Part-Qualified Accountant — Manchester market 2025
Below is a current estimate of salary ranges around the Part-Qualified Accountant role in Manchester, plus related seniority roles for context:
| Role | Salary Range (pa) | Most Common Salary Band | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior / Trainee Accountant | £25,000 – £32,000 | ~£28,000 | For those freshly qualified or in early stage of qualification. |
| Part-Qualified Accountant | £30,000 – £45,000 | £35,000 – £42,000 | Based on local roles and national comparisons. |
| Qualified / Senior Accountant | £40,000 – £60,000+ | £45,000 – £55,000 | For those fully qualified (ACCA, ACA, CIMA) with experience. |
Notes & caveats:
- The “Part-Qualified Accountant” range is an approximate market band: lower end reflects smaller firms or less experience; upper end reflects more complex work or stronger sectors (e.g. fintech, professional services).
- The “Most Common Salary Band” is where many live in practice, before bonuses or additional benefits.
- In Manchester, as of late 2025, local Part-Qualified Accountant roles report salaries nearer the £35,000–£42,000 zone, aligning with national averages. For example, Glassdoor UK cites a national average ~£32,887 for part-qualified roles.
- Jooble reporting for part-qualified management accountants in Manchester indicates average salaries around £38,419, with a range of ~£35,947 to £40,112.
Variable Pay & Bonuses
- Bonus / performance incentive: Many roles include modest annual bonuses (e.g. 5–10 % of salary) tied to departmental or firm-wide performance.
- Profit sharing / discretionary awards: Less common at this level, but some firms include small profit share or discretionary bonuses during particularly strong years.
- Commission or fee-related pay: Rare in accounting roles unless tied to business development or client acquisition responsibilities.
- Study support / qualification reimbursement: Very common — many employers offer to fund or subsidise remaining ACCA/ACA/CIMA exams, plus exam leave.
Benefits & Perks Overview
Typical additional benefits to expect or include:
- Pension contributions (commonly employer match 3–6 %)
- Private medical / health cash plan
- Life insurance / income protection
- Flexible / hybrid working (office / remote balance)
- Study support, training budget, CPD days
- Enhanced holiday allowance (especially in larger firms)
- Travel / transport allowances or season ticket support
- Wellness / wellbeing perks (gym, mental health support, etc.)
In Manchester, hybrid working is increasingly expected, and roles lacking flexibility may need to compensate via stronger pay or benefits to attract talent.
Factors Influencing Salary
- Sector & complexity of work — roles in financial services, tech, or large corporates tend to pay more than small SMEs or charitable sector.
- Geographic vs remote flexibility — firms allowing remote work may compress location premiums.
- Level of responsibility — managing juniors, owning a set of clients, leading parts of audit or reporting raises expectations.
- Qualification progress — number of remaining exams, stage of ACCA/ACA/CIMA.
- Specialist skills — experience in IFRS, tax, system implementation (e.g. ERP), data analytics.
- Firm size & brand — “big 4” / top-tier firms typically offer premium pay and prestige over local firms.
Hiring Trends & Market Demand
- The REC / KPMG “Report on Jobs” shows that starting salary inflation has slowed and candidate availability has increased, softening upward pay pressure.
- Employers are more cautious about raising base salaries, favouring benefits, flexibility, or bonuses over broad pay increases.
- There is still strong demand for candidates mid-qualification who can take on oversight and client-facing responsibilities, given a shortage of fully qualified accountants in many regions.
- Hybrid / flexible working weighed heavily in offers recently, especially for mid-level roles.
Recruitment Challenges Employers Face
- Retention risk: As candidates near full qualification, they often seek promotion or move to more senior roles, so mid-level roles face turnover.
- Skill mismatch: Many candidates may lack exposure to complex accounting (e.g. group consolidation, IFRS), requiring training investment.
- Overpaying / underestimating: Without benchmark data, firms risk offering either too low (losing candidates) or overpaying (wasting budget).
- Competing offers: Candidates often have multiple offers including from non-accounting firms wanting their financial skills (e.g. fintechs).
- Balancing flexibility vs control: Firms that are rigid about office-based work may struggle to attract candidates demanding hybrid models.
Future Outlook & Market Predictions
- Salary growth may remain modest in 2026 as macro pressures (inflation, interest rates) constrain pay increases.
- Value-add skills (automation, data, financial modelling, ESG/ESG reporting) will command premium increments.
- Employers investing in training and development will have better attraction and retention.
- Flexible working will become baseline; firms not adapting may need to offer pay premiums to compensate.
- Demand for these candidates in Greater Manchester is likely stable or mildly growing, particularly with growth in regional financial and tech hubs.
Summary & Recommendations for Employers
- For a Part-Qualified Accountant in Manchester, £35,000–£42,000 is a realistic and competitive base salary, with room above for standout hires.
- Supplement base salary with benefits, study support, bonus potential, and flexibility.
- Structure roles with growth paths toward fully qualified / senior roles to reduce turnover.
- Use benchmarked surveys and stay updated (e.g. via REC / Report on Jobs) to adjust offers.
- In offers where budget is constrained, consider trading off base salary for value-rich perks or hybrid work flexibility.
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Where this data comes from
- REC / KPMG “Report on Jobs” for recruitment trends and pay inflation data
- Glassdoor UK for national and location-specific salary data on Part-Qualified Accountant roles
- Jooble for part-qualified management accountant salaries in Manchester
- AfterTaxCalculator (aggregate) for UK average part-qualified accountant salary estimate
- Reed / Accountancy & Finance Practice Salary Guide (UK) for practice sector comparisons
