Each year, Live Recruitment’s Salary Survey offers a window into the real-time movements of the UK events industry. As we release the 2025 edition, it’s clear that the landscape is still evolving, and fast. Roles across project management, creative, technical, and commercial teams have all seen important changes, and understanding them is key to hiring success.
This article explores the biggest salary shifts in 2025, which roles have seen the most upward movement, and what this means for agencies and in-house teams competing for top talent.
Salary growth trends in 2025: what’s driving change?
Several key factors have shaped the current salary benchmarks:
Hybrid working has levelled out location-based pay, reducing the London premium and placing more emphasis on skills and experience.
The talent shortage remains significant, with many candidates receiving multiple offers.
Cross-sector hiring is expanding the salary range for some roles, particularly where transferable skills are in high demand.
The result? Pay bands in 2025 reflect not only job scope and seniority - but also flexibility, availability, and employer brand strength.
Roles with the most notable salary shifts
While every area of the industry has seen adjustments, several stand out:
Marketing roles saw the strongest salary growth, with consistent increases across all levels up to £10,000.
Venue-based roles such as Senior Event Managers now reach up to £65,000, reflecting increased complexity in delivery and competition in urban hubs.
Senior Client Services roles (Account Directors and above) have seen salary bands expand to £75,000+, with a stronger emphasis on growth and retention.
Technical and AV roles have shifted too, with overtime increasingly being factored into packages and a noticeable uptick in pay for specialist technicians (now up to £45,000 + OT).
Commission structures in sales have become more competitive. Transparency on commission is now critical in role marketing.
Benchmarking against market expectations
Hiring managers should be aware that candidate expectations in 2025 are significantly higher than in pre-pandemic years, not just for salary, but for the full compensation package. Salary still gets people’s attention, but it must be aligned with benefits, flexibility, and cultural fit.
We advise reviewing your job specs and salary bands at least annually and comparing them against market data to remain competitive.
If you're struggling to attract top-tier candidates, it might be time to reassess what you’re offering. Salary inflation is only part of the picture, but it remains a crucial one. The 2025 Salary Survey provides the insights you need to ensure your packages are aligned with current candidate expectations.
At Live Recruitment we offer free advice and guidance on salary benchmarking and salary insights for any roles you may be recruiting for. For more information, get in touch via email hi@live-recruitment.co.uk