With UK businesses scrambling to protect themselves from escalating threats, new research from recruitment firm Robert Half has revealed a sharp rise in salary premiums for risk, compliance, and cybersecurity professionals.

Recent cyber-attacks on major brands such as Co-op, Jaguar Land Rover and Marks & Spencer, which alone has lost more than £300 million in revenue to date, have exposed major vulnerabilities in even well-resourced firms, pushing operational resilience to the top of boardroom agendas.

In an effort to avoid the financial and reputational fallout suffered in these high-profile breaches, Robert Half found that 42% of employers plan to hire additional IT security experts in the coming months, with 48% of hiring managers stating that cybersecurity is now a priority among their immediate needs.

Added to that, a further 26% of firms said they will expand their permanent headcount in legal, risk, and compliance teams, to bolster resilience as the UK Government looks to ramp up cyber readiness with regulation introduced by the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. 

Polling 500 hiring managers and 1,000 workers across sectors like finance, accounting, legal, risk and compliance, and IT and technology, the staffing platform found that UK employers are offering premium salaries to close any gaps in their defence and readiness.

According to Robert Half’s analysis, almost two-thirds (63%) of employers indicated that they would be inclined to offer above-market pay for specialist skills in short supply, especially in areas such as compliance, governance, security architecture and threat intelligence.

For example, senior operational risk managers in the London region are set to move from a 2025 average pay of £94,625 to £103,625 next year – a rise of 9.5% – while operational risk managers will see an increase from £75,375 to £83,750, an 11.1% jump.

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Meanwhile, with cybersecurity proving more critical than ever for brands seeking to protect their data and infrastructure, almost half (44%) of firms said that hiring cybersecurity professionals in the coming months will mean offering premium salaries.

Robert Half predicted that this could mean Chief Information Security Officers climbing from a 2025 average of £150,250 to £171,625 in 2026, representing a 14.2% surge.

“The talent pool is not keeping pace with demand – particularly for senior leaders who can blend technical depth with strategic oversight, with competition for top performers driving rapid pay inflation,” said Matt Weston, senior managing director at Robert Half UK & Ireland.

“Salaries in London City are even higher, reflecting the premium placed on attracting and retaining talent at the very centre of the UK’s financial system. 

“Organisations that build resilience into their DNA – from systems to culture – will be those that survive and thrive in 2026.”