Hiring interim talent in 2026
A £90k salary rarely translates into a £90k interim equivalent.
We’re currently seeing an increase in our clients looking to hire interim talent on a day rate basis. Whether you are looking to hire an interim manager, or considering contracting yourself, you need to understand how to arrive at a fair and competitive day rate.
Converting a salary into a day rate is not simply a case of dividing the annual amount by 365; you need to take into account that the interim will only get paid for the days they actually work. As a benchmark, we calculate an interim ‘working year’ as 220 days, which allows for days off for their own holidays, bank holidays and around Christmas, plus some downtime between contracts (but not allowing for extended periods out of contract). Day rate interims are not eligible for holiday pay, sick pay, bonus or any other benefits an organisation may offer its permanent employees – they need to cover these basic and additional expenses from their day rate alone.
When hiring an interim - or working out your own day rate - you also need to consider the skillset and level of seniority required for the brief. Some specific skillsets will command a premium due to scarcity or greater market demand. As a hirer, it’s important to pay a fair rate and for contractors, to know what value to put on your skills and experience.
To help both hiring organisations and interim contractors benchmark more effectively, we have an interim day rate calculator on our website. This will give you an instant conversion from a permanent salary to its day rate equivalent.
It is a useful starting point if you are:
- Looking to build an interim team
- Budgeting for project resource
- Considering a move into contracting
- Benchmarking against the market.
At Ellwood Atfield, we have a dedicated Interim Practice which can tap into a huge network of experienced interim managers across communications, corporate affairs and advocacy.
If you’d like to discuss interim hiring trends, market rates or upcoming project requirements, please get in touch Florence@ellwoodatfield.com