Menlo Park, Calif. – October 01, 2026 -- More than half of U.S. employers, 57%, are offering higher-than-planned salaries to secure new hires, with specialized skills cited as the top driver, according to Robert Half's 2027 Salary Guide released this week.
AI expertise now outpaces other technical skills in pay premiums
Seventy-two percent of managers report increasing pay specifically for AI-related skills, and 42% say AI expertise commands higher compensation than other technical competencies. The findings indicate that within identical job titles, a candidate's AI fluency can materially shift the final offer.
San Francisco, Denver and Seattle lead in above-budget salary offers
Among the U.S. cities surveyed by Robert Half, San Francisco, Denver and Seattle posted the highest share of employers paying above their original salary budgets to land talent. Nationally, average new-hire salaries across the seven professional fields Robert Half tracks are projected to rise 1.9% in 2027, with select in-demand roles expected to exceed that benchmark.
Job offers grow more competitive as hiring managers chase fewer specialists
Sixty-four percent of managers say job offers today are more competitive than they were three years ago. Robert Half's operational president, Dawn Fay, said compensation expectations are shifting as employers compete for talent with specialized and emerging skills, and that market insight helps companies move quickly on top candidates.
Pay transparency delivers measurable hiring gains, employers say
Ninety-six percent of employers say they already include salary ranges in job postings or plan to. Sixty percent credit this transparency with attracting a higher-quality candidate pool, 57% say it improves employee retention, 53% say it strengthens salary negotiations, and 34% say it reduces time-to-hire.
Flexibility ranks alongside pay in worker decision-making
Beyond healthcare coverage, workers surveyed by Robert Half ranked workplace flexibility among the top factors influencing whether they accept a job offer, reinforcing that compensation strategy alone no longer secures candidates in competitive markets.
The 2027 Salary Guide draws on survey responses from more than 2,000 hiring managers, business leaders and employed workers across the United States, alongside market data and insights from Robert Half recruiters.