Back in March 2025, we asked employers across the FI network to complete a survey to contribute to impartial data on retention, recruitment, benefits and salary paid from different experience levels across England. The report brings together the data from over 200 employers to help employers benchmark salaries and stay informed on the latest trends in accountancy recruitment, retention, skills, and benefits.

Here are the top takeaways from the 2025 Accountancy Salary Guide report:

💷 Salaries on the rise – but with regional disparities

• The average salary across all levels of accountancy in England now stands at £32,802.
• London remains the highest-paying region, with an average of £39,263, while the Midlands ranks lowest at £29,567.
• Those in Industry are paid on average 8.4% (£2,636) more than those in Practice, with the greatest differential for School Leavers
• Newly qualified accountants (ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW) earn an average of £41,130, rising to £50,441 for those 3 years post-qualification.
• School leaver roles average £19,340, and interestingly, Newly Qualified AATs (£27,903) earn 11% more than graduates (£25,195).
• 53% of respondents said Audit is the specialism where they have found the greatest increases in salary expectations. Followed by 49% for Tax.

📉 Recruitment and retention remain challenging

• Over half of employers (54%) say they’re struggling to recruit, particularly in Practice roles and in the South West.
• Employers in Practice have found it more difficult to recruit staff than in Industry (by 41% more)
• Newly-Qualified is the job level that the most employers have found difficult to recruit (23%)
• First-year trainees are the level of staff that most employers are currently recruiting (37% of employers), however, only 6% of employers have found it difficult to recruit them
• Retention is less of a concern, though 18% of employers still report difficulties—mainly at the newly qualified level. However, 54% of employers in the South West said they were finding it difficult to retain staff
• Employers are turning to incentives to hold on to staff, with increased salaries and enhanced benefits being the most common retention tool, followed by increased responsibility

🧑‍🎓 Apprenticeships are gaining ground

• 70% of employers actively pursue apprenticeship programmes, with Level 7 being the most commonly supported level.
• The North West leads in apprenticeship adoption, with 100% of participating employers we surveyed supporting Level 7 apprenticeships.
• 78% of employers pay apprentices the same as commercial trainees, showing a shift in perception of apprenticeships as equal value career routes.
• 61% of respondents believe the Level 3 apprenticeship programme could benefit from being shorter, whilst 53% believe the Level 2 could be 59% feel as though shorter duration lower-level programmes would improve the accessibility of apprenticeships

🧠 Skills gaps in digital and communication

• The biggest gaps identified in their workforce were in digital accounting and automation (25%) and taxation (23%). There is also a growing skills gap in ESG and sustainability reporting
• Employers continue to value verbal and written communication skills the most, but many say entry-level staff fall short—57% feel verbal communication is below expectations 54% feel written communication is below expectations.
• The top two skills that employer’s expect are also the two where entry-level employees are most commonly not at the level they are expected to be at
• A significant 88–90% of employers say their teams need more training in leadership, data analytics, and AI.

🧍 School leavers outpace graduates

• 42% of employers now actively recruit school leavers, compared to just 24% targeting graduates.
• 47% of employers have increased their intake of school and college leavers
• More employers in Practice have increased the proportion of their intake made up of school and college leavers compared to Industry
• Employers are also increasing their engagement with schools—44% say their school outreach has grown in recent years.
• 30% of employers still don’t engage with schools as part of their recruitment process

🎁 Motivators and benefits

• The most common motivator for staff? Professional development and training, offered by 73% of employers.
• Study leave is the most widely offered benefit (84%), followed by flexible hybrid working (81%).
• When it comes to rewards, 77% of employers offer a pay rise for strong performance.

🌍 Social causes employers support

• Mental health and wellness is the top social issue supported by accountancy employers.
• One-third of employers are not actively engaged with social or environmental causes, suggesting further room for growth in this area.

Download the Full Report

Access the full report here.

Watch a recording of the key findings being discussed:

Want to get involved in next year’s survey? Contact us at ficambridge@firstintuition.co.uk.