NCB Wage Survey 2025 Highlights

This year’s NCB Wage Survey received over 50 responses from butchers across England and Wales. Thank you to all who contributed—your input allows us to provide valuable insights into current pay and benefits trends.

We’re sharing the highlights with you here, but our Full members can find more details and breakdowns for regions and type of location in the Employment section of our Members area.

While salary is a critical factor in attracting and retaining staff, it is increasingly clear that a strong overall employment package including pensions, annual leave, sick pay, and other benefits can make your business stand out.

Even small, affordable benefits can improve staff morale, health, and wellbeing, while helping your business attract better candidates, reduce turnover, and enhance performance.

Let’s dive into the highlights

The total average hourly wage based on responses are as below:

The average hourly wage across all roles increased by 4.8% compared to last year.

Workplace Pension:

All employers were required to offer a workplace pension by February 2018, regardless of size. According to the survey, 100% of respondents are providing the minimum employer contribution of 3%. This year, none of the respondents are offering enhanced contributions. Whereas in 2024, 2% of employers were offering enhanced pension contributions of 5%.

The average employer contribution across the UK stands at 4.5%[1]. Consider highlighting pension contributions when advertising vacancies, even the minimum can be a valuable part of your employment package.

Annual Leave:

All employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks of holiday (which includes 20 days plus 8 bank holidays, pro rata for part-time employees). Interestingly, 5.56% of respondents are offering staff more than the standard entitlement, either as part of long-term service recognition (an additional day per year up to 5 years), birthday entitlement or as a standard benefit. This is comparable to last year’s survey.

Many UK employers now offer extra days for loyalty, birthdays, or wellbeing. According to the CIPD[2], enhanced leave policies are associated with better employee satisfaction and lower turnover. Offering just one or two additional days per year—tied to service or special occasions, can significantly boost staff morale.

Sick Pay:

While there is no legal entitlement to sick pay beyond Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), 22% of employers offer discretionary sick pay beyond Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), typically linked to length of service. This is similar to the 2024 survey.

According to the Resolution Foundation[3], low sick pay contributes to presenteeism and reduced productivity. Offering enhanced sick pay, even temporarily, can reduce long-term costs related to absence and morale.

Other Benefits:

Employee benefits play a crucial role in attracting and retaining talent. Small businesses can enhance their offerings beyond salary by considering benefits such as:

Benefit	Offered By (%)
Staff Discounts	94%
Employee Discount Schemes	7.4%
Meat Allowances	6%
Health Care or Gym membership	4%
Death in Service Cover	3.7%

These benefits are accessible to small businesses and can significantly impact engagement levels, productivity, and overall company performance. Here are some other employment benefits being offered by respondents:

Staff refreshments, including lunch and breakfast
Bonus Schemes
Bike-to-Work Schemes
Product Development Incentives

Half of employees would sacrifice part of their salary for more personalised employee benefits, while 74% say they’d work harder for an employer that supports their individual needs[4][5]. Introducing low-cost perks could significantly enhance employee engagement and loyalty.

Remember, being competitive as an employer goes beyond just salary. Even small improvements like extra holiday, clearer sick pay policies, or access to development opportunities can make a big difference.

A comprehensive benefits package can make a significant difference in attracting and retaining top talent.

Download summary pdf

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employers-pension-provision-survey-2019/employers-pension-provision-survey-2019

[2] https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/turnover-retention-factsheet

[3] https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/2024/12/LMO-Q4-2024.pdf

[4] https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1745208/half-employees-sacrifice-pay-personalised-benefits-report-reveals

[5] Re:Me | The Importance of Individualism in a Changing World