016 as employers now have
larger hiring budgets and can afford to expand their teams to manage
an ever increasing workload.
This growth is due to the increased number of companies coming in supported by foreign direct
investment as well as the fact that many SMEs find themselves in a stronger financial position to
expand their workforce. Both Ireland and Northern Ireland continue to position themselves as great
locations to do business.
We have seen a significant rise in the requirement for temporary and contract business support
professionals. Permanent recruitment in business support and customer services is also on the increase
but while employers may be more flexible in their offerings, they are also more demanding in what
they expect in return.
We are also seeing far more competition in the sales arena for commercially focused candidates
particularly within business development and account management roles. Employers are continuing to
focus on their retention policies and understand that the structure of their remuneration packages is
incredibly important as is work life balance and career progression.
The retail sector’s woes have been well documented in recent years but we are pleased to note that the
growth that was witnessed first in 2014 continued on a mild upward trajectory throughout 2015. This
positive progress looks set to continue throughout 2016 with e-commerce leading the charge. Salaries
here too are changing but only in terms of more incentivised bonuses and improved commission
structures.
We expect salaries to continue to rise albeit relatively cautiously in 2016 with employers putting more
emphasis on incentivised bonus schemes and on improving working environments in order to both
recruit and retain key employees.
Barbara McGrath
Deputy Managing Director
Brightwater Group
President
National Recruitment Federation
Salary Survey 2016
BUSINESS SUPPORT - PERMANENT
2015 has seen an increase in business support vacancies across
various sectors. This is a result of numerous national and
Managerial
multinational companies choosing Northern Ireland as a prime
NI £
location as well as an increase in new businesses and already
Operations Manager
30,000 - 40,000
established companies working to get their head count back to
Business Improvement Manager
27,000 - 36,000
pre-recession levels.
Project Manager
25,000 - 35,000
Office Manager
22,000 - 30,000
Companies are placing more emphasis on attracting candidates
Corporate Services Manager
20,000 - 35,000
with skill sets and sector experience that will be best suited
Customer Services Manager
25,000 - 35,000
to their industry and the area of business that the role will
support. For this reason, clients’ essential requirements have
become more specific in 2015 allowing candidates to push
PA & Secretarial
the base line of the salary up and create a more competitive
market.
NI £
Executive Assistant
25,000 - 35,000
Candidates within business support have also become
Senior Personal Assistant
25,000 - 30,000
more confident when asking questions regarding benefits
Personal Assistant
20,000 - 25,000
and bonuses. This is even evident within contract roles.
Team Secretary
16,000 - 20,000
Considering parking, holiday entitlement, personal and
Medical Secretary
16,000 - 19,000
company bonuses, health care and insurance is now
commonplace.
2016 is set to be a competitive year for business support with
Business Support
candidates pushing for higher salaries but companies in turn
expecting more for their dime. Candidates who update their
NI £
Office Manager (5+ years’ exp.)
22,000 - 30,000
Senior Administrator
18,000 - 24,000
Administrator
15,000 - 18,000
Project Administrator
18,000 - 25,000
Sales Administrator
18,000 - 25,000
Senior Receptionist
18,000 - 22,000
Receptionist
16,000 - 20,000
Events Coordinator
17,000 - 19,000
30,000 - 40,000
Office Junior
14,000 - 15,000
Customer Service Manager
25,000 - 35,000
Data Entry
14,000 - 16,000
Customer Services Team Lead
20,000 - 30,000
Customer Service Agent
14,000 - 18,000
Bilingual Customer Service Agent
15,000 - 20,000
Telesales Agent
14,000 - 15,000
skill sets and take a vested interest in their business area will
thrive by standing out from the crowd.
