UK reward metrics · Governance & Transparency

How do UK organisations handle typical maximum pay increase for promotions?

Source lumi HRBase 267 organisationsFieldwork 2026 H1

32.6%6–9%

32.6% of organisations in the lumi HR community answered “6–9%” on typical maximum pay increase for promotions (base: 267 UK organisations, 2026 H1).

Figures describe organisations in the lumi HR community, not a random sample of UK employers.

How UK organisations answered

<3% 10.9% 3–5% 21.3% 6–9% 32.6% 10%+ 22.8% Not capped 12.4%
Typical maximum pay increase for promotions (base: 267 organisations, 2026 H1). Percentages percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
Typical maximum pay increase for promotions: share of organisations by answer
AnswerShare of organisations
<3%rare10.9%
3–5%alternative21.3%
6–9%common32.6%
10%+alternative22.8%
Not cappedrare12.4%

Common, alternative and rare describe how each answer sits against the community: the most chosen answer is common; an answer chosen by fewer than one in five organisations is rare.

Definition

The usual ceiling on a pay rise awarded at promotion, expressed as a percentage of salary. See the methodology for how the base is built, how not-applicable answers are handled, the public floor, and which organisations are excluded.

Cite this figure
Source: lumi HR, UK Reward Metrics, September 2026, lumihr.co.uk/metrics/typical-maximum-pay-increase-for-promotions
Last updated 19 September 2026 · Data licence: CC BY 4.0 for the figures in the CSV download.

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