ACO salary benchmarking and working patterns report 2026
Every year, questions about pay, benefits and working patterns sit at the heart of how charities attract and keep talented people. For organisations providing financial and wellbeing support to individuals, those questions have never felt more pressing. The economic environment remains challenging, the competition for talented staff has not eased, and candidates increasingly expect more than just a salary.
The ACO Salary Benchmarking and Working Patterns Report 2026, produced in partnership with Merrifield Consultants and designed by Red Stone, offers an honest, peer-to-peer picture of where the sector currently stands. Drawing on responses from 41 ACO member organisations, it covers four key areas: pay awards, salary benchmarking across all levels of seniority, employee benefits provision and working patterns.
On pay, the report looks at 2025 awards and what organisations are anticipating for 2026, the factors driving pay decisions across the membership, and how salaries compare across CEO, senior management, manager and officer roles. On benefits, it examines what organisations are offering their people and where provision varies across the membership. On working patterns, it explores how charities are approaching hybrid and flexible working, and how those arrangements are working in practice.
Together, the findings give trustees and leaders a reliable reference point for benchmarking their own organisation, having informed conversations with their boards, and making the case for investing in their people.