That’s a key conclusion of the 2014 Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Salary Survey, widely respected throughout eastern England as a reliable barometer of employment and remuneration trends in the region.
Business is booming for leading independent recruiters Cooper Lomaz, as client companies’ needs for key management and senior staff rise rapidly. The firm services SMEs and blue chip company clients across East Anglia.
Statistics gathered by Cooper Lomaz Recruitment from across the region show salaries continue to be markedly higher in Cambridgeshire and those parts of Essex nearer to London – although in many cases the gap is narrowing.
Ten of Cooper Lomaz’ 34 consultants are exclusively engaged in meeting the needs of clients in the burgeoning Cambridge economy, half of them in the IT sector alone.
“Cooper Lomaz’ own business revenue increased by 20% in 2013 and we expect similar growth in 2014,” said Operations Director Mark Fletcher. “We have taken on 11 new consultants in the past year and anticipate we will increase our staffing levels by a similar number in the coming 12 months.”
“There are a lot more jobs around. The big challenge for us is to find people with the skill sets our clients are looking for. Employers are displaying more confidence in planning for the future, but many are frustrated by the lack of candidates with the niche skills they need to drive those plans forward.”
While the new-found confidence is funding modest salary increases across the board, the demand for key management personnel – in which Cooper Lomaz specialises across seven important business sectors – is producing spectacular gains for some. Those seven sectors are accountancy, engineering, food manufacturing, IT, oil gas & renewables, sales & marketing and the supply chain.
The big earnings winners are those with niche skills in Engineering, Information Technology or Energy or those with a wider more commercial/strategic skills base, particularly in the areas of accountancy and marketing – and employers are searching long and hard to find them
“The 2014 salary survey findings are a positive endorsement of the buoyancy of the East Anglian jobs market that there are a lot of quality positions paying good salaries which need filling,” said Mr Fletcher. “Coupled with the lower cost of living, the vacancies are increasingly drawing candidates from London and beyond.”
Mr Fletcher said the survey concludes that trend will continue as long-awaited trunk road improvements develop – the fully-dualled A11 is due to open during 2014 – speedier rail links and faster broadband speeds.
“Faster transport links will also mean it is easier for people to travel between regional centres to work,” said Mr Fletcher.
Mr Fletcher said the survey highlighted that where employers are unable to fill permanent positions, they are increasingly prepared to turn to contract staff.
“Where the permanent jobs market is unable to provide the skills they need, more and more clients are willing to bring in someone in the short term,” he said.
The salary survey found that the sectors which present the biggest challenge are food manufacturing and the supply chain, where profit margins have long been squeezed by pressure from supermarkets. As a result, salaries have been depressed.
“The jobs are there but they are not paying as much as some other sectors. More needs to be done to establish apprenticeships and encourage graduates into the industry,” said Mr Fletcher.
The survey highlighted a further challenge – unemployment remains highest among school leavers and graduates and the rising costs of commuting makes finding work even more challenging for people in this demographic.
Image: Cooper Lomaz Operations Director Mark Fletcher (right) and Sales Director Richard Mould present the findings of the 2014 Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Salary Survey.
Picture Credit Newsmakers PR
Sector Summaries
Pay per click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) are the buzzwords in the buoyant Sales and Marketing sector. It is creating a demand for a new breed of marketer, skilled in both online and traditional marketing techniques. Digitalisation has added a fast-moving new dimension to the fields of graphic design, advertising, PR and marketing. The potential rewards in these areas are huge – with a corresponding ratcheting up of salaries for employees with cutting-edge skills.
In IT, where companies are investing heavily in the future, specialist skills are in big demand, particularly in cloud-based roles and mobile apps development. There is a scarcity of suitable candidates. Salary levels have remained stable, but employers are taking a more relaxed approach to formal qualifications.
Levels of demand are reaching new heights in the Engineering sector. In some areas – Mechanical Design, Electrical Engineering and Electrical Design – demand for candidates with the right mix of skills and experience is out-stripping supply. The sector is increasingly candidate-driven, with candidates able to pick and choose. Employers are offering higher salaries…and some looking towards in-house training of graduate recruits.
A new level of excitement is flooding through Accountancy, unprecedented for many years. High calibre candidates with scarce skills can play the field, commanding higher salaries. 2014 is likely to see an increase in the number of cost-conscious firms hiring part-qualified accountants who can be grown into their roles. A big growth in SMEs has led to increased demands for financial roles. In larger firms, senior level finance specialists are becoming more involved across the operational, commercial and strategic functions.
In Oil Gas and Renewables, the oil and gas sector is vibrant in the coastal regions of Norfolk and Suffolk, with as much oil and gas waiting to be extracted from the southern North Sea as has been exploited so far. Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft have been at the epicentre of the boom, boosted further by the recent introduction of degree courses in Energy Engineering at the UEA. Candidates with marketable skills have enjoyed steady increases in salary levels. There is more caution in the Renewables sector which is sensitive to government policy, particularly with regard to nuclear power. The uncertainty affects investment and therefore salaries.
In the Supply Chain, demand is high for candidates with skill-sets in planning, distribution and purchasing. However, finding the right people is challenging, as there is a shortage of people embracing Supply Chain disciplines as a career choice.
Dynamic growth of the thriving Food Manufacturing industry is being driven by new product launches, investment and business mergers….but hindered by a candidate pool which is too small to meet the demand. Employers are looking for employees with wider skills-based experience, which further extends the process of finding the right candidate. 2014 is likely to bring an increase in demand for people to fill technical positions as consumers demand greater traceability in the wake of the horse-meat scandal.
