Salary Trends in the UK

​Salary Trend Insights from JAC Recruitment

When planning a career move in the UK, understanding salary trends is essential for making informed decisions.

At JAC Recruitment, we analysed data from professionals who successfully changed jobs through our services during the first half of 2025 (January–June) to understand how salaries shifted during these transitions. This analysis measures the percentage change between the accepted offer and the individual’s previous salary. The findings are broken down by industry to highlight key trends.

Note: These insights are based solely on JAC Recruitment placements and may not reflect the entire market.

Salary Change by Industry 

During the first half of 2025, professionals who moved through JAC Recruitment saw an average 12% increase in gross annual salary (before tax) compared to their previous role. This reflects a positive trend in salary levels across the job market, making this period an advantageous time for career changes. ​ Across these sectors, moving to a new role typically meant securing a higher salary. Demand for highly skilled professionals remains strong, and employers are offering competitive packages to attract top talent. ​ In contrast, the Services & Consumer Goods sector experienced a slight decline, with an average decrease of 4%. In this industry, some professionals accepted offers below their previous salary, indicating a different trend compared to other sectors. This decline can be attributed to several factors. ​

One significant reason is the high proportion of incentive-based pay in sales roles, which often results in a lower base salary being offered at the time of the job offer. Consequently, the headline salary appears less competitive compared to other industries.

Additionally, during the survey period, companies in this sector were more proactive in hiring professionals with little or no prior experience. Since starting salaries for inexperienced hires tend to be lower, this trend contributed to pulling down the overall average for the industry.

Survey Overview

Title: ​Salary Trends in the UK
Source: JAC Recruitment
Purpose: To analyse how accepted offers compare to current or previous salaries, providing insight into salary trends during career moves.
Scope: Data covers individuals who changed jobs through JAC Recruitment between January and June 2025, based on actual accepted offers.
Important Note: These findings solely reflect JAC Recruitment’s placement data and should not be interpreted as representing the overall market.

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