With fixed salaries, health coverage is the hook that companies offer to attract talent

Data managed by personnel selection consultancy Michael Page shows that in 2026, companies prioritize efficiency and cost control over expansion. Therefore, while in 2025 41% stated that they would increase their payrollin 2026 only 30% plan it.

According to Michael Page’s 2026 Salary Guide, 7 out of 10 professionals think that their salary is regular or are dissatisfied with it and 58% ask for more than a 20% increase to change jobs. On the other hand, for most companies these expectations are out of budget, only 8% plan to increase more than 20% and 40% plan to make adjustments for CPI (inflation) this year.

“The figures we see in the study show that when faced with an opportunity for change, professionals ask for 20% more than the salary they receive. Companies are going through a process of greater efficiency and cost control and this leads to Companies consider how much they are willing to pay for the professional they need“says Francisco Scaserra, Senior Director of Michael Page.

“The gap between what companies are willing to offer and what employees are demanding has returned. That gap in 2025 had decreased,” explains Ezequiel Arcioni, Senior Director of the consulting firm.

Given the existence of this gap, alternative benefits are beginning to gain relevance. Michael Page’s study shows that today the most valued benefit is the health plan. It is not a minor detail in a market in which prepaid fees have jumped by more than 250% in the last two years.

Another of the requested requirements is the flexibilitya concept that is not limited to having a hybrid work format that combines presence with home office, but also to having a personalized benefits scheme.

In sectors such as Finance, Logistics, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, Health and Technology 35.4% of companies face the difficulty of hiring professionals.

According to the study, 94% of candidates want a personalized proposal that includes health benefits, work modality (78% reject 100% in-person schemes), vacations and bonuses. But 71% of companies offer a standardized package for everyone.

The survey shows that The Health benefit ranks high with 82.3% of the mentions, followed by Flexibility with 57.6%, Performance Bonus with 55.8% and Supports (vouchers, pantry, dining room) with 46.6%.

47% of those who work in a hybrid model say they would look for another job if they returned to the in-person model. A year ago, two out of three responded this way.

“Companies do not prioritize professional development, while candidates consider it critical. This translates into high intention to change and low satisfaction. The challenge is not what to offer, but how to adapt it to each talent. In this context, candidates want adaptability, companies still offer rigid packages,” the executives reinforce.

To develop the Argentina Salary Guide 2026, Michael Page gathered 600 responses from small, medium and large companies and 1,332 from professionals through a survey conducted in February of this year.