Cambridge, Glasgow and Birmingham among the cities paying top IT salaries outside London Mobile and web development skills in hottest demand from UK cities (Big data roles command the highest salaries).
Over a quarter (28 percent) of the latest technology jobs are advertised in cities outside of London, revealing the heated battle between the UK’s ‘Tech Cities’. The first Tech Cities Job Watch, a new quarterly survey from professional resourcing specialist, Experis, reveals that the hunt for top IT skills is extending to all corners of Britain, in line with the government’s drive for nationwide tech growth. The report, which analyses over 54,000 UK IT jobs advertised between October and December 2014, reveals that London’s ‘Tech City’ model is fast gathering pace throughout the UK. Cambridge, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow are among the ‘tech hotspots’ emerging from the shadows, accounting for over 11000 jobs, particularly requiring skills in mobile, cloud, and web development.
Companies in these cities are offering competitive salaries to attract the best people and vie to challenge London’s position as the country’s main tech hub. Whilst the capital continues to lead on salaries for every technology discipline (with an average of £51,588 for permanent roles), other cities aren’t far behind considering their significantly lower cost of living, with Cambridge leading the cities outside of London on £40,994, followed by Birmingham (£39,733) and Glasgow (£39,143). Geoff Smith, Managing Director, Experis Europe, says: “The government has declared its ambition for the UK to be the technology centre of Europe and for technology to bring prosperity to ‘every corner of the country’.1 Great progress has been made towards this in the past few years and as technology continues to filtrate into every aspect of a business, regardless of industry sector, this trend is only likely to gather pace in 2015 and beyond.”
“Whilst our Tech Cities Job Watch report is still very much in its infancy, there are strong indications to suggest that tech job opportunities are on the rise throughout the UK. We’re seeing an increasing number of London-based companies establishing remote working centres to ensure their hunt for IT skills doesn’t miss out on talent that sees more appeal in the quality of life outside the capital – this could be one of the factors driving this shift. And with the continued investment in rail and road infrastructure to better connect northern towns and cities, the future is looking bright for businesses that take the right steps to manage their talent pool.”
The report reveals that mobile and web development skills are in highest demand both in and outside of London, accounting for two thirds of roles advertised. Roles requiring big data skills were by contrast scarcer (only 8 percent of the total roles advertised). However, these jobs commanded the highest salaries. Experis’ objective in introducing the Tech Cities Job Watch is to provide IT employers and candidates with a barometer of the trends shaping IT recruitment across the country. As this report is updated, quarter on quarter, it will seek to track the changing landscape and provide a detailed roadmap of the evolution of digital Britain.
