24 Seven’s newly released 2026 Salary Guide reveals a talent market under pressure from rising expectations, prolonged hiring timelines, and accelerating demand for AI expertise. Based on insights from more than 2,000 professionals, this year’s report highlights a clear shift in what drives competitive advantage for both companies and candidates.
Salary remains central to career decisions, but it now operates alongside a broader set of expectations. A hefty 85% of employees expect a raise in 2026. Benefits and perks have become a primary reason employees stay, while company reputation and flexibility continue to influence decisions.
Organizations that focus only on compensation are missing how job seekers now make career decisions. Candidates today are increasingly weighing the full experience, including benefits, flexibility, and the pace of hiring decisions.
One of the most urgent findings for employers is how hiring delays are affecting business performance. According to the survey, 69% of professionals say their companies take too long to hire. Most roles take one to two months or longer to fill. These delays increase costs, strain existing teams, and lead organizations to lose out on skilled candidates to faster-moving competitors.
Organizations that move quickly are securing top talent, while slower-moving competitors lose out to internal approvals and fragmented hiring processes.
AI is now embedded in how work gets done across functions. The report shows that 82% of organizations plan to hire net-new AI-focused roles in the next 12 months, and 64% increased spending on AI talent compared to last year.
Organizations are investing in AI but often lack clear frameworks to effectively evaluate AI expertise during the hiring process.
For professionals, this shift is expanding opportunity while raising expectations. AI fluency is becoming a meaningful differentiator across roles.
Organizations are rethinking how teams are built in 2026. More companies are adopting blended talent models that bring together full-time employees, specialized contractors, and consultants.
This approach allows organizations to access hard-to-find skills faster, scale teams based on need, and keep work moving without waiting on extended hiring cycles.
Blended talent models are also reshaping career paths, while giving professionals more flexibility in how and where they work.
The 2026 Salary Guide includes salary ranges for nearly 200 roles, insights on compensation and employee sentiment, data on AI adoption, and guidance on building more adaptive teams.
Download the full 2026 Salary Guide to explore the data and insights shaping today’s employment market.