Salaries for property professionals in the Midlands increased in 2018 to a ten-year high but a gender pay gap remains, according to new research.

Base salaries grew on average by six per cent to £52,444, a level not seen since 2009, according to the 2018 Salary Survey published by industry body the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The report, which is produced with property recruitment agency Macdonald & Company, assesses salary, rewards and attitudes from across the entire property sector.

It takes its results from almost 7,000 people working in 42 different fields including rural practice, commercial property, facilities management and building surveying.

Wage packages in the Midlands were shown to have increased by £2,667 on average, with those professionals with higher qualifications seeing the greatest increase.

Those who reported receiving a pay rise in the 2018 survey had an average increase of 5.9 per cent with remuneration packages also boosting professional base rates.

Bonuses also increased to an average of £7,944 for Midlands' professionals, with those working in marketing and international project marketing seeing the greatest bonus pay-outs.

The survey showed that, on average, Midlands' male property professionals earn 22 per cent more than their female counterparts, with those in higher positions seeing a greater disparity in wage difference.

This has reduced from last year's survey when males earned on average 30 per cent more than their female counterparts.

For the second year running, 59 per cent of Midlands respondents believe their company will increase headcount in 2018 with businesses focusing on entry level and graduate talent and increasing roles at the associate/staff level.

Looking ahead, on average, 31 per cent of respondents in the Midlands expected an increase in economic activity in the coming year.

RICS' diversity director Barry Cullen said: "The latest results from this survey show the built environment continues to be an attractive sector to work in with professionals' pay hitting highs not seen since the financial crisis.

"As headcount is once again expected to increase in 2018, more employers are placing greater focus on attracting and retaining talent, with attractive pay and benefit packages.

"However, organisations must embrace an offering beyond an attractive salary and benefits package if we are going to truly diversify the profession and meets the needs of our future.

"In 2018, the gender pay gap still remains evident and, while it is significantly less for those under 26, more still needs to be done.

"People should be able to bring their whole self to work in an inclusive environment, celebrating their individual talent irrespective of differences.

"For the property profession to be a world leader in diversity and inclusion, we need to place diversity at the heart of an organisation and ensure we retain our talent and build off the great advances we are seeing with our younger professionals."