Paydata
Paydata is a UK-based reward management consultancy founded in 1998, providing sector-specific salary benchmarking surveys, job evaluation software and reward strategy consulting to medium and large UK employers across 13 specialist industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersPeterborough, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Paydata does
Paydata is a UK-based reward management consultancy founded in 1998 and headquartered in Peterborough. The firm specialises in salary benchmarking, pay structure development and reward strategy consulting, serving medium and large UK employers across 13 specialist sectors including Construction, Healthcare, Housing Associations, Electricity, Facilities Management, Mechanical & Electrical, Renewable Energy and Purpose Built Student Accommodation. Core offerings include sector-specific salary benchmarking surveys (typically priced at £995-£1,045+VAT for a 12-month subscription), the PayGrade job evaluation software, equal pay audits, pay market trends reports and bespoke research services. Named enterprise customers include Balfour Beatty, EDF, Care UK, L&Q, Jersey Telecom, DFS and The Royal College of Physicians.
Paydata's underlying technology consists of proprietary salary benchmarking and pay settlement databases containing over 500,000 individual jobholder records contributed by more than 250 participating organisations, supplemented by an executive pay database sourced from FTSE 100/250 annual reports. The PayGrade software applies a five-factor methodology to rank jobs for grading and equal pay compliance. Revenue is generated primarily through annual subscription-based access to sector surveys, complemented by professional services fees for consulting engagements, bespoke research (typically 12-week projects), paid masterclass training, and one-off market trends reports. Distribution occurs via direct consultative engagement, sector-specific account managers, an online survey portal, twice-yearly HR workshops, and a 571+ article knowledge hub.
The business employs 11-50 staff under Managing Director Tim Kellett and operates a sales-led, referral-driven go-to-market — almost all work originates from repeat or referred business. The company holds Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation, remains privately held and independent with no disclosed external investment, and has operated continuously for over 25 years while progressively broadening its sector coverage and service portfolio.
Paydata firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Paydata
- Legal name
- Pay Data Ltd
- Website
- https://paydata.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Paydata is a UK-based reward management consultancy founded in 1998, providing sector-specific salary benchmarking surveys, job evaluation software and reward strategy consulting to medium and large UK employers across 13 specialist industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Paydata industry classification
Industry- Product category
- HR and Compensation Consulting
- NAICS
- Business Support Services (5614)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Compensation, Benefits & Rewards Consulting (BPAHAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards Advisory (BPACAJAG), Compensation Planning & Total Rewards (BPACAPAH)
Keywords
Where Paydata is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Peterborough
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Paydata business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Salary Benchmarking Survey Subscriptions: 12-month subscription-based access to sector-specific salary benchmarking surveys providing pay and benefits data. Most survey options involve a 12-month subscription, meaning salary data is always up-to-date, relevant and accessible.
- Pay Market Trends Reports: Bespoke pay market trends reports for specific sectors that collate market intelligence from government (ONS) statistics, Paydata's pay settlement database, and comprehensive pay database. Fees range from £875 + VAT for all sectors plus one chosen sector.
- Training and Masterclasses: Online training sessions such as the 'Masterclass: Preparing effective Job Descriptions' priced at £310 + VAT per person with discounts for group bookings.
- Equal Pay Audits: Analysis enabling organisations to measure overall pay differences between groups of employees based on gender, ethnicity and age.
- Reward Strategy Consulting: Strategic consulting services including developing reward strategy, pay structure development, preparing pay policy papers for remuneration committees, designing bonus and incentive schemes, implementing job evaluation, executive compensation, and bespoke analysis.
- Bonus and Commission Scheme Design: Design of employee bonus schemes, commission structures, and other incentive schemes following a systematic two-staged approach: Discovery and Proposal phases.
- Bespoke Research Services: Custom surveys for organisations needing market intelligence on specialist/niche roles, industry sectors, specific benefits or allowances, or general HR surveys. Typically takes around 12 weeks from start to finish.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Construction Pay and Benefits Survey membership - 12-month subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Facilities Management Pay and Benefits Survey membership - 12-month subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Mechanical and Electrical Pay and Benefits Survey membership - 12-month subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Housing Association Pay and Benefits Survey membership - 12-month subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Pay Market Trends Report - base price |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Job Description Masterclass - per person |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Paydata product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Paydata is a UK reward management consultancy that sells sector-specific salary benchmarking surveys on 12-month subscriptions, pay management services such as equal pay audits and pay structure development, reward consulting (job evaluation via PayGrade software, bonus scheme design, reward strategy), and employee engagement research. Deliverables combine proprietary benchmark data covering 500,000+ jobholders, fixed-fee consulting engagements, and bespoke research for medium and large UK employers across 13 industry sectors.
Product overview
Paydata is a UK-based reward management consultancy offering a comprehensive suite of pay and benefits benchmarking services, pay management solutions, and employee engagement tools. The portfolio centres on sector-specific salary benchmarking surveys (covering construction, facilities management, healthcare, housing, and other industries), complemented by consulting services for job evaluation (PayGrade software), equal pay audits, pay structure development, and reward strategy design. The offering also includes employee research solutions and total reward statements, with additional support through HR networking groups and training masterclasses. Data products include bespoke salary surveys and the PAYstats publication providing labour market statistics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Salary Benchmarking Surveys Sector-specialist 12-month subscription surveys providing accurate external market data on pay and benefits across 13 UK verticals, including Construction & Civil Engineering, Facilities Management, Mechanical & Electrical, Housing Associations, Healthcare, Electricity, Renewable Energy, House Building, Property & Construction Consultancy, Residential Care, PBSA, Professional Associations & Institutes, and Water sectors. Subscribers access the online portal year-round.
