If you’re looking to hire developers, one of the first things to do is research the market. Competition for IT talent is fierce at the moment, with Accenture’s UK Tech Talent Tracker showing that demand for skilled tech professionals jumped by 10% at the start of 2021.
So, if you want to attract the best people, you’ll need to know that your salary offer is in line with market expectations.
It’s also a good idea to do your homework on developer salaries if you’re actively seeking a new