Our data team has been busy, exploring signing bonuses across our millions of job ads and we noticed that there’s recently been a big increase. In the months between December 2023 and December 2024, jobs that advertised a signing bonus increased from 474,595 to 522,781, a +10.4% increase.
What’s more, the total proportion of job postings with a signing bonus also increased from 4.9% to 6.9% in 12 months.
So what does this mean if you’re currently seeking out a new job? Well, if you’re looking for roles in sectors such as healthcare and nursing, you could expect a big boost to your first pay check! Read on to find out more.
What’s a signing bonus?
A signing bonus, or sign-on bonus, is paid to employees once they’ve started a new job. They can be paid in several ways. It could be a lump sum on your first day of employment (or even once you’ve signed your employment contract), after you’ve passed your probation, or spread out in installments.
They’re subject to tax, just like your salary, so the amount advertised won’t be what you see in your bank account. To overcome this, some organizations might offer signing bonuses in the form of vouchers, travel perks, or even rent payments.
Usually, they’re a sign that a sector is experiencing a talent shortage, and employers are doing whatever they can to incentivize jobseekers to join their companies.
However, in some cases, sign-on bonuses are used to mask low wages. So when you’re looking at roles, always look at the package as a whole. Are you really getting the best deal?
If you’re getting a salary increase, a pension plan, bolstered private healthcare, and perks then a signing bonus could be a great additional extra to look out for. So why not start looking for roles with a signing bonus?
Top sectors for signing bonuses
Healthcare and nursing
Healthcare and nursing have the most job ads offering signing bonuses. Nearly one in five jobs (17.9%) are offering successful candidates a big cash incentive!
We found 295,992 advertised jobs featuring signing bonuses, with an average signing bonus of $10,867.
Accounting and finance
Accounting and finance comes out on top as the sector offering the highest average signing bonus.
Applicants receive an average of $16,707 but less than 0.5% of jobs in this sector are advertising signing bonuses – so you’d have to be one of the lucky few! That doesn’t mean that you can’t ask a company for a signing bonus, even if they’re not advertising this perk, when you’re negotiating your package.
Logistics and warehouse
A substantial 11.2% of job ads offer a signing bonus in the logistics and warehouse sector and it’s another industry where top talent is in high demand! The signing bonuses on offer are not to be sniffed at either, with average bonuses coming in at $6,196.
With average salaries of $78,993, signing bonuses equate to just shy of one month’s pay.
Travel
Peak travel recruitment season has led to another surge in signing bonuses. 8.5% of job ads in the travel sector are advertising a bonus with an average advertised bonus of $8,326.
This is an industry that lost a lot of talent during the pandemic to other industries, so it’s working particularly hard to get great talent back or find new talent elsewhere. Average salaries in this sector are relatively low, $61,926, so proportionally signing bonuses are a big salary increase.
IT
Although IT as an industry is advertising a relatively low proportion of signing bonuses (just 0.3% of jobs advertised a bonus) the jobs that were, are offering the big bucks! Signing bonuses were a huge $12,880 in this sector.
As an industry with high average salaries, $89,972, candidates who don’t receive a bonus could still expect a healthy pay packet!
Creative and design
Perhaps a surprising entry to this list is the creative and design sector. Traditionally thought of as lower paying than technical roles, signing bonuses suggest a different trend.
For creative and design professionals, employers are recognizing their worth and offering an average signing bonus of $6,889 (in 1.5% of job ads).
Engineering
As a direct comparison with creative and design, engineering roles are offering similar signing bonuses ($6,843) to a similar proportion of candidates (2.1%).
This suggests that both technical roles (like engineering) and innovative thinking (creative and design) are valued by employers in relatively equal measure.
Manufacturing
Another sector offering high signing bonuses is manufacturing. 4.2% of jobs advertised a signing bonus, ranking fourth compared to other industries.
Manufacturing was also pretty high up our list in terms of average advertised signing bonuses. Ranking sixth compared to other sectors, jobseekers can land $7,954.
How do I find roles with a signing bonus?
Looking for roles with a signing bonus is easy with Adzuna. With our handy Advanced Job Search tool, we’ve made it as easy as ABC. In the search results page, simply select the “advanced” button next to the search button in the right-hand corner.
Once you’re in the advanced job search, type “signing bonus”, “welcome bonus” or “sign-on bonus” into “matching this exact phrase”. Do one of these phrases at a time and you’ll get a list of jobs advertising this perk, pretty cool right?
What to consider before taking a signing bonus
A signing bonus is far from the only perk to look out for. Great healthcare, flexible working, extra holiday and sick pay, and maternity and paternity care are all fantastic incentives.
Sure, you might not see these benefits in your bank balance, but you’ll definitely feel them when you need them most.
Also, make sure that a signing bonus isn’t just a band-aid to cover up a poor salary. Once the bonus has all been paid, you’d need an inflation-beating pay rise pretty quickly.
Can I ask for a signing bonus, even when one isn’t advertised?
Sure thing! Whenever you’re looking for a new role it’s so important to know your worth and negotiate. If you’re in a position to negotiate, why not ask an employer what they can do to sweeten the deal? Here’s what to consider:
Know your market rate
Use our ValueMyResume tool to find out what you should be getting paid. Research competitors, speak to your network, and look into pay and incentives within your niche.
Once you’re in salary negotiations and a company has said they can match your expectations, it’s time to start thinking about a signing bonus too.
Justify the expense
Are you relocating for this role, will you need to buy a new car, or commute more? Make sure you have a compelling case for a signing bonus.
Remember, signing bonuses only go so far
Look beyond the upfront cash and make sure you’re being paid fairly and being provided with a benefits package that works for you. These are only a one-time deal, so make sure you’re not taking less than you deserve!
Read the fine print!
So your signing bonus has been paid but you actually now want to leave the role. Make sure that there’s no sneaky fine print that means you have to pay that money back if you leave within a certain amount of time.
Read more: Top unpopular jobs in the US