Salary growth in charity finance sector halves since 2018

Growth in average salaries for finance professionals within the UK charity sector dipped from 6 per cent in 2018 to 3.24 per cent in 2019.
At the same time, the rise in average earnings for women was almost double that for men, increasing by 4.08 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively, according to the 2019 Charity Finance Salary & Benefits Survey Report published by Robertson Bell today.

The survey conducted by Robertson Bell, a leading provider of finance talent for the charity and wider not for profit sectors, analysed the results from over 1,000 respondents across the charity finance sector.

It found that while average salaries have continued to rise year on year, albeit at a slower pace than previously, those in senior roles saw the greatest increase over the last 12 months.

Finance professionals working for charities with an annual turnover of less than £10 million, saw the average salary for a permanent senior manager rise to £67,000 per annum compared to £44,000 for a mid-management position, and £31,000 for non-management postholders.

For those operating within mid-size charities, whose annual turnovers are between £10 million and £60 million, the difference in earnings between a senior executive and a non-management colleague is £89,000 for the former and £32,000 for the latter.

Within the UK’s largest charities that have a turnover exceeding the £60 million mark, the pay gap between senior executive and non-management professionals is at its sharpest.

A director, for instance can expect to earn on average £128,000 per annum, compared to a senior (£65,000), middle-management (£54,000) and non-managerial (£29,000) colleague within the same organisation.

Stuart Bell, CEO of Robertson Bell, commented on the last 12 months: “Despite the political and economic uncertainty that dominated 2019, employer hiring intentions remained strong within the charity and wider not for profit sector as a whole.

“One of the key findings of this survey is that 7 out of 10 [68 per cent] charity finance professionals admit to being open to new career opportunities. There are two things at play here.

“First is that competition for talent within the sector is higher than ever before, which is creating a greater array of career opportunities for people. And second, demand for talent – especially at senior and executive level – remains high but the availability of that talent is low, which in turn is pushing salaries upwards.

“Against this backdrop, it follows that finance professionals at all stages of their career recognise that the shortage of available skills means that employers will increase average earnings in a bid to attract the talent they need to fill the roles they have; hence, why so many people are open to a new move.”