Average salary growth tracks slightly below UK average but staff in demand given double figure increases with accounts receivable and project accountants benefiting most, but huge gender pay gap remains, finds Reed salary tracker
Despite some jobs commanding significant pay rises, annual increases across accounting and finance were below the national average at 4.3% compared to UK’s overall pay growth of 5.3%.
The latest Reed Salary Guide 2026 found major variations in pay rises in the last year depending on roles from only 1.2% for assistant accountants to nearly 15% for credit control managers and nearly 12% for service charge accountants
Close to average were the rises for management accountants up 4.6% while purchase ledger clerks saw an 11.4% increase across the country. Meantime, project accountants saw an average rise of 23.3%, reflecting demand for highly skilled workers.
But even in 2026, there was still a huge gender pay across the sector with men earning £48,367.15 on average, while women earned 30% less at £33,852.12, a difference of over £14,500.
‘The significant gender pay gap, lower salary satisfaction, and reduced financial flexibility for women are critical issues,’ the Reed report flagged. ‘Businesses must address these disparities to foster equity and retain female talent.’
Advertised salaries across the sector were still substantially higher than other industries, with accountancy and finance roles paying an average of £51,300 compared to the UK equivalent of £39,000.
Alan Myers, accountancy and finance recruitment expert at Reed, said: ‘The accountancy and finance sector is showing growth across the board, standing out as one of the few industries we create salary guides for without notable declines.
‘As transactional work disappears, a new type of accountant is in demand. Businesses are actively seeking mid-level professionals who can wear multiple hats. Roles like finance business partner, financial planning and analysis (FP&A) manager, and finance manager are booming. These positions require a dual skill set: the ability to handle financial accounts while also making informed, strategic decisions for the business.’
However, despite the demand for highly skilled professionals, one of the big concerns highlighted in the Reed report was the decline in the number of graduate jobs across the sector.
AI and automation are accelerating a long-term trend, taking over the manual, repetitive work that once occupied junior team members, but leaving fears about the carve out of entry level roles.
Myers explained: ‘One of the most significant challenges for the future of accountancy is the shrinking pipeline of new talent. With fewer transactional roles available, the traditional entry points into the profession are disappearing.’
The Reed report underlined how entry-level graduates were being offered salaries that were ‘perilously close to the minimum wage, especially when factoring in the long hours often expected of new recruits’.
This raises major concerns about the future talent pipeline. The UK's top 100 employers reduced their graduate hiring by 14.6% in 2024, Reed said, in the steepest fall since the 2009 recession while the number of graduate jobs advertised on Reed.co.uk has dropped from around 180,000 just a few years ago to only 50,000 at the end of 2025.
‘Graduate recruitment has dropped, and the barriers to entry are higher than ever,’ Myers said. ‘How will the next generation of accountants gain the foundational experience needed to progress?
‘The industry has not yet found a clear solution. It’s possible that roles currently considered mid-level, such as assistant management accountant, will become the new entry-level positions. This would require newcomers to possess a higher baseline of skills, particularly in data analysis, from the very beginning.
‘Apprenticeship schemes may also need a radical overhaul, shifting focus from transactional basics to technology implementation and strategic thinking.’
The lowest starter salaries tracked by Reed were £23,700 for accounts receivable assistants in the North East, followed by purchase ledger clerks on £25,300 in Yorkshire and Humberside. The same roles in the Midlands were paid £26,700 and £25,700 respectively, rising in London to £31,400 for an AR assistant and £31,000 for a PL clerk in London.
In terms of salary satisfaction this was highest for younger workers (18-34) and lowest for the 45- 54 age group, where only 51% were happy with their pay, with dissatisfaction as pay had not risen in line with the cost of living, and 41% felt they could earn more elsewhere.
Myers added: ‘Salary remains a contentious issue for both employees and employers. Importantly, our survey found that accountancy and finance professionals want a pay rise of about £4,049 from their current employer to feel it’s worthwhile. That number skyrockets to £12,482, on average, for them to switch employers.
‘With 64% of accountancy and finance professionals open to, or considering, new job opportunities, the sector needs to look at how best to incentivise and reward its workers.
‘With a lot of uncertainty and financial concerns in the air, offering additional, non-financial benefits could help businesses ensure they’re still rewarding their best people, while the nation rides out these challenging economic times. Making your teams feel appreciated and valued can go a long way to retaining employees.’
Despite the pressures on employers, there is still a skills shortage in accountancy with the profession struggling to find the right staff. Technology is also having a major impact with demand for strong capabilities in data analytics and key finance software, major factors in career advancement and commensurate higher earning potential.
In this highly competitive environment, employers need to rethink team structures, move away from a transaction-heavy model and invest in mid-level, tech-proficient roles that add strategic value. When large salary increases aren’t feasible, organisations should focus on their employee value proposition (EVP) by offering clear professional development opportunities, stability, and a positive work culture.
The research is part Reed’s annual salary guides and the recruiter analysed more than 18 million job adverts and asked 5,000 UK workers a range of questions on their salary and benefits, both current and expected.