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Salary survey shows value of chartered status

How much is Chartered Internal Auditor status worth?

We know that being a Chartered Internal Auditor boosts your career prospects. Members and employers consistently tell us that the specialist skills and professionalism chartered members demonstrate are both essential to and highly regarded by organisations.

Now, our salary survey shows that becoming professionally qualified benefits you, as well as your company. Our survey data suggests that Chartered Internal Auditors earn approximately £20k p.a. more than their non-chartered peers, and salaries are consistently higher across sectors.

Key findings

Among our survey respondents:

  1. The average annual salary bracket for a Chartered Internal Auditor (CMIIA) is £41–50k, compared with £20–30k for a non-chartered practitioner

  2. 85% of CMIIAs earn more than £40k, compared with just 59% of non-chartered practitioners

  3. Nearly two thirds (63%) of CMIIAs earn more than £50k compared with 43% of non-chartered internal auditors

  4. A third (34%) of CMIIAs earn more than £60k compared with 29% of non-chartered internal auditors

  5. In the financial services sector the average salary for CMIIAs is £61–70k, and 100% of CMIIAs earn more than £40k

The key findings are broadly unchanged from last year. The average salaries for CMIIAs and non-chartered internal auditors are the same, with the pay gap remaining at £20k. 

In our sector analysis we observed that Chartered Internal Auditors are commanding higher salaries in all sectors. More CMIIAs than non-chartered internal auditors earn more than £60k and this applies in the financial services sector, private (non FS) sector and the public/third sector. 

In the FS sector, 52% of CMIIAs earn over £60k compared with 42% of non-CMIIAs. In the private (non FS) sector, that figure is 40% CMIIAs v 27% non-CMIIAs, and in the public/third sector it is 22% CMIIAs v 12% non-CMIIAs.   

Average salary of Chartered Internal Auditors v non-chartered practitioners

Earnings over £60k by sector

Percentage of respondents who earn over £60k, by sector.

Data from 234 respondents was collected in June 2017 via the Chartered IIA website. Sectors of the respondents were as follows: 34% financial services, 31% private (non FS) sector and 35% public sector. The survey was open to members and non-members.