Salary is Now The Number One Reason People Are Changing Jobs in The Marine Industry
We caught up with MD and Founder James Ward following the latest Marine Resources Salary Survey (2026) results to take a closer look at what’s driving job moves. The latest data shows a clear shift - salary is now the primary reason people are changing roles. That change is largely being driven by the cost of living, which is impacting decisions across all levels of the workforce.
It’s not just lower-paid roles feeling the pressure. We’re seeing this across entry-level roles right through to experienced professionals, with people reassessing what they’re earning against what’s available elsewhere.
In the marine industry, many roles sit close to minimum wage, so when the minimum wage increases, it compresses salary bands and prompts people to reassess their value. But that ripple effect doesn’t stop there. It moves up through the salary structure and influences expectations at every level. Even those who are happy in their roles are starting to look elsewhere if they can improve their earnings
If you can’t increase salaries, don’t ignore it
Not every business can raise salaries right now, but ignoring the issue is where the real risk lies. People are already exploring their options, and if you’re not talking to them, someone else will.
“Even if you can’t increase salaries, ignoring it and not talking to your workforce is the biggest risk. People are already looking at their options.” James Ward
The businesses getting this right aren’t necessarily the ones paying the most. They are the ones being open. Acknowledging the situation, being honest about what they can and can’t do, and creating a conversation with their workforce is making a real difference. Employees who feel heard and involved are far more likely to stay engaged.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one business won’t work for another, which is why understanding your own workforce is critical. We’re seeing businesses improve retention through flexibility, clearer career paths and structured training opportunities. But the only way to know what matters is to ask. Regular conversations and engagement surveys are key, but they only work if you act on the feedback.
Competing beyond salary
If you can’t compete on salary, you need to compete elsewhere and that starts with how you position your business. Too many companies still treat recruitment like a transaction, when it should be a campaign.
Telling the story of your business - where it’s going, what you’re building and why it matters is what gets people interested. The marine industry has a lot going for it, particularly in design and engineering, where innovation and project diversity are a real draw.
In areas like manufacturing and skilled trades, the marine industry struggles to compete with sectors such as automotive and aerospace, often due to scale and budget constraints, but there is still an opportunity to stand out by focusing on what makes the industry unique. In engineering and design, especially, there’s a huge appeal in working on innovative, first-of-their-kind projects, and for some people, that outweighs salary alone.
Retention needs to be a leadership priority
Retention should be firmly on the leadership agenda, not treated as a side issue. Losing good people is expensive and can cost up to double their salary once you factor in lost knowledge, recruitment, training and the time it takes to get someone fully up to speed.
At the same time, hiring is becoming more difficult, making it even more important to keep the people you already have. Leadership teams should regularly assess what they are doing to retain staff, what their people value, and what might cause them to leave. Engagement surveys can play a role here, but only if they lead to action. Running them as a tick-box exercise can actually do more harm than good.
Transparency is critical. From a hiring perspective, not displaying salary ranges can put candidates off straight away, as it suggests a lack of openness. Internally, people want clarity around what they are paid, what they could earn and what they need to do to progress. Every role should have a clear pathway, otherwise people will look elsewhere to move forward. This isn’t just for larger businesses either, SMEs need to adopt this approach as well.
The industry needs to face reality
There is still resistance across the industry, particularly around salary expectations of younger people, but the data shows that entry-level salaries have increased significantly in recent years. Businesses that accept this and adjust are attracting strong talent, while those that don’t are struggling.
At the same time, parts of the marine industry are falling behind national salary averages, which is something that needs to be addressed. Alongside this, many businesses are still being caught out by minimum wage increases, with roles slipping below or too close to the threshold without regular review.
This should be checked annually. Benchmarking salaries, using salary surveys and regularly reviewing pay structures should be standard practice, yet too many businesses are not keeping on top of it.
A growing risk: loss of skills
There is also a longer-term issue building, with people leaving the marine industry for better-paid roles in other sectors. That talent is not easily replaced and each cycle it becomes harder to bring people back.
As demand increases and businesses look to scale again, this could create a significant challenge. The workforce is more spread out across other industries and hiring will take longer than many expect.
For businesses planning to scale in the next 6 to 12 months, starting early is critical. The talent is harder to find, and giving yourself more time will be critical to securing the people you need.
Final thought
Salary is now front and centre, businesses can’t afford to ignore it. But even if you can’t compete on pay, you still have options.
The businesses best positioned to retain and attract talent are those that:
Communicate openly with their teams about pay and business challenges
Understand what their people value, rather than assuming
Act on feedback, not just collect it
Define clear progression, structure and salary benchmarks
Position themselves effectively when hiring, not just rely on pay
Get these basics right, and you’ll be in a much stronger position, whatever happens next.
