As we move further into 2025, the UK job market continues to shift, influenced by political changes, economic uncertainty, and ongoing talent shortages. Despite these challenges, recruitment activity remains strong, with businesses actively hiring and employees increasingly seeking roles that offer better career progression and more competitive salaries.
According to new research based on over 10,000 job listings, offers, and survey responses from nearly 11,000 professionals, many employers are adjusting pay to attract and retain the right talent. In fact, 93% of businesses reported struggling to find candidates with the necessary skills an issue that’s persisted for several years.
So, which roles are seeing the biggest salary jumps? And what does this mean for professionals in 2025?
What’s Behind the Rising Salaries?
The main driver is skills shortages. Organisations can’t afford to lose key talent in competitive sectors like engineering, legal, tech, and finance. To stay ahead, many are increasing pay for critical roles and focusing more on retention strategies.
Average Salary Increases Across the UK
Across the board, salaries rose by an average of 2.4% this year. While slightly lower than last year’s 3.5% rise, some industries outpaced this average:
- Business Support: +4.7%
- Engineering & Manufacturing: +4.1%
- Legal: +4.0%
- Accountancy & Finance: +3.6%
These figures suggest that while wage growth has softened slightly, demand remains high in technical and professional sectors.
The 10 Jobs with the Highest Salary Increases in 2025
Based on national data, here are the roles that saw the most significant year-on-year salary growth:
- Fabricator/Welder
- Risk Surveyor/Consultant
- Industrial Engineer
- Operational Technology Cyber Manager
- Site Supervisor
- In-house Lawyer (7–10 years’ PQE)
- Part-Qualified Accountant
- In-house Lawyer (1 year’s PQE)
- Software Architect – Microsoft Stack
- Contracts Manager
These roles span various sectors, including engineering, cybersecurity, legal, and software development all industries where technical skills and specialised knowledge are in high demand.
The Pay Transparency Gap
Although 80% of employers plan to offer pay rises in 2025, transparency around how pay is determined is still a major concern. Only 56% of professionals believe their employer is clear about pay structures, even though 80% say transparency is important to them.
This gap also affects recruitment. Over half of professionals (56%) say they wouldn’t apply for a job that doesn’t display the salary in the listing, yet only 37% of employers consistently include salary details in their adverts.
The Growing Risk of Employee Dissatisfaction
Another trend to watch is the increasing frustration around career progression. Nearly half of employees (48%) say there’s no clear path forward in their current role up significantly from 32% last year. As a result, 37% plan to switch jobs within the next six months.
This rising dissatisfaction, if left unaddressed, could lead to higher turnover for companies in 2025. Employers must start prioritising internal mobility and making development opportunities visible even if they’re not able to offer immediate salary increases.
What This Means for Job Seekers
If you’re feeling stuck in your current position or unsure about your career direction, the market may hold more opportunities than you think. With 78% of businesses planning to hire over the next 12 months, now is a good time to update your CV and keep an eye out for new roles especially in fast-growing areas like engineering, tech, and legal.