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Salary Survey UK 2026
Get the most comprehensive overview of 2026 UK salaries and hiring trends in your industry
Get the industry insider’s view on jobs and hiring: Your 2026 salary guide for hiring and jobs in the UK
The UK’s jobs market is constantly moving, and we have the inside knowledge. We don’t just help you keep up – we make sure you stay one step ahead.
Our Salary Survey is your definitive guide to what’s happening in your industry, and where it’s heading next. We arm you with the facts and analysis to take bold decisions, fine tune the next steps in your career search or and outsmart your competition when it comes to talent attraction and retention.
Knowledge is power
The UK Salary Survey is free and based on the analysis of over 100,000 permanent, interim and contract placements made across the UK and predictions for the year ahead. Order your free copy of the salary guide today.
Informed by real-world market data, analysis and insights, our Salary Survey leaves no stone unturned to reveal your industry’s:
- Trends to watch
- In-demand skillsets
- Salary and pay rate expectations
- Compensation and benefits information
We put the power in your hands with tools to drill down on the sectors, roles and stats that matter to you. So, whether you’re seeking global perspectives, national knowledge, or local intel – you’ll find it in our Salary Survey.
Key Salary & Compensation insights in the UK
Enhance your compensation strategy with Market Intelligence services
Drive successful talent acquisition and retention with our data-driven insights. Achieve workforce diversity, team growth, and strategic relocations with confidence. Our expert team delivers precise salary and benefits benchmarking, talent and market mapping, and competitor analysis to elevate your hiring strategy.
Employer? Access the full hiring guide
If you’re growing your team or simply need to retain the talent you have, the Salary Survey gives you the insights you need to have the right team in place to keep your business moving forward.
Fill out form to access the full UK salary and pay rate guide.
Candidate? Compare your salary
Whether you’re looking for a new role or preparing for your end-of-year appraisal, the Salary Survey will arm you with everything you need to know to get what you deserve.
Fill out the form to access your up to date salary or contract rate.
Our outlook for 2026 in the UK
2026 is set to be a year of transition. As businesses still grapple with unpredictable market conditions and rising employment costs, the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill is modifying workplace regulations. These changes will prompt organisations to reassess recruitment strategies and ensure alignment with new compliance standards. While business confidence remains subdued, sectors such as accounting, legal services, and specialist technology fields like cybersecurity and AI are driving hiring optimism.
In-demand skills are evolving at speed, causing employers to seek out adaptable talent able to keep pace with the changing market expectations. Wage inflation will remain uneven across industries, as shortages of experienced talent drive salary increases in some areas while pay stagnates in others.
The debate around flexible working will continue to shape talent strategies and prompt market movement. Employees’ preference for flexibility will persist, even as employers push for more office-based work, making it essential to strike a balance that promotes engagement and loyalty.
With constrained budgets, refining Employee Value Propositions (EVPs) will remain vital, not only for attracting top talent but also for retaining existing teams. Forward-thinking organisations will prioritise innovation and adaptability. This means leveraging digital advancements, implementing strategic hiring plans, and promoting purpose-driven cultures to fuel growth. In another year defined by cautious optimism, success will depend on organisation's ability to embrace change, stay agile, and build diverse, future-ready teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why should I use a salary guide?
To find out what a reasonable salary is for the job and industry you are in or are thinking of moving into, use a Salary Guide to discover the average pay for someone with a similar level of experience as you and view your earning potential. -
What are the benefits of using a salary benchmarking guide?
Whether you're due a pay rise, promotion, or bonus, a Salary Guide allows you to review accurate market salary and pay averages to see how you can compare to others in your sector. Having accurate data-led salary information will help identify exactly how much you should be earning so you ca prepare to negotiate your salary in your next performance review. -
When is the best time to negotiate my salary?
Salary reviews often take place during the annual and half-year employee performance review periods. Make sure you take this into consideration and time your negotiation right. If the annual pay review is in January, and you call the meeting for February, you're likely to have missed the boat. In such a case, November would be the most suitable time here. -
What is the salary benchmarking process and why is it important?
Salary benchmarking is the process of comparing salaries across the market for a particular job and providing a range and average for a particular role which can help guide an employer's decision-making on pay or bonuses during appraisal period or when making a new hire. The benchmarking process is essential for assessing and comparing pay and compensation packages in relation to the market and of those provided by competitors. Pay and compensation benchmarking can also provide significant competitor advantage, through the retention and attraction of top talent and enhancing an organisations reputation. -
How to do salary benchmarking?
In partnership with a data collection specialist, a benchmarking tool offers a fully comprehensive list of salary ranges and averages based on location, experience level and more. You can view the latest salary range and averages in the 2026 salary guide. -
How should employers evaluate employee pay & compensation during performance reviews?
Salary and compensation reviews often take place during the annual and half-year employee performance reviews. In tangent with the employee performance scoring, you can use a salary benchmarking tool to inform the pay and compensation review process. The tool also gives good insight into market trends in-demand skill sets. So, use performance reviews to see where the employee fits relative to the external jobs market and avoid losing in-demand talent through effective pay and compensation strategies.
Bespoke salary benchmarking
Using a combination of our own data, publicly available insights and our recruitment experts, we build bespoke overviews of the salaries and benefits required to attract talent.