UK company benefits and salary benchmarking hub
Navigating the UK’s labour market has arguably never been more complex. As we move through 2026, we are witnessing a structural shift in the world of work - a transformation driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and economic fluctuations. Reed’s UK company benefits and salary advice is housed on this hub, offering you everything you need to know for UK salary benchmarking – whether you are an employer looking to offer the best packages, or a professional looking for information on what you could, or should, be earning.
In this volatile environment - that James Reed, Chairman and CEO of Reed describes as a “white-collar recession”, where traditional assumptions that economic growth equals more vacancies are being challenged – having access to accurate data is not just useful; it is essential.
Our 2026 salary guides are underpinned by a comprehensive survey of 5,000 UK professionals, revealing a workforce under significant financial pressure. A key finding from our research is the emergence of a stark ‘comfort gap’ of over £11,000.
While the average salary sits at just over £40,600, workers believe they need an income of nearly £51,750 to live comfortably. This disparity is driving dissatisfaction, with over half of unhappy respondents citing that pay has simply not kept pace with the cost of living. Consequently, salary has re-emerged as the undisputed priority; 73% of professionals say pay is more important to them now than it was before the cost-of-living crisis began.
For years, "soft" benefits like office perks and wellness programmes were major differentiators. However, the 2026 landscape tells a different story. Many employees are now willing to trade these benefits for higher take-home pay. While benefits still play a role - particularly those supporting financial wellbeing – in 2026, cash is king.
This shift presents a challenge for employers. With 72% of the workforce either actively looking or open to new opportunities, retention strategies must be robust. Understanding exactly what your current and prospective employees value most is crucial to preventing a talent drain.
Our salary and benefits resources give you the tools to make informed decisions in this changing market. This hub features our 2026 salary guides, offering extensive benchmarking data across varied sectors, including technology, accountancy and finance, and business support.
Whether you are an employer looking to offer competitive packages that truly resonate with talent, or a professional ensuring you are paid your true market value, this hub is your comprehensive resource for navigating the new world of work.
Our UK company benefits, and salary benchmarking hub is also a source of information for popular roles which do not feature within our salary guides, with salary bandings for teachers, nurses, police officers, train drivers, paramedics, pharmacists, midwives, and architects all included.
You will also find key information about the evolving landscape of company benefits in the UK. Whether you want to find out more about hybrid working models, four-day working weeks, maternity, and paternity leave, supporting financial well-being and much more.
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Salaries and benefits - frequently asked questions
Are you searching for the average UK salary to see how your pay packet stacks up against the country’s average? According to the Office for National Statistics the median weekly earnings for full-time employees was £640 in April 2022, which is a 5.0% increase over the £610 in 2021. If you are looking to benchmark salaries in a particular industry, our latest 2025 salary guides cover salary trends across 10 sectors, from technology, accountancy, and finance to human resources. Download your free copy now.
Salary benchmarking is important for both businesses and professionals. If you are a business or hiring manager and are struggling to attract and retain talent, then comparing the salaries you are offering to other businesses in the sector and region can ensure you remain competitive in a challenging market.
Additionally, if you are looking to move jobs, it’s important to know what you can expect to earn so you can go into salary negotiations with a clear understanding of the average salary for that role. For more information on salary benchmarking and why it is important, read our article from James Reed, our Chairman and CEO – it’s the introduction to our 2025 UK salary guides.
At the end of 2024, we conducted a snap survey of 5,000 UK workers to inform our 2025 salary guides, one of the questions we asked was what benefits they received as well as their most desired benefits if they were looking for a new role.
With salary pressures on both workers and organisations, benefits remain a differentiator when it comes to employee rewards. The company benefits offered marry up almost exactly with the benefits employees make use of, with onsite parking, hybrid working, Christmas shutdown and free refreshments ranking as the top received and used benefits. Ranked fifth for offered and utilised benefits is annual salary increments, with 21% of workers receiving this. Salary increases remain the most significant action to make workers feel more valued, with 59% of respondents ranking it at the top. However, 31% said that additional benefits would make them feel valued by their employers, with 30% wanting recognition for their achievements, 22% wanting more thanks from leadership, 22% wanting more flexible hours, and 19% wanting clearer career progression.
In fact, more than a quarter (26%) of workers say they don’t feel valued by their employer, demonstrating room for improvement when it comes to employee relations that won’t necessarily require additional budget from employers.
Only 12% say they are unhappy in their job, suggesting employers have a largely engaged workforce looking for additional recognition. There’s an opportunity here for employers who invest time into their employees to retain and attract the top talent in their field.
We’re seeing potentially unexplored opportunities for organisations to increase staff satisfaction and contentment within their roles that doesn’t relate to a transactional salary increase. In challenging financial times, utilising benefits and strengthening workplace relationships may offer both staff and employers the opportunity to thrive.
Benefits play a critical role in attracting and retaining talent. If you are looking to build a remuneration package, watch our on-demand webinar, ‘The rise of the reward specialist,’ as our panel of top rewards and benefits experts from the public and private sectors, explore the rise of the role and how companies can ensure they are offering the right packages to suit their employees.
If you are looking to find salary guidelines when recruiting or want to compare your own salary against other professionals in the same role, Reed’s annual salary guides are your go-to resource, with all the tools you need to effectively benchmark salaries. Released every year in January, the guides cover 10 of Reed’s specialist recruitment sectors, from accountancy and finance, technology, to human resources, and provide information on roles at all seniorities.
The guides highlight the most interesting developments from that year’s data and feature calculated projections for salaries the following year, while Reed’s regional and practice experts discuss the key local/practice salary and benefits trends you should be aware of. Download our latest 2025 salary guides now.
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