Pay packets for Scottish professionals on the up

Starting salaries for professional roles in Scotland are expected to increase by an average of 2.5 per cent next year, well ahead of the current rate of inflation.

Edinburgh's finance sector is seeing big pay rises for risk managers and accountants. Picture: Contributed

The highest pay rises in financial services roles in Edinburgh are likely to be for senior operational risk managers and qualified accountants, according to the Robert Half 2017 salary guide.

The recruitment firm found that the emergence of challenger banks and the explosion in financial technology (fintech) was creating strong opportunities for professionals with retail banking skills. This is said to be putting further pressure on the “traditional” financial services sector when competing for new employees.

Kris Flanagan, associate director for Scotland at Robert Half UK, said: “As this year’s guide demonstrates, salaries for hard to fill roles continue to rise and outpace the average salary by a significant margin.”

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