There was a time when taking a job in one of this country's northern cities would mean a considerable drop in salary. That was about the same time when you could expect to buy a four-bedroom detached house for the same price you would fork out for a shoe box in London. But there has been a gradual levelling off across the country on both counts.
What you can expect, according to Sally Barrett of Leeds-based SVB Recruitment, is a salary drop of about £1,000-£2,000.
"We are dealing with a lot of London companies who are expanding in the North, and with larger operators there is no London weighting. So a £40,000 salary tends to be the same wherever the job," she says.
Cities that are really booming can also push the salaries up a little higher. The demand for head chefs in Leeds, for instance, is pretty high and they can earn a bit more in this city than in Manchester right now.
The same can be said for Liverpool, according to Maxine Farrow, senior recruitment consultant for Berkeley Scott in Manchester.
"We find it is difficult to recruit in Liverpool because people have a lot of misconceptions about what it's like to live there," she says.
Another common misconception is the cost of accommodation in the North, where property prices have soared.
Take it from someone who lives there. As Farrow says: "You can pay £275,000 for a terraced cottage around Manchester and if you want to live in the city centre you are looking at an extra £20,000 a year for a parking space."
Salary snapshot
Salaries across the North vary little, although the flurry of openings in booming cities such as Leeds and Liverpool means demand for certain jobs can bump up the wages.
| CONTRACT CATERING |
|
| Area catering manager |
£25,000-£38,000 |
| Unit catering manager |
£18,000-£35,000 |
| Assistant manager |
£12,000-£20,000 |
| PUBS |
|
| Manager |
£20,000-£35,000 (plus bonus) |
| Head bar person |
£10,000-£18,000 |
| RESTAURANTS |
|
| Executive chef |
£25,000-£35,000 |
| Head chef |
£16,000-£32,000 |
| Sous chef |
£14,000-£22,000 |
| HOTELS |
|
| General manager |
£30,000-£70,000 |
| Receptionist |
£10,000-£12,000 |
| Head housekeeper |
£14,000-£26,000 |
A question of wealth
The North of England has eight of the top 10 wealthiest places in the whole of England and Wales.
Research shows that, when the lower cost of living is taken into account, Tatton in Cheshire, home to Posh and Becks, is the "real wealthiest" place with the highest weighted average salary at £29,303 (worth £41,506 in "real" terms). This beats London's Kensington and Chelsea, which boasts the highest average salary in the country of £40,951, but the capital gives no boost to the cash in residents' pockets. In third place is Sheffield Hallam (£29,150, worth £41,289) while Leeds in the North-east is fourth at £28,300 (worth £40,085).
Source: Barclays Private Clients