The 10 highest salary increases for the year ahead

The UK labour market continues to evolve, shaped by persistent skills shortages, economic uncertainty, and shifting employee expectations. Despite ongoing challenges – including the growing influence of AI, increased employment costs and the fiscal implications of the Autumn Budget – hiring plans remain robust, and salary growth is set to continue across many sectors.  

In our 2026 Salary & Recruitment Trends guide, we’ve analysed thousands of salaries across 15 industries. This, combined with our survey – which this year received over 5,100 responses – presents a highly comprehensive picture of salaries, recruiting trends and world of work insights. 
 

Where are salary increases highest? 

Salary increases remain widespread, rising 2.2% across UK professions. The sectors seeing the highest increases include legal (4.6%), sustainability (4.1%), business support (3.8%), and accountancy and finance (3.4%).  

Certain professionals – within these sectors and others – have also seen noticeably sharper increases as employers look to secure their in-demand services. While not necessarily the highest paid roles overall, the following titles represent areas with the strongest growth potential and demand for skills.

Salaries see a steady rise – but pay transparency remains an unsolved issue 

Employers are facing acute talent shortages, with 93% reporting difficulties in recruiting the right skills over the past year. This has contributed to competitive pay strategies in a bid to attract and retain skilled professionals. Notably, 84% of employers increased salaries in the last year, and 80% plan to do so again in the year ahead.  

However, employee satisfaction with pay is declining; 40% are unhappy with their current compensation – up from 32% last year. While 81% of employees believe organisations should be open about financial compensation, only 49% of employers feel their organisation is consistently transparent about pay. Pay transparency could have a marked impact on early recruitment stages, with 92% of professionals being more likely to apply for a job if the salary is listed in the job posting. 
 

The challenge to attract and retain staff goes beyond pay 

While a competitive salary remains a persuasive talent attraction tool, candidates are looking beyond pay when eyeing up their next move. In particular, a lack of career progression is fuelling dissatisfaction and driving job mobility. Nearly half of workers (48%) feel there’s limited scope for advancement within their current organisation – unchanged from last year. As a result, 62% of professionals plan to move jobs in the coming year, up from 57% previously.  

Flexibility remains a top priority, too, with hybrid working arrangements and a healthy work-life balance highly regarded by today’s workforce. The figures from our salary guide are telling: 49% of professionals are unwilling to accept roles without flexible arrangements, while over half (53%) would accept a lower-paid job for better work-life balance. However, work-life balance is declining, and overtime is common, with 61% of employees working beyond contracted hours.  

For professionals seeking improved pay, clearer career development or greater flexibility, a competitive hiring market shouldn’t deter your career ambitions, with 77% of employers planning to recruit over the next 12 months. So, if you’re unhappy in your current role, keeping a close eye on the latest vacancies – and ensuring your CV is up to date and ready to go – will put you in a good position to take advantage of new opportunities in the coming year.  

Find out more about how salaries and employment trends are changing by checking out our Hays Salary & Recruiting trends guide here.