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Sharp Consultancy's Salary Survey 2025/26: Resetting the Landscape: Strategic Shifts in Finance Recruitment

​It would be remiss not to start by addressing the elephant in the room — 2024 was a challenging year.While there were many reasons for this and numerous industries were affected, recruitment likely bore the brunt of it, particularly in the 6 months post-election(s).Whilst key roles and critical hires remained unaffected, certain head counts and processes were scrutinised and investment paused with internal restructures and automation utilised to reduce costs, in some instances, at the expense of employees. We subsequently saw an increase in candidate activity, with the talent pool strengthening. As those pressures eased in Quarter 4, recruitment processes saw improvement and green shoots have emerged. Optimism is on the rise in key hiring processes, albeit with a caveat. The cloud of additional cost increases in April, which is still dissipating. The senior finance and C-Suite market remains relatively unaffected, both regarding opportunities and candidates, it is the levels below that we have seen more change. In the evolving landscape of working dynamics, the volume of hybrid working is gradually waning despite sustained interest from candidates, presenting fewer job opportunities. While the blend of office and remote work remains desirable, it is no longer the predominant factor, indicating a notable shift in priorities for clients and candidates’ acceptance alike. Conversations with candidates underscore a growing desire around the importance of having a supportive mentor or manager and many professionals are increasingly open to a full-time return to the office if it guarantees enhanced guidance and avenues for professional advancement. "The salaries throughout transactional finance have stabilised across the region."Throughout the professional practice market, some similar trends have been observed but there have been noticeable differences in the past year. Salaries across the range of candidates in professional practice, from AAT to fully Qualified (ACA/ACCA) individuals are still rising and those firm’s able to offer competitive salaries alongside stronger training contracts are beating out the competition in a candidate market with a growing focus on study support packages and career advancement opportunities for Part-Qualified candidates, indicating an increase in demand from employers and the volume of available job seekers. The salaries throughout transactional finance have stabilised across the region, in what feels like the longest period of stability seen since Q4 2020 and we expect transactional finance salaries to remain stable throughout 2025/26, with anticipated salary increments to be moderate compared to the significant increases observed throughout the last 2 years. AI & Systems (process automation) continues to impact accountancy and finance, in particular, across larger functions but this has increased the need for wider interim support to assist with the transition and implementation especially with large, automated processes. Whilst 2025-26 will not be the same marketplace for recruitment as seen in previous years, there is certainly a growing level of optimism and whilst a more settled market may be seen as a negative in some areas, for those that have weathered the peaks and troughs over a longer period of time, it will feel very normal and a strong setting for both employees and employers to take advantage and thrive, with an increasing emphasis on growth and development.Download the full Salary Survey here!

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For more than 30 years, Sharp Consultancy has been regarded as one of the North’s leading specialist recruitment consultancies in accountancy and finance.

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Our 2025/26 Salary Survey is out now!

Discover Sharp Consultancy’s 2025/26 Salary Survey—your expert guide to finance and accountancy salaries, market trends, and recruitment insights across Yorkshire and the North of England.

This year’s survey offers essential benchmarking tools, explores the shifting priorities of today’s finance workforce, and highlights emerging trends in hybrid working, interim roles, and salary expectations. Whether you're hiring, job seeking, or simply staying informed, this report is your go-to resource for navigating the evolving finance and accountancy recruitment landscape with clarity and confidence.

Download the Salary Survey here!

A still of the Sharp Consultancy 2025/26 Salary Survey, open on page 1 and 2.

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Sharp Consultancy are the true specialists. Not once but twice. Because we don't just specialise in finance and accountancy recruitment. We specialise within in. Our specialist sectors craft tailored solutions for you, no matter your goal. Our aim is always the same – to seek out and recruit the most talented finance and accountancy individuals that will make a real difference to our clients’ business and offer exceptional support to those looking to make their next career move.

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Recruitment offers an extremely challenging and rewarding career path. As one of the region’s leading independent recruitment consultancies, we pride ourselves upon the calibre of our team and the exciting career opportunities that we can offer in this fast-paced industry.