Customer Service
NI £
Call Centre Manager
Bid / Tender Support
NI £
Legal Support
NI £
Practice Manager
30,000 - 40,000
Office Manager
25,000 - 30,000
Legal PA
20,000 - 26,000
Legal Secretary
17,000 - 24,000
Legal Administrator
16,000 - 20,000
Audio Typist
15,000 - 18,000
26 BRIGHTSTAR RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
Bid / Tender Manager
25,000 - 40,000
Bid / Tender Executive
20,000 - 40,000
Bid / Tender Administrator
18,000 - 22,000
Contracts Administrator
18,000 - 22,000
BUSINESS SUPPORT - TEMPORARY
Due to the increase in permanent vacancies in 2015, the
temporary sector has seen a slight decrease in candidate
Temporary & Contract
availability. This has meant a rise in contract roles. Offering
NI £ p/h*
guaranteed employment for a definite amount of time is
Office Manager
11.50 - 15.50
becoming a more successful method of hiring a temporary
Project Manager
13.00 - 18.00
employee. Companies are often offering a set bonus for
Project Administrator
completion of a contract, encouraging candidates to hold off
Senior PA / Executive Assistant
13.00 - 18.00
their permanent job search and securing a more dedicated
Junior PA / Executive Assistant
8.20 - 12.30
team member.
Receptionist (3-5 years’ exp.)
8.20 - 10.20
Senior Administrator
9.25 - 12.30
9.25 - 13.00
Administrator
7.70 - 9.25
Team Secretary
8.20 - 10.20
Medical Secretary
8.20 - 9.70
Legal Secretary
8.20 - 12.30
Legal Administrator
8.20 - 10.20
Audio Typist
7.70 - 9.25
Customer Service Manager
13.00 - 21.00
Customer Service Representative
7.20 - 9.25
Multilingual Customer Service
Representative
7.70 - 10.20
Sales Administrator
9.25 - 12.80
Data Entry Administrator
7.20 - 8.20
The above hourly rates are candidate’s pay and are exclusive of
employer’s MI, holiday pay, payroll charges and Brightwater’s
management fees.
“Companies are often offering a set bonus for
completion of a contract.”
BRIGHTSTAR RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 27
Salary Survey 2016
PUBLIC SECTOR
With austerity measures continuing, the effect on the public
sector has been more significant than ever before and this is
General
likely to continue in 2016 with efficiency programmes and
NI £
amalgamation of services happening across Northern Ireland.
Investment & Enterprise Officer
24,000 - 26,000
This has impacted public sector employees significantly, with
Programme Support Officer
22,500 - 24,500
morale being fairly low due to uncertainty and fear of the
Project Support Officer
24,000 - 26,000
unknown.
Volunteer / Membership Development Officer
15,000 - 17,000
Regeneration Manager
23,000 - 25,000
Regeneration Officer
20,000 - 22,000
There has been an increase in some specialist roles within the
public sector including economic development and business
improvement. 2015 has been exceptionally challenging and
in 2016 there are concerns that significant organisational
knowledge and experience will disappear with voluntary
Environmental
severance schemes.
NI £
Senior Environmental Health Officer
27,500 - 29,500
Key competencies of successful public sector employees are
Environmental Health Officer
30,500 - 32,500
resilience, willingness to adapt to changing circumstances and
Building Control Officer
27,000 - 29,000
relationship management.
Landscape & Planning Manager
28,000 - 30,000
Landscape & Planning Officer
24,000 - 26,000
Salary freezes could ultimately lead to potential industrial
Home Accident Prevention Officer
19,000 - 21,000
action among public sector organisations but with continued
Home Safety Officer
19,000 - 21,000
dialogue with management and trade unions, this should
reduce the likelihood of this happening.
Community & Arts
NI £
“In 2016 there are
concerns that significant
organisational knowledge
and experience will
disappear with voluntary
severance schemes.”
28 BRIGHTSTAR RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
Community Development Manager
27,000 - 29,000
Community Development Officer
23,000 - 25,000
Community Development Worker
18,000 - 20,000
Arts & Community Coordinator
26,500 - 28,500
Recycling & Education Officer
19,500 - 21,500
Key Specialist Areas
NI £
Researcher
23,000 - 25,000
Urban Development Officer
23,000 - 25,000
Antisocial Behaviour Officer
20,000 - 22,000
Economic Development Manager
38,000 - 40,000
Housing Development Manager
34,000 - 36,000
SALES
Last year we predicted a continuing rise in job levels across
sales. This has proved to be the case, particularly within IT &
ICT Sector
FMCG. As we enter 2016 we can see that the main candidate
shortages will fall in IT sales. With sales professionals coming
Sales Manager
from IT backgrounds in short supply, we envisage that this will
Business Development
continue to be a very competitive market.
