Your Data-Driven Advantage: The NTP Talent Market Insights & Salary Guide
Misreading the market means you’ll either overpay for average talent or lose top performers before you even make an offer. The NTP Talent 2025-26 Market Insights & Salary Guide is built from real placement data across 200+ technology and engineering roles we’ve filled in the past 12 months. This is combined with survey insights from over 400 professionals on Australia’s east coast.
As active members of tech and engineering communities, our senior specialists use this intelligence every day to advise clients on how to best build their teams. Whether you’re a CTO budgeting for a new software team, a leader benchmarking engineering salaries, or a candidate weighing up your next move, this guide gives you the hard numbers and the cultural context behind them.
As active members of tech and engineering communities, our senior specialists use this intelligence every day to advise clients on how to best build their teams. Whether you’re a CTO budgeting for a new software team, a leader benchmarking engineering salaries, or a candidate weighing up your next move, this guide gives you the hard numbers and the cultural context behind them.
What the Market Is Telling Us
Every year, the data reveals shifts that dictate how top talent moves. Here are the most impactful trends from our 2025-26 research that will define how you hire, retain, and plan your workforce.
Renewed Investment in Permanent Teams
Hiring confidence has rebounded, with 67% of hiring managers planning to grow their permanent teams over the next 12-months. If you’re competing for talent, now is the time to move decisively.
Contracting Surge in the Hunter
Daily rate contractors made up 51% of our placements, up 30% year-on-year. This is the highest contracting demand we’ve witnessed in the tech industry in the Hunter since 2013. Much of this is fueled by project-based work, heavily involving business analysts, project managers, and change managers.
Culture Rivals Cash for Retention
While 69% of employees cite a higher salary elsewhere as a main motivator to leave, 65% say organisational culture is almost equally important. Burnout, management style, and a lack of flexibility and work-life balance rank high among reasons for turnover. Competitive pay gets the right person in the door, but genuine cultural alignment keeps them there.
Salary Packaging Overtakes Remote Work
Having salary packaging options is an appealing benefit to 81% of job seekers, up 43% from 2024. In contrast, remote and hybrid working options fell by 48% in the same time period. In the current economic climate, technical professionals are prioritising financial benefits paired with strategic flexibility.
Stay in the Loop
The invisible market moves quickly. Sign up to receive our insider updates on hiring trends, salary movements, exclusive community events, and the latest news shaping the tech and engineering sectors across Australia’s east coast.
