For many people, pay rises come few and far between, and often fall well below the rate of inflation.
In many cases staff get fed up of waiting and change jobs in order to receive a big pay bump, even shifting their career to a whole new sector to find one.
However, there are roles that are still on the receiving end of hefty pay increases, if you look in the right place.
Data from Hays, shared exclusively with this is Money, reveals the job roles that received the highest pay rises in 2025.
The recruitment giant says the number of people who aren’t happy with their salary is on the rise, with 40 per cent of workers finding their pay packet lacking – up from 32 per cent in 2024.
If you are looking for a career change in the new year, take a look at the list of jobs offering the biggest boosts – and their average salaries – below.
Those working in finance and tech saw some of the biggest pay rises in 2026, the data shows
Who got the biggest pay rises in 2025?
Roles that saw the largest pay rises over the past year were in the finance, technology, legal and engineering sectors, the data shows.
Hays says these sectors struggle with skills shortages, so staff with the right experience are in high demand. It means employers might be willing to give them a pay rise, rather than face the headache of having to replace them if they leave.
IT directors saw the largest pay rise in 2025, receiving an average increase of as much as ten per cent over the past 12 months.
Many companies are focused on digital transformation at the moment, Hays says, so IT staff who can innovate and drive modernisation are able to command higher-paying roles.
IT directors, who earn an average of £110,000 annually, saw their salaries increase more than six per cent above the UK’s average inflation rate, which is currently at 3.2 per cent for November, down from 3.6 per cent in October.
Across other sectors, the average salary increase was just 2.2 per cent, below inflation and lower than the average increase of 2.4 per cent last year, based on Hays’ analysis of 10,000 salaries across 15 sectors.
| Rank | Job | Industry | Salary (average 2025) | % Salary increase since 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | IT director | Technology | £110,000 | 10% |
| 2. | In-house lawyer (10 years’ experience) | Legal | £109,000 | 8.7% |
| 3. | Head of tax/director (FTSE 100/250 companies) | Accountancy & finance | £162,455 | 7.4% |
| 4. | Office manager | Business support | £34,455 | 7.4% |
| 5. | In-house lawyer (1 years’ experience) | Legal | £62,625 | 7.3% |
| 6. | Financial planning & analysis manager | Accountancy & finance | £82,792 | 7.2% |
| 7. | VAT manager | Accountancy & finance | £83,000 | 7.1% |
| 8. | Environment manager (senior leadership) | Sustainability | £83,500 | 6.7% |
| 9. | Employee relations manager | HR | £57,625 | 6.5% |
| 10. | Chemical process engineer | Engineering | £61,900 | 6.2% |
| Source: Hays | ||||
In-house lawyers, with at least ten years of post-qualification experience, commanded salary increases of as much as 8.7 per cent in 2025 with an average salary of £109,000 per year.
More junior lawyers still saw big pay bumps, however. In-house lawyers with just one year of experience after qualifying saw pay rises of 7.3 per cent on average, with a yearly salary of £62,625.
While experienced in-house lawyers are essential for firms facing complex regulation and corporate risk, and thus are in high demand, Hays says newly-qualified lawyers are also in short supply so can command higher-paying roles.
Office managers and tax directors, while on wildly different pay scales – with average salaries at £34,455 and £162,455 respectively – each benefitted from pay rises of 7.4 per cent over the past year.
Financial planners and VAT managers also received pay increases of over seven per cent, at 7.2 per cent and 7.1 per cent each, with both commanding average salaries over £80,000.
Tom Way, chief executive of Hays UK & Ireland, said: ‘This year’s salary increases highlight the sectors where demand for talent is most acute – from technology and legal to finance and engineering.
‘While overall pay growth has slowed, the standout rises show that employers are willing to invest where skills are scarce.’
Also making it onto the list were senior leadership roles in environment management, which saw an average pay increase of 6.7 per cent for a £83,500 salary, employee relations managers which saw a 6.5 per cent salary increase to £57,625, and chemical process engineers who had their salaries increased by 6.2 per cent to £61,900 on average.
Way added: ‘As we look ahead to 2026, the message is clear: professionals who combine technical expertise with leadership and analytical skills will be best placed to thrive in a market where talent remains the ultimate differentiator.’
