Average salary up by 0.6%

The average advertised annual salary grew 0.6% between August and September 2013, to £34,005, the second consecutive monthly rise, according to research by Adzuna.co.uk.

However, its UK Job market report found that the average advertised annual salary is 0.3% lower than in September 2012.

In real terms, pay has fallen £1,020 in a year, as inflation has further devalued the average annual pay packet.

The research also found that graduate salaries have fallen four months in a row, with the average salary standing at £25,355 per year in September 2013, down 3.4% year-on-year.

In real terms, graduate salaries have fallen by £1,547, or 17% in the last twelve months.

Jobs in the IT, engineering and construction sectors have seen the biggest wage improvements over the past 12 months, with salaries in these sectors rising by 6.9%, 3.2% and 3.1% per year, respectively.

The research found that salaries in the north east of England have risen 1.7% year-on-year to £28,083 per year, the biggest increase of any UK region. This has been driven by the resilient local manufacturing sector.

Salaries in Scotland also rose year-on-year, to £33,290 per year, although pay in both regions still fall far short of salaries in London, which rose 1.6% year-on-year to £40,062 per year.

Andrew Hunter (pictured), co-founder of Adzuna, said: “The fall in real wages remains a black spot on an otherwise optimistic picture.

“It’s great to see salary increases, but there is still a way to go before this will close the gap of inflation, which has been outpacing wage growth ever since the financial crisis.”