Job flexibility key for UK prospects, Hampshire tops in WFH salaries

A recent study has highlighted that 4 out of 10 Britons would abstain from applying to a job if the position's description did not clearly specify flexibility. The research has indicated that prospects searching for employment opportunities in IT, finance, and sales stand better chances of finding versatile job roles. Finalised by electronic retailer Currys, the study also compared salaries for work-from-home jobs across UK counties, with Hampshire leading the race.

According to the study, IT tops the list in offering the highest number of remote jobs and the highest salaries, with nearly a third of all roles in the sector being remote. This finding is significant in light of an apparent shift in mindset among UK workers, with 49% reporting an increased desire for a flexible job role post-pandemic. A significant 43% have stated they would opt out of an application process if the job description did not explicitly guarantee flexibility.

Currys analysed 762 remote job listings to understand which sectors provided the most work-from-home positions and the average salaries. The investigation revealed that the highest percentage of remote jobs were in the IT sector (29%), followed by financial services (21%) and sales (16%). IT also offered the highest average salary for remote positions, with GBP £60,148 being the standard for such roles in this sector, as established by the study.

The analysis laid out by Currys made comprehensive observations regarding the distribution of remote jobs and their respective average salaries. This assessment covered sectors including IT, financial services, sales, marketing and media, engineering, legal, administration, health and social care, human resources, logistics and transport. It was a clear outcome that IT, financial services, and sales lead in catering to the needs and preferences of modern-day professionals looking for flexibility in their work patterns.

However, the study also underlines that the notion of working from anywhere does not imply uniformity of salaries. The average work-from-home salary was shown to vary across the UK, with companies based in Hampshire providing the highest average annual remote wage, which is around GBP £80,750. This is followed by East Sussex, offering an average of GBP £73,614, and Kent, with an average of GBP £72,650.

Interestingly, London, known for its higher cost of living and usually offering a London weighting, did not top the table of best average WFH salaries, with central London remote roles offering an average salary of GBP £58,760.

A final noteworthy finding was that despite being the base location of a number of companies, the average salary for remote roles in London did not stand as high as expected. This may be attributable to the fact that remote workers might not be subjected to the same level of living costs associated with London; hence, a lower salary offering might still appear competitive.