Salary Guide - Finance roles in Public Sector and Non-Profit organisations

Salary Guide – Finance roles in Public Sector and Non-profit organisations

2024 – review and background

It’s a time of change for the non-profit and public sectors as the new government begins to set the tone for this parliament.

Post-budget, the sector is optimistic. New investment and minimum wage increases have been cautiously welcomed, and the widely criticized increases in national insurance haven’t been levied on some areas, such as the NHS. 

However, the cost-of-living crisis isn’t over yet, employees are still feeling the effects of high inflation and higher prices.

Finance departments across the public and non-profit sectors, who have been focused on cost-savings and driving efficiency, are likely to continue along the same path in 2025.

Salary Guide - Non-Profit and Public Sector

We’ve collated salary and interim rate data to provide an overview of the hiring landscape over the course of the past 12 months.

Of course, within the public sector, many salaries and rates are dictated by set bandings - we are not focusing on those here. These rates and salaries are reflective of the broader sector and may vary depending on the specific market. The size and maturity of an organisation also has significant impacts on the range of salaries paid. Interim rates are candidate rates plus agency margin.

Salaries and interim rates have remained largely unchanged throughout 2024, with hiring activity has also remaining largely static. Organisations have been cautious about taking on new staff, and recruitment has generally been driven by replacement rather than growth or new projects. 

London Weightings 

Many of our clients are based in London and include a weighting for accountancy and finance staff who work in the capital.

Weightings for working in the capital can be found in the non-profit and public sector. However, according to the latest independent data published by the mayor's office, the amount paid falls short of the real increase in living costs, particularly for those living in central, rather than outer, London.

Looking ahead to 2025 – hiring and salary trends

Against the current backdrop of tight public finances, we expect salaries and interim rates to remain on a par with 2024. Recruitment activity is also likely to remain the same in the near future, although we predict a gradual increase in activity as economic confidence returns and investment decisions are announced.

With a new government at the helm for less than a year and the ink barely dry on the budget, there is still much that could change in 2025. Policies impacting public spending, investment and project are starting to take shape, but it’s likely that more change will follow.

As always, we will be talking to CFOs, Finance Directors and organisation leaders on a regular basis to stay informed on developments within the hiring landscape.

And, we are continually building our networks of finance talent – whether part-qualified, fully qualified, interim and permanent – in order to present excellent candidates when clients are ready to hire.

Contact Catherine Hegarty for a confidential discussion if you’re planning to hire or looking for a new opportunity.

Our data was compiled from December 2023 - December 2024 from research conducted with clients, candidates, interims, our database and external sources. It reflects salaries and rates across the UK within the non-profit and public sectors. Rates will vary according to organisation, employers have unique renumeration strategies and other benefits have not been taken into account. The figures presented are intended as a guide. For specific sectors or regions, please contact our team. Interim rates are candidate rates plus agency margin.