Good news in troubled times. Salaries for scientists in the UK were within a whisker of a double-digit percentage increase in 2018. This took the average over the 拢40,000 mark for the first time, according to the 2019 New 杏吧原创/SRG Salary Survey, published this week.
Each year, to bring you the latest salary trends, including which sectors are hot and which are not, New 杏吧原创 teams up with scientific recruitment agency SRG to survey scientists, engineers, academics and specialists involved with clinical trials.
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This year, we surveyed 3700 people: 2750 of them in the UK, the rest across mainland Europe and the US. In the UK, two-thirds of respondents were scientists, 15 per cent were engineers, 10 per cent academics or lecturers, and 8 per cent were involved in clinical trials. The age range was broad across respondents, with the average being 39 in the UK. Ninety-one per cent of respondents were in full-time employment. Fifty-one per cent of them were male, 47 per cent were female, with the other 2 per cent preferring not to say.
Strikingly, the survey revealed a 9.9 per cent increase in the average UK scientific salary, from 拢37,200 in last year鈥檚 survey to 拢40,900 this year. This is set against a backdrop of salary growth elsewhere in the economy. The UK as a whole saw 鈥渢he highest growth in earnings since 2008鈥�, according to the Office for National Statistics, with the average salary across all employment rising by 3.5 per cent to 拢29,500. Both of these increases beat inflation, which was 2 per cent for the 12 months of 2018.
Greater London and the South East have the highest salaries for people working in science, at 拢44,100 and 拢43,500 respectively. But there were impressive gains in the north of England. The average salary in the North East leapt from 拢31,200 in 2017 to 拢38,700 in 2018. The North West and Yorkshire & Humberside saw gains almost as great, reaching 拢40,100 and 拢39,200 respectively.
These surges faltered at England鈥檚 borders, however. Wales saw an increase of just 拢1500, bringing the average to 拢37,800, while in Scotland the average scientist鈥檚 salary remained flat at 拢36,700. The senior deputy general secretary of the union Prospect, Sue Ferns, suggests a reason for that. 鈥溞影稍磗 in the public sector, including those working directly for government, continue to be held back by public sector pay policy. The effect is particularly pronounced in Scotland and Wales, where the public sector accounts for a higher proportion of total employment.鈥� Northern Ireland fared better, with salaries increasing from 拢35,500 to 拢41,100.
In terms of sector, it is industry that tops the salary chart again this year, with an average of 拢43,100, up from 拢39,700 in 2017. The other sectors are all close in salary terms (see 鈥�Diagram鈥�), with charities and foundations bringing up the rear at 拢37,300. Within industry, engineering is top again, at 拢47,100, with scientists involved with medical devices and pharmaceuticals jockeying for second place, earning around 拢44,500. Salaries in manufacturing and food are lower down the leaderboard, at 拢40,500 and 拢38,800 respectively. Among those with the most improved salaries were senior managers/directors (拢77,700), medical specialists (拢40,800) and government research scientists (拢36,400).
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There are two big blots on this broadly positive picture, however. First, the gender pay gap has grown from 拢8,200 in our previous survey to more than 拢10,000 this time: the average salary for men in science and engineering is 拢45,800, compared with 拢35,600 for women. We will be looking at this 22 per cent pay gap in a future issue.
Then there鈥檚 Brexit. While the figures in our survey paint a positive picture of current salaries in the scientific industries, that鈥檚 only a part of the story. As Kelly Morton, managing director of SRG, puts it: 鈥淲e have challenging times ahead. Whist the future landscape remains unknown, we have already seen a drop in European candidates applying for positions in the UK. This, coupled with the European Medicines Agency鈥檚 move to Amsterdam, has created uncertainty for the industry.鈥�
These issues take the shine off a survey that otherwise reveals science salaries moving up more or less across the board. But with Brexit looming, what will happen next is anyone鈥檚 guess.
Europe & Elsewhere
In 2018, the average salary for European scientists was 鈧�47,606, almost as high as the levels last seen in 2016. On the face of it, scientists in Europe are doing better financially than their counterparts in the UK, who earn an average of 拢40,925 (鈧�45,500). But there is another factor in play: Switzerland. The salaries there, which approach 鈧�100,000 according to our survey, are so much greater than the rest of Europe that it skews the data. Take Switzerland out of the equation, and the average European salary drops down to 鈧�42,500, below that of the UK.
Brexit continues to create anxiety for scientists moving to and from Europe. Thirty-four per cent of European respondents said Brexit affects where they would consider moving for a job 鈥� 鈥淭he unpredictable nature of the future UK-EU relationship makes it too risky to work in the UK,鈥� said one 鈥� yet 46 per cent still consider the UK as a possible location for career progression. On the flip-side, 23 per cent of UK respondents said Brexit affects where they would consider moving for a job 鈥� 鈥淚t makes the funding situation complicated, and complicated is never good for funding,鈥� one noted 鈥� and 51 per cent said they would consider Europe. If you鈥檙e thinking of moving to Europe, the top places after Switzerland salary-wise are Ireland (鈧�52,400), Germany (鈧�52,200) and France (鈧�48,100).
Unlike our UK and European respondents, whose average ages were 39 and 40 respectively, our US respondents had an average age of 47. Being further into their careers, it is no surprise that their average salary was higher, at $78,000 (拢62,000). If you鈥檙e considering a move across the pond, California is the promised land, with average salaries in our survey approaching $100,000, and those in New York and the Boston area around the $80,000 mark.
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This article was written and edited independently by New 杏吧原创
