Salary increase budgets 2027: how much should you plan?

“So, how much are we putting in this year?” Every autumn, the same question lands on HR’s desk, and many companies wait to see what others do before committing to a number. This survey gives you those benchmarks: the average salary increase budget fell to 3.3% of payroll in 2026, and companies are planning 3.6% for 2027.

What you’ll find inside

• What companies actually spent in 2026: how budgets vary by company size, funding stage and country.
• What companies plan for 2027: the budgets announced, and the gap to keep in mind between planned and actual spend.
• How the budget is split: merit, general increases, promotions, market adjustments and gender pay gap corrections.
• What’s changing for 2027: the growing role of market adjustments and gender pay gap budgets.
• How HR runs the review: review frequency, base vs. variable pay, recommendations to managers, and readiness for the EU Pay Transparency Directive.