Financial Services in Yorkshire

Ever since we opened our Leeds office we like to keep a keen eye on Yorkshire, and we love to celebrate the region’s economic success stories. In a previous blog we toasted ‘God’s own county’ on the creation of more jobs than all of France,  and following the publication of Yorkshire’s 100 most influential business leaders by the Yorkshire Post, we felt like it was time to revisit this Northern Success Story.

The Post includes financial services heavyweights like Leeds Building Society’s Peter Hill along with hi-tech innovators like Oncascan founder Diana Anderson, and there is also room for leaders from national giants like Asda who base themselves in Yorkshire. Indeed, the diversity of industries and company sizes on the list is testament to just how varied the local economy is – a far cry from a heritage which saw each town reliant on one or two industries.

With this economic success has come a demand for top financial talent, and we have noticed a real increase in the number of accountancy jobs in Yorkshire. Audit, risk and compliance professionals are in particularly strong demand across the county, with NQ salaries averaging between £30,000 and £40,000, with CFOs usually taking home six figures according to our salary survey. Bonuses are on the up too; over the last few years the bonus-culture has extended beyond big corporates and into mid-size players, which is a significant boost.

The bonuses of living in Yorkshire are not just financial however – with the county boasting over 800 square kilometres of ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.