Sales Salary Guide
Discover essential salary trends, sought-after skills, and industry insights to inform your hiring strategies or career choices.
Your guide to salaries and trends
This guide brings you the latest insights in the Sales field across the UK. Whether you’re a professional aiming to understand your market value or an employer looking to attract top talent, our guide provides a clear, straightforward view of salary expectations and trends. Built on responses from our candidate and client surveys, it’s designed to support informed decisions and strategic career moves.
In our guide, you’ll find:
- Key insights from our sentiment survey: Discover current trends, job satisfaction levels, and motivators in Sales, gathered from our latest survey of professionals and hiring managers.
- Salary tables by region: Gain a clear picture of salary levels across the UK for a range of roles in Sales, helping you make informed decisions on compensation, no matter where you’re based.
Key findings
- Salary dissatisfaction:Â 33% of professionals express dissatisfaction with their current salary.
- High job mobility:Â 62% of candidates plan to change roles within the next 12 months.
- Salary expectations:Â 50% of candidates anticipate a 5-10% salary increase when changing roles.
- Work-life balance concerns:Â 60% rate their current work-life balance as "Poor" or "Very Poor."
- Primary motivator: 29% cite work-life balance as their top motivator when seeking new opportunities.
Market overview
The UK Sales sector has shown resilience and adaptability in the face of economic challenges, including inflation and intensified competition. Businesses are investing heavily in building high-performing sales teams to drive revenue, secure market share, and navigate shifting consumer demands. As a result, there is a growing demand for professionals with strong sales skills, adaptability, and a solid grasp of technology and analytics.
Candidates in this sector increasingly prioritise roles that offer flexibility, opportunities for professional development, and clear career progression pathways. Employers are responding by enhancing their offerings, including competitive salaries, performance-based incentives, and hybrid work models, recognising the importance of work-life balance in attracting top talent.
The sales recruitment landscape is also being shaped by the digital transformation of sales processes and evolving buyer behaviours. Organisations now seek individuals who can effectively utilise CRM platforms, data insights, and digital marketing channels to achieve results. As the market grows more competitive, businesses that cultivate positive workplace cultures and support employee growth are better positioned to attract and retain the best talent in this dynamic sector.
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2025 hiring landscape
The hiring landscape for the Sales sector in 2025 is expected to remain highly competitive as organisations across industries seek to strengthen their revenue-generating teams.
Demand is also high for professionals skilled in consultative and enterprise sales, particularly in high-value industries like FMCG and Geo-Technical Engineering.
Employers offering attractive commission structures, hybrid work models, and professional development opportunities are best positioned to attract top-performing talent in this demanding field.
Candidate sentiment
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- Prioritising flexibility: 77% of UK professionals prefer roles offering hybrid or remote work options.
- Career growth focus: 66% of candidates rate clear progression opportunities as a top factor in their job search.
- Work-life balance: 3 in 5 candidates highlight work-life balance as their primary motivator when seeking new roles.
Employer sentiment
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- Skill gaps: 59% of employers report challenges in hiring skilled professionals due to increased competition.
- Retention pressures: 50% of employers feel they are losing talent to firms offering higher salaries or better flexibility.
- Salary increases: Over half of UK employers expect to raise salaries by 5-10% to remain competitive in the hiring market.
-
1 in 3
professionals report dissatisfaction with their current salary.
-
1 in 2
candidates expect a salary increase of 5-10% when changing roles.
-
3 in 5
rate their current work-life balance as “Poor” or “Very Poor.”
-
3 in 5
consider work-life balance as their top motivator for seeking new opportunities.
Soft skills in demand
In Sales, communication and interpersonal skills are paramount, as building relationships and delivering compelling pitches are essential to success.
Emotional intelligence is also highly valued, enabling sales professionals to understand customer needs and respond with empathy and insight. Additionally, flexibility and adaptability are crucial, as sales strategies often need to pivot to match changing market conditions and client expectations.
Developing these skills can not only boost individual performance but also position professionals for leadership roles in an evolving sales environment.
Top employer challenges
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- Adapting to flexible work models: Balancing employee preferences for hybrid/remote work with organisational demands remains a challenge.
- Upskilling needs: 71% of employers identify skill gaps, particularly in digital and technical roles, as a barrier to growth.
- Retention struggles: High turnover rates persist, with 62% of professionals considering job changes within the next year.
Top external factors
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- Economic uncertainty: Ongoing inflation and market instability influence hiring decisions and candidate confidence.
- Technological changes: Rapid adoption of AI and automation is creating both opportunities and anxieties in the professional services sector.
- Regulatory shifts: Changing compliance and reporting standards, particularly in finance and legal sectors, require constant adaptation.
Looking ahead
The Sales sector is rapidly evolving, with an increased emphasis on consultative selling and customer relationship management.
As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation, sales professionals who combine interpersonal skills with adaptability to new tools and data-driven strategies will be highly sought after.
Henderson Scott is dedicated to supporting sales professionals in enhancing these skills and connecting them with roles that reflect the sector’s changing demands, ensuring both clients and candidates are equipped for a successful future.
