Signing bonuses surge as US employers shift hiring strategies by late 2025
The way US employers attract new staff is changing. While wage growth has slowed sharply since 2022, signing bonuses have held up better, becoming a key tool in recruitment. Data from December 2025 shows a clear shift: fewer job postings now include bonuses, but those that do are offering more money than before.
Annual wage growth has been falling steadily since its peak in 2022. By December 2025, the Indeed Wage Tracker recorded just 2.1% growth—far below earlier levels. In contrast, signing bonuses, though less common than in 2022, remain well above pre-pandemic figures. Around 3% of US job postings included a signing bonus in late 2025, down from nearly 6% in 2022 but still higher than the 1.8% average in 2019.
Healthcare roles continue to dominate signing bonus offers. In December 2025, seven of the top ten occupations using this incentive were in healthcare and social assistance. Physicians and surgeons led the trend, with 10.6% of their job postings advertising a bonus. Nursing followed closely, with 8.4% of listings doing the same.
Outside healthcare, the landscape has also shifted. Between 2019 and 2025, top-paying professions like software engineering, investment banking, and consulting saw bonuses spread more widely. In 2019, 70% of the highest bonuses (over $50,000) were concentrated in tech hubs like California and New York. By 2025, competition in AI, fintech, and cybersecurity pushed average bonuses up by 45%, reaching $62,000. Data from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and the BLS confirms this broader distribution amid ongoing talent shortages.
The contrast between wages and bonuses is stark. While the Indeed Wage Tracker sat 37% below its March 2019 level by late 2025, signing bonuses had surged 64% over the same period. This suggests employers are increasingly relying on one-time payments to secure hires rather than raising long-term salaries.
The decline in wage growth has not matched the resilience of signing bonuses. Employers, particularly in healthcare and high-demand sectors, are using larger upfront payments to attract talent. This trend reflects a broader change in hiring strategies, where short-term incentives play a bigger role than steady pay rises.
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