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From skipping job listings without pay ranges to walking away from late-stage interviews, workers across the UK are refusing to engage with employers that hide compensation details.
MyPerfectCV’s Pay Transparency Report 2026 – based on a survey of 550 employed adults in the UK – reveals that salary visibility directly determines whether candidates apply.
According to the data, 67% of surveyed UK workers say a clear salary range makes them more likely to apply, while 29% will not apply without one. Furthermore, 68% have abandoned a hiring process or rejected a job offer specifically due to delayed salary disclosure.
Key Findings
- Delayed salary disclosure is costing employers candidates. 68% have withdrawn from a hiring process or rejected an offer over late salary disclosure, including 37% who have done so multiple times.
- Upfront salary information influences whether candidates apply. 67% are more likely to apply when a salary range is provided, while 29% won’t apply without one.
- Pay transparency strengthens employer trust. 88% say it increases their trust in an employer, including 67% who say it significantly increases trust.
- Vague and delayed pay information is widespread. 93% have encountered at least one of the salary-related practices surveyed, including vague descriptions such as “competitive salary” (58%) and requests for salary expectations before employers disclose their ranges (52%).
Salary Transparency Shapes Who Applies
A salary range on a job posting strongly influences whether candidates enter the hiring process at all. When asked how a clear salary range affects their decision to apply:
- 56% are much more likely to apply when one is provided
- 11% are somewhat more likely to apply
- 29% will not apply without a visible salary range
- 4% say it has little or no effect
What this means: Including salary ranges in job postings directly affects applicant volume, with a clear majority of candidates favouring listings that disclose compensation upfront. Excluding pay details causes a portion of UK professionals to bypass the posting entirely rather than enter the hiring funnel.
Delayed Salary Disclosure Is Driving Candidates Away
The consequences of withholding salary information extend beyond whether someone submits an application. When asked if they have ever abandoned a hiring process or rejected an offer due to late salary disclosure:
- 68% have walked away because pay details were delayed
- 26% have not done so yet, but would consider walking away in the future
- 6% say a lack of salary transparency would not stop them from proceeding
What this means: Late salary disclosure leads directly to candidates dropping out of the hiring process. Over two-thirds of surveyed workers have already abandoned an application or turned down an offer over delayed pay details, with another 26% open to doing the same.
Vague Pay Information Remains Common
Even when employers provide some salary information, 93% of respondents have encountered at least one practice that made an opportunity hard to evaluate.
Before applying:
- “Competitive salary” or similar language instead of an actual range – 58%
- An extremely broad salary range that provided little useful information – 46%
- A posted salary range that appeared unrealistic for the role – 14%
During interviews:
- Being asked for their salary expectations before the employer disclosed its range – 52%
- Salary information being withheld until late in the hiring process – 51%
At the offer stage:
- A salary offer that was lower than the range initially advertised – 17%
What this means: Surveyed professionals routinely experience recruitment practices that obscure actual pay ranges, such as ambiguous job descriptions or lower-than-advertised final offers. These encounters create friction early in the recruitment pipeline and signal inconsistencies in how companies communicate compensation.
Transparency Builds Employer Trust
Openness about pay carries weight beyond the hiring process. When asked how an employer being transparent about pay affects their trust in the company:
- 88% say it increases their trust
- 12% say it has little or no effect on their trust
What this means: Disclosing salary expectations early serves as an important benchmark for candidate confidence in an organisation. Upfront clarity regarding pay helps establish candidate trust before and throughout the interview process.
As candidate expectations around salary transparency rise, the findings suggest that upfront pay disclosure is now an effective commercial strategy to attract and retain top talent. For workers, knowing what a job pays can influence whether they apply, whether they continue through the hiring process and how they assess an employer’s trustworthiness.
Methodology
MyPerfectCV commissioned MTurk to survey 550 employed adults in the UK on 14 September 2026. Participants answered a combination of single-selection and multi-select questions regarding their views on salary transparency, expectations during the job application and hiring process, and actions taken concerning workplace compensation.
Jasmine Escalera
Career expert
Jasmine is a certified career coach providing career advice on My Perfect Resume & My Perfect CV sites.
