"Salary Increase Expectation in 2025 is 30%, Loyalty is Decreasing"

2025 Salary Increase Expectation Report

According to the December 2025 Salary, Benefits & Training Trends report, companies’ human resource strategies are being reshaped. The new generation of employees demands not only salary but much more. The report emphasizes that while a salary increase is expected, employee engagement is declining.

Salary Increase in the Technology Sector

The report reveals that 95% of technology companies forecast a salary increase this year. The expected increase range is between 25% and 33%.

Benefits and Training Investments

This comprehensive report prepared by Melon in collaboration with Endeavor Turkey was conducted with the participation of 136 companies. It is observed that employee engagement is significantly influenced not only by salary. Education and development emerge as the number one focus of the 2026 human resource strategy.

Private Health Insurance as a Standard

95% of technology companies are finalizing their salary increase plans for January 2026. The overall increase rate is expected to be 30%, with the lower quartile at 25% and the upper quartile at 33%.

Low Implementation Rates of Training Budgets and Role-Based Learning Deficiency

The research reveals that the implementation rate of training investments is low across all sectors. Only 26% of companies implement their training budgets, while the biggest reason for employees not utilizing development opportunities is the lack of time and workload, at a rate of 71%.

Leadership Priority in 2026

71% of institutions identify leadership as a priority development area. Half of the companies support leadership development with external resources, while only 13% focus entirely on in-house content.

Future Vision: Reshaping Human Resources

The year 2026 indicates that the human resources agenda will be shaped around the triangle of salary, benefits, and development. It is anticipated that artificial intelligence will change workforce dynamics, and the hybrid working model will become established in the technology sector.

Sure Köse Ulutaş, Founder of Melon & Lumolead, emphasizes, "The difficulty companies experience in retaining talented employees shows that reward systems need to be reevaluated." Additionally, Aslı Kurul Türkmen, General Secretary of Endeavor Turkey, believes that the report will contribute to the development of a more equitable and data-driven approach to human management.