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In today’s market, UK employers increasingly prioritise professionals with specialised skills and sector expertise to drive innovation, boost efficiency and maintain a competitive edge. This is especially evident in roles linked to revenue generation, operations and business continuity. While some firms are scaling back on hiring or adjusting salary expectations, others are offering competitive pay to secure top talent in critical positions.

The 2026 Salary Guide from Robert Half offers projected starting salaries across 6 key professional fields, along with benefits and perks trends. It’s an essential tool for hiring, retention, workforce planning and for professionals making informed career decisions.

Hiring managers: Get customised salary data and insights from a Robert Half talent solutions professional.

UK compensation trends

Companies across the UK are recalibrating their compensation strategies to attract the skilled professionals essential for remaining competitive. With digital transformation now a key driver of specialist hiring, this shift is shaping several emerging salary trends. These insights are drawn from our survey of 500 hiring managers and 1,000 professionals.

While overall salary levels are stabilising, pay remains highly variable across industries, locations and roles. Employers continue to rely on salary benchmarking tools to define compensation, but are willing to stretch budgets when candidates bring in-demand, specialised skills to the table. For professionals with niche expertise, market knowledge can be a powerful tool in salary negotiations.

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of employers base salary ranges on industry benchmarks and online guides

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of employers say specialised skills influence their willingness to offer higher salaries

Despite workers’ strong preference for remote or hybrid models, many would reconsider a full-time office return if the compensation is compelling. The right salary offer remains a powerful lever for influencing workplace preferences – a critical insight for employers navigating talent attraction and retention.

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of professionals would be willing to return to the office full-time in exchange for a higher salary

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of professionals would be willing to return to the office full-time if offered a 5–10% salary increase

While salary expectations are rising and many professionals feel empowered to negotiate, confidence can be fragile. Concerns around how to justify higher pay, risking an offer, or navigating difficult conversations remain common. As the job market evolves, knowing one’s value and approaching negotiations with clarity and data are more important than ever.

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of professionals feel confident about negotiating higher salary in 2026

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of professionals say lack of confidence, offer risk and justifying pay all weigh equally as the top challenges in salary negotiations

Professionals are weighing their options carefully when it comes to long-term earning potential. While many see future salary growth at their current organisation, past experiences tell a different story – with most reporting pay increases after changing jobs. This highlights the complex trade-offs professionals face between loyalty, stability and immediate financial gain. For employers, it’s a reminder that retention strategies must go beyond promises and be backed by clear career and compensation pathways.

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of professionals believe staying with their current employer offers greater salary potential in 2026

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of professionals say their salary increased the last time they changed employers

Why should I trust your salary numbers?

Our starting salary projections come from a detailed, multistep process that ensures our numbers accurately reflect the marketplace. They’re based on real compensation data for job seekers our recruiters have matched with companies across the UK, in addition to over 350k third-party vacancies data from Textkernel for independent validation.

The Salary Guide From Robert Half is the original. We’ve been publishing salary forecasts since 1950, and our guide has served as a trusted source for employers, job seekers, industry associations, government and educational institutions, and national and local media.

Trends and salaries by professional field

Get projected 2026 starting salaries and salary insights in 6 professional fields.

Finance and accounting

IT and technology

Marketing and creative

Legal, risk and compliance

Administrative and office support

Human resources

Frequently asked questions

The 2026 Salary Guide offers hiring managers and jobseekers insight into pay trends and projected starting salaries across six professional disciplines. It assists employers with recruitment, retention and workforce planning, while helping candidates with career planning and salary negotiation.
The six disciplines covered are:

Finance and accounting

IT and technology

Marketing and creative

Legal, risk and compliance

Administrative and business support

Human resources

What is the Salary Guide From Robert Half?

The 2026 Salary Guide offers hiring managers and jobseekers insight into pay trends and projected starting salaries across six professional disciplines. It assists employers with recruitment, retention and workforce planning, while helping candidates with career planning and salary negotiation.
The six disciplines covered are:

Finance and accounting

IT and technology

Marketing and creative

Legal, risk and compliance

Administrative and business support

Human resources

The figures in the 2026 Salary Guide draw on Robert Half’s placement data and over 350,000 real-time proprietary data points from Textkernel, ensuring market-leading reliability.

How accurate are the salaries in the Salary Guide from Robert Half?

The figures in the 2026 Salary Guide draw on Robert Half’s placement data and over 350,000 real-time proprietary data points from Textkernel, ensuring market-leading reliability.

A salary guide enables organisations to benchmark roles competitively, manage budgets and retain talent, while empowering candidates to understand their market value, plan their careers and negotiate confidently. By aligning expectations, it fosters transparent, evidence-based pay discussions.

Why should I use a salary guide?

A salary guide enables organisations to benchmark roles competitively, manage budgets and retain talent, while empowering candidates to understand their market value, plan their careers and negotiate confidently. By aligning expectations, it fosters transparent, evidence-based pay discussions.

Yes. The guide details salary ranges for 24 major UK cities — from London, Manchester and Edinburgh to Cardiff — so you can see regional variations and tailor your offers accordingly. Explore the salary calculator.

Can I find salaries specific to my city?

Yes. The guide details salary ranges for 24 major UK cities — from London, Manchester and Edinburgh to Cardiff — so you can see regional variations and tailor your offers accordingly. Explore the salary calculator.

No. The starting salary ranges reflect base pay only. Bonuses, incentives and benefits are set out separately in the guide’s perks and benefits section to help you model total reward.

Do salaries in the Robert Half Salary Guide include bonuses?

No. The starting salary ranges reflect base pay only. Bonuses, incentives and benefits are set out separately in the guide’s perks and benefits section to help you model total reward.

We calculate variances by comparing local data against national medians, taking account of supply and demand dynamics and sector-specific trends. Our methodology combines Robert Half’s placement history with Textkernel’s analytics to highlight true regional pay deviations.

How are market variances determined?

We calculate variances by comparing local data against national medians, taking account of supply and demand dynamics and sector-specific trends. Our methodology combines Robert Half’s placement history with Textkernel’s analytics to highlight true regional pay deviations.