CharityJob, the UK’s largest specialist job board for the charity sector, has published the CharityJob Salary Report 2026. The report provides its most comprehensive analysis yet of how pay, recruitment and candidate behaviour are evolving across the sector.
Drawing on data from more than 55,000 roles posted in 2025, the report offers an evidence‑based view of a charity labour market shaped by ongoing economic pressure, shifting candidate expectations and increased competition for roles.
Key findings include:
- The market remains recruiter-led with fewer roles available and increased competition among candidates.
- The median charity salary increased by 3% from 2024 and is now £36,000.
- Flexible working is still a key driver of candidate behaviour: remote roles attracted more than seven times more clicks on ‘Apply’ than on-site roles, and four times more than hybrid roles.
- A significant proportion of entry-level and junior roles were paid below the living wage.
- Volunteer vacancies rose for the second year in a row, indicating growing reliance on unpaid support to help maintain services.
A free summary report outlines high‑level insights, while the full report offers detailed salary breakdowns by role type, location, organisation size and seniority. It also explores long‑term market trends, analysis of volunteer and part-time/contract roles and insights into candidate demographics and equal opportunities data.
The full report highlights growing complexity beneath the headline figures, particularly around affordability, fairness and access to entry‑level roles.
“Recruitment in the charity sector has changed significantly in recent years,” said Raya Wexler, co‑founder of CharityJob. “This comprehensive report is designed to help charities navigate a more competitive and uncertain hiring landscape with confidence, using real data to inform fair and sustainable decisions.
“This year we’ve added interquartile ranges to give a clearer picture of salary distribution, expanded our fundraising role analysis and included results from our benefits and flexibility survey, because understanding what candidates value in the workplace is just as important as understanding what a competitive salary looks like.
“Together, these insights provide charities with a clearer understanding of where pressure points are emerging – and where strategic decisions around pay, flexibility and role design can make the greatest impact.”
You can access the CharityJob Salary Report 2026 here.