Manager
BASE £
OTE £
50,000 - 70,000
80,000 - 120,000
35,000 - 50,000
60,000 - 80,000
Business Development
Employers are investing in their sales departments in a bid to
Executive
25,000 - 40,000
50,000 - 80,000
attract the best talent to promote their products and services.
Client Services Manager
30,000 - 40,000
40,000 - 50,000
As such, we have seen an increase in basic salaries across most
Technical Sales Executive
35,000 - 45,000
60,000 - 80,000
sectors for sales roles. Experienced sales professionals expect
Inside Sales / Telesales
excellent bonus or commission structures so the emphasis will
Team Leader
25,000 - 35,000
35,000 - 45,000
need to be on ensuring that the overall packages are attractive
Inside Sales / Telesales
including elements such as car, pension, healthcare and other
Executive
25,000 - 35,000
35,000 - 45,000
BASE £
OTE £
Commercial Manager
30,000 - 50,000
50,000 - 70,000
Area / Regional Manager
30,000 - 40,000
40,000 - 50,000
Manager
30,000 - 40,000
40,000 - 50,000
Key Account Manager
25,000 - 35,000
35,000 - 45,000
benefits.
FMCG Sector
National Account
Customer Account
Manager
25,000 - 35,000
n/a
Territory Sales Rep
20,000 - 30,000
30,000 - 40,000
Field Sales Rep
20,000 - 30,000
30,000 - 40,000
Van Sales Rep
18,000 - 25,000
25,000 - 30,000
Merchandiser
15,000 - 20,000
n/a
BASE £
OTE £
National Sales Manager
30,000 - 50,000
50,000 - 70,000
Regional Sales Manager
30,000 - 50,000
50,000 - 70,000
Manager
40,000 - 50,000
50,000 - 70,000
Key Account Manager
25,000 - 35,000
35,000 - 45,000
Client Services Manager
30,000 - 40,000
50,000 - 60,000
35,000 - 45,000
45,000 - 60,000
Executive
20,000 - 30,000
30,000 - 40,000
Field Sales Executive
20,000 - 30,000
30,000 - 40,000
18,000 - 25,000
25,000 - 30,000
18,000 - 22,000
25,000 - 30,000
B2B Sector
“With sales professionals
coming from IT backgrounds
in short supply, we envisage
that this will continue to be a
very competitive market.”
Sales & Marketing
Business Development
Manager
Business Development
Inside Sales / Telesales
Team Leader
Inside Sales / Telesales
Executive
BRIGHTSTAR RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 29
Salary Survey 2016
30 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS
NOTES
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS 31
BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT
BELFAST
51-53 Adelaide St., Belfast
T. 00 44 28 90 325 325
E. belfast@brightwaterNI.com
DUBLIN
36 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
T. 00 353 1 662 1000
E. dublin@brightwater.ie
CORK
49 South Mall, Cork
T. 00 353 21 422 1000
E. cork@brightwater.ie
BRIGHTSTAR RECRUITMENT
BELFAST
51-53 Adelaide St., Belfast
T. 00 44 28 97 44 7000
E. belfast@brightstar-recruitment.com
DUBLIN
36 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
T. 00 353 1 662 0300
E. dublin@brightstar-recruitment.com
CORK
49 South Mall, Cork
T. 00 353 21 422 4000
E. cork@brightstar-recruitment.com
BRIGHTWATER EXECUTIVE
BELFAST
51-53 Adelaide St., Belfast
T. 00 44 28 90 325 325
E. belfast@brightwaterNI.com
DUBLIN
36 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
T. 00 353 1 662 0300
E. dublin@brightwater.ie
CORK
49 South Mall, Cork
T. 00 353 21 422 1000
E. cork@brightwater.ie