Cooper Lomaz Salary Survey 2014
The comprehensive Cooper Lomaz Salary Survey 2014 provides detailed analysis of seven sectors covering Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex with figures for each county. The survey covers
Accountancy
Engineering
Food Manufacturing
Information Technology
Oil, Gas & Renewable Energy
Sales and Marketing
Supply Chain
Typical sample salaries taken from the Cooper Lomaz Salary Survey 2014 are as follows:
Accountancy – Commerce and Industry
Bookkeeper
Cambridgeshire £18k-23k
Norfolk £18k-25k
Suffolk £18k-22k
Essex £18k-23k
Payroll Manager
Cambridgeshire £25k-40k
Norfolk £22k-29k
Suffolk £22k-308k
Essex £22k-30k
Financial Analyst
Cambridgeshire £30k-50k
Norfolk £25k-45k
Suffolk £25k-45k
Essex £28k-45k
Financial Director
Cambridgeshire £60k-110k
Norfolk £60k-100k
Suffolk £60k-100k
Essex £60k-100k
Accountancy – The Profession
Graduate
Cambridgeshire £12k-26k
Norfolk £14k-16k
Suffolk £12k-18k
Essex £12k-22k
ACCA Newly Qualified
Cambridgeshire £22k-34k
Norfolk £23k-28k
Suffolk £22k-28k
Essex £24k-34k
Assistant Manager
Cambridgeshire £30k-42k
Norfolk £30k-38k
Suffolk £30k-42k
Essex £34k-52k
Principal or Director
Cambridgeshire £65k-85k
Norfolk £50k-70k
Suffolk £50k-75k
Essex £60k-85k
Engineering
Graduate Engineer
Cambridgeshire £20k-28k
Norfolk £18k-26k
Suffolk £19k-24k
Essex £20k-28k
Manufacturing Engineer
Cambridgeshire £30k-50k
Norfolk £30k-45k
Suffolk £30k-45k
Essex £35k-50k
Engineering/Design Manager
Cambridgeshire £40k-60k
Norfolk £40k-50k
Suffolk £40k-50k
Essex £40k-55k
Operations Director
Cambridgeshire £60k-100k
Norfolk £65k-85k
Suffolk £65k-85k
Essex £60k-100k
Food Manufacturing
Production Manager
Cambridgeshire £30k-45k
Norfolk £30k-45k
Suffolk £30k-45k
Essex £35k-45k
Development Chef
Cambridgeshire £18k-25k
Norfolk £18k-25k
Suffolk £18k-25k
Essex £18k-25k
Hygeine Manager
Cambridgeshire £28k-40k
Norfolk £28k-40k
Suffolk £28k-40k
Essex £28k-40k
Health and Safety Officer
Cambridgeshire £20k-30k
Norfolk £20k-30k
Suffolk £20k-30k
Essex £20k-30k
Information Technology
Business Analyst
Cambridgeshire £35k-65k
Norfolk £25k-55k
Suffolk £28k-60k
Essex £25k-60k
Head of IT
Cambridgeshire £55k-90k
Norfolk £50k-85k
Suffolk £50k-85k
Essex £60k-90k
Network Engineer
Cambridgeshire £25k-55k
Norfolk £25k-65k
Suffolk £25k-65k
Essex £25k-65k
Mobile Developer
Cambridgeshire £25k-55k
Norfolk £25k-50k
Suffolk £30k-52k
Essex £30k-55k
Oil, Gas & Renewable Energy
Piping (all areas) £25k-70k
Construction/Installation (all areas) £30k-130k
Reservoir/Petroleum Engineering (all areas) £35k-125k
Technical Safety (all areas) £35k-70k
Maintenance (all areas) £23k-65k
Business Development (all areas) £27k-85k
Sales and Marketing
Marketing Assistant/Co-ordinator
Cambridgeshire £20k-25k
Norfolk £20k-25k
Suffolk £18k-24k
Essex £18k-25k
PR Executive
Cambridgeshire £20k-30k
Norfolk £20k-30k
Suffolk £20k-30k
Essex £20k-30k
Digital Account Manager
Cambridgeshire £30k-40k
Norfolk £30k-40k
Suffolk £30k-40k
Essex £30k-40k
Social Media Manager
Cambridgeshire £25k-45k
Norfolk £25k-45k
Suffolk £25k-35k
Essex £25k-45k
Supply Chain
Production Planner
Cambridgeshire £25k-35k
Norfolk £25k-30k
Suffolk £25k-30k
Essex £25k-35k
Transport Manager
Cambridgeshire £30k-40k
Norfolk £30k-35k
Suffolk £30k-36k
Essex £30k-40k
Stock Controller
Cambridgeshire £18k-25k
Norfolk £18k-24k
Suffolk £18k-25k
Essex £18k-25k
Purchasing Manager (CIPS)
Cambridgeshire £35k-50k
Norfolk £35k-45k
Suffolk £35k-45k
Essex £35k-50k
Cooper Lomaz’ clients include blue chip companies, national businesses, firms with Norfolk and East Anglian roots and public sector organisations. Among them are – Aquaterra Energy, Aspall Cyder, Associated British Foods, Aviva, Belron (Autoglass), Bernard Matthews, Bluestone Capital Management, Bunn Fertilizer, Cambridge Vacuum, Circle Housing, Construction Skills, Delphi Diesel, Essex County Council, Heatrae Sadia, ISG Jackson, Jagex, Jeyes, Kier MG, NAPP Pharmaceuticals, Perenco, Scira, Sembmarine SLP, Shop Direct Group Ltd, Statkraft, Statoil, Thorlabs, Tribal Group, Worldpay.
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