Average salary levels in the South East grew for the second year running in 2019 across a variety of job roles, according to new data - but it continues to lag behind the national average.

Reed Specialist Recruitment analysed 7.5 million jobs posted since the start of 2016 and its annual report found wages across the region increased by an average of 2.8% last year.

That compares with the national average salary growth of 3.5% and follows a 1.1% increase in 2018.

However, some roles did outstrip the national average.

For roles paying less than £40,000 the biggest increases were for production engineers (up 8.6%), recruitment coordinators (6.6%) and head chefs (4.4%).

Above £40,000 the highest rises were for data engineers (9.5%), communications managers and cloud engineers (both 7.8%).

Collette Huckle, regional managing director for Reed South East, said: “The South East has performed strongly, with the average salaries growing for a second year in a row. However, London’s close proximity means that candidates expect a higher salary, which businesses in the South East have to compete with.

“Firms in the region are not only competing against one another, but we often find that the best candidates are also receiving offers from big city companies. Invariably, city firms are willing to pay more and provide benefits to help with travel, which enables them to secure the candidates they desire.

“Companies in the South East must be prepared to find ways to compete with the big city firms, whether through offering innovative benefits packages or opportunities for fast career progression. This competition is intensified by the fact that there is a limited pool of highly skilled candidates with a lot of experience.

“Employing the right people and capturing the best talent will be crucial to helping businesses in the South East achieve their objectives, and these salary guides will give an indication of where the competition is and where it is going to be in 2020.”

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