- Executive Pay Benchmarking Executive pay and reward database combining data collected directly from customers with FTSE 100 and 250 annual reports, supporting benchmarking, remuneration committee papers, and executive reward decisions.
- Bespoke Research Custom salary survey service delivering specialist market intelligence for niche roles, industry sectors, specific benefits or allowances, or general HR surveys, typically completed in around 12 weeks in an anti-trust compliant manner.
- Equal Pay Audits Analysis enabling organisations to measure overall pay differences between groups of employees based on gender, ethnicity, and age, including like-work comparisons, regional breakdowns, and actionable equal pay action plans.
- Pay Structure Development Six-step methodology for developing salary scales, calculating pay review costs, and modelling pay-for-performance awards, using internal and market data to create publishable pay ranges.
- Pay Market Trends Report Sector-specific management report collating market intelligence from ONS statistics, Paydata's Pay Settlement Database, and its comprehensive pay database covering over half a million jobholders. Pricing starts at £875 + VAT for all sectors plus one chosen sector, with additional sectors at £105 + VAT each.
- PayGrade Job Evaluation Software Proprietary job evaluation software that utilises five key factors to rank jobs in relation to one another, making it easy to compare job roles within an organisation. The software is flexible and can be used in-house or commissioned for grading exercises.
- Reward Strategy Consulting Strategic consultancy developing pay and performance systems aligned with business strategy, including reward strategy development, grading structures, fixed and variable pay determination, and pay policy papers for remuneration committees.
- Bonus and Commission Scheme Design Design service for employee bonus schemes, commission structures, and other incentive schemes following a systematic two-stage Discovery and Proposal approach, covering individual, team, business unit, and hybrid scheme structures.
- Job Description Design Service Job description writing and review service with over 40 years combined experience, offering review, training, writing, and off-the-shelf template options.
- Employee Research Bespoke employee research solutions including confidential surveys, structured interviews, focus groups, and blended approaches designed to surface actionable insights into employee sentiment.
- Total Reward Statements Personalised total reward statements showing employees the complete value of their reward package, including pay, benefits, pension, wellbeing, and development opportunities.
- PAYstats Pay and Labour Market Statistics Monthly and quarterly branded publication providing UK pay and labour market statistics including inflation, employment, unemployment, vacancies, and earnings data, used as a content marketing and lead generation asset.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 250 organisations contribute to Paydata's pay database
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Paydata
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Paydata technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Paydata partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Paydata competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mercer: Global HR consulting arm of Marsh McLennan offering compensation benchmarking, job evaluation and Total Rewards consulting. Comparable as an established competitor in pay benchmarking, though Mercer operates globally across broader HR advisory.
- Willis Towers Watson (WTW): Global advisory firm providing compensation benchmarking, employee surveys and rewards strategy. Directly competes with Paydata in salary surveys and rewards consulting, but at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
- Aon: Global professional services firm with a dedicated Human Capital practice that includes compensation benchmarking, Radford surveys and rewards design. Overlaps with Paydata's benchmarking and reward consulting offerings.
- Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm offering Hay Group job evaluation methodology and compensation data products. Highly comparable given the shared focus on job evaluation, pay structures and executive reward.
Direct peers
- XpertHR: UK-focused HR intelligence and pay benchmarking service covering pay rates, benefits, employment law and HR best practice. Closest direct competitor on UK salary benchmarking subscriptions.
- IDS (Incomes Data Services): UK pay and labour market research provider offering subscription pay reports, equal pay reviews and pay movement analysis. Directly competes with Paydata's PAYstats reports and equal pay audit services.
- Croner: UK HR and employment law consultancy offering compensation benchmarking, employment law advice and HR support packages. Direct UK-focused peer across Paydata's target mid-market HR audience.
- Culpepper Compensation: Compensation benchmarking and survey provider offering pay market reports and Total Rewards data across multiple verticals. Direct peer on subscription-based compensation benchmarking products.
Emerging players
- Pave: US-based compensation management SaaS platform offering real-time benchmarking, equity modelling and pay range tools. Competes with Paydata's benchmarking and pay structure services with a technology-led approach.
- Ravio: Real-time compensation benchmarking platform providing tech-company salary data via integration with HR systems. Represents the SaaS-native model that competes with annual pay surveys for digital-first employers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Paydata social profiles
Digital presencePaydata compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Paydata financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Paydata leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Paydata funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Paydata M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Paydata
What does Paydata do?
Paydata is a UK reward management consultancy that sells sector-specific salary benchmarking surveys on 12-month subscriptions, pay management services such as equal pay audits and pay structure development, reward consulting (job evaluation via PayGrade software, bonus scheme design, reward strategy), and employee engagement research. Deliverables combine proprietary benchmark data covering 500,000+ jobholders, fixed-fee consulting engagements, and bespoke research for medium and large UK employers across 13 industry sectors.
Is Paydata a public or private company?
Paydata is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Paydata founded?
Paydata was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Paydata based?
Paydata is headquartered in Peterborough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Paydata make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Salary Benchmarking Survey Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are pay Market Trends Reports, training and Masterclasses, equal Pay Audits, reward Strategy Consulting, bonus and Commission Scheme Design and bespoke Research Services.
Who are Paydata's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mercer, Willis Towers Watson (WTW), Aon and Korn Ferry. Direct peers are XpertHR, IDS (Incomes Data Services), Croner and Culpepper Compensation. Emerging players are Pave and Ravio.
Does Paydata have an API?
No public API is recorded for Paydata.
What industry is Paydata in?
Paydata's product category is HR and Compensation Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAGAF, Compensation, Benefits & Rewards Consulting, with a secondary code of BPACAJAG, Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards Advisory. Its NAICS code is 5614 and its SIC code is 8742.