Salaries for procurement professionals have gone up on average by 9% over the past five years.
The largest average rise took place in the public sector, at 13.1%, followed by charity/not for profit (9%) and the private sector (4.2%), according to an analysis of five-year trends in the CIPS/Hays Procurement Salary Guide and Insights.
In 2019 average salaries were highest in the private sector, at £46,600, followed by charity/not for profit (£45,400) and the public sector (£42,300). Across the board the average salary was £44,700.
The average gender pay gap in the profession narrowed slightly, from 23% in 2015 to 21% in 2019. But for the most senior positions it increased to 35%, from 15% in 2015.
John Glen, CIPS economist and visiting fellow of Cranfield University, described the increase at senior levels as “exceptionally worrying”. “We must continue to investigate why this is happening and implement the necessary changes to reverse this particular trend,” he said.
In 2019 professionals with MCIPS were paid on average 15% – or £7,000 – more than non-MCIPS colleagues, up on 12% in 2015.
Malcolm Harrison, group CEO, CIPS said, “As leaders we must ensure we create a culture that encourages diversity of all kinds in procurement, to strengthen our recruitment processes, without unconscious bias, to nurture people to be bold enough to shoot for those senior roles that may initially appear out of reach.
“Procurement professionals should take heart that the work they do makes a difference and they should be safe in the knowledge that the procurement professional continues to be in the ascendancy.”
☛ Want to stay up to date with the news? Sign up to our daily bulletin.