The UK tech sector
Great innovation is built from a diverse workforce. The UK is welcoming talent from across the globe to work and live in the UK.
The demand for skills in the UK Tech sector continues to grow. In fact, Microsoft forecasting estimates that the UK has the capacity to create a further three million new tech jobs by 2025.
With high-paid jobs and increasing opportunities, there’s never been a more exciting time to be a part of the UK Tech sector.
UK tech salaries
Job Role | Average Salary in 2023 (£) | % Change (from 2022) |
---|---|---|
IT project managers | £53,230 | 2.1% |
IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | £55,199 | 1.8% |
Programmers and software development professionals | £51,714 | 8.1% |
Cyber security professionals | £49,320 | -0.1% |
IT quality and testing professionals | £40,484 | -3.9% |
IT network professionals | £44,410 | 7.8% |
Engineering professionals | £47,560 | 3.9% |
IT operations technicians | £33,303 | 6.2% |
IT user support technicians | £33,618 | 5.4% |
Source: ONS data, Employment and Labour Market salaries, Mar 2022 – Apr 2023. Average refers to the mean average of salary data collected
UK tech strengths
The UK is one of the best ecosystems in the world to start and grow your business and be at the forefront of innovation.
$5.2 billion was invested into UK businesses during July – September 2023.
There are more unicorns (a privately owned billion dollar company) than anywhere outside of the US, China and India. We now have seven cities – London, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and Edinburgh – home to at least two unicorn companies. This is not by accident.
In 2022, London was named the best city in the world to be a young entrepreneur, ahead of New York City, San Francisco and Moscow
The UK Tech ecosystem is a rich landscape with everything you need to develop your career, be at the forefront of cutting edge innovation and scale up the tech business of your dreams.
Start up and scale up ecosystem value
Source; Dealroom.co data collected and correct as of 12/2/24.
Emerging tech clusters in the UK
The UK is home to tech pioneers from across the globe. In the face of global challenges, resilient tech leaders are rebuilding our global economy and setting the future trajectory of tech.
We are seeing regional tech specialisms and clusters develop across the UK, from FinTech in Scotland and Wales; to EdTech in the West Midlands and North West; cyber security in Northern Ireland and South West; and Health tech in the East Midlands and Scotland.
Emerging tech clusters
Explore this map and discover the emerging tech clusters across the UK.
North East
The North East has specialisms in AI, immersive technologies and Industry 4.0.
Median salaries for IT and telecoms professionals in the North East are £35,800 and the region’s digital economy is growing at 1.8% per year.
Yorkshire and the Humber
Technology is transforming the economy of Yorkshire and the Humber, with specialisms in AgriTech, SpaceTech, EdTech and Healthtech.
Median salaries for IT and telecoms professionals in Yorkshire and the Humber are £37,700 and the region’s digital economy is growing at an average of 6.5% per year.
West Midlands
Home to the fastest growing digital economy in the UK, the West Midlands has specialisms in EdTech, Gaming and Fintech.
Median salaries for IT and telecoms professionals in the West Midlands are £43,000 and the region’s digital economy is growing at an average 7.6% per year.
East of England
The East of England boasts specialisms in Big Data, AI, HealthTech and CleanTech.
Median salaries for IT and telecoms professionals in the East of England are £44,900, and the region’s digital economy is growing at an average of 3% per year.
South West
The South West has specialisms in Cyber security, the Internet of Things, Data and CreaTech.
Median salaries for IT and telecoms professionals in the South West are £39,700 and the region’s digital economy is growing at an average of 3.4% per year.
Wales
Wales benefits from strengths in Big Data, FinTech and the Internet of Things.
Median salaries for IT and telecoms professionals in Wales are £35,000 and the region’s digital economy is growing at an average of 5.6% per year.
Scotland
Scotland is one of the fastest growing tech regions in the UK and has a strong background in Fintech, Data, and cyber security.
Median salaries for IT and telecoms professionals in Scotland are £38,800 and the region’s digital economy is growing at an average of 6.7% per year.
Northern Ireland
E-commerce, FinTech, AdTech and cyber security are among Northern Ireland’s specialisms.
Median salaries for IT and telecoms professionals in Northern Ireland are £38,900 and the region’s digital economy is growing at an average of 5.7% per year.
Technology across the UK
The UK Tech ecosystem is a warm and collaborative family, seeking to share experiences, knowledge and skills. With hundreds of events and development opportunities taking place every year, there’s never been a better place to connect with your peers, stakeholders and grow your careers.
The UK’s tech flagship event, London Tech Week, will be back in June welcoming 20,000+ inspirational founders, global leaders, start-up entrepreneurs, senior investors and tech rising stars.
Turing Fest enables you to learn and connect with the best in tech, gain practical insight into the art and science of building, growing and leading successful startups and high-growth tech businesses.
The festival will contain conferences, meet-ups, morning breakfast sessions, evening networking events and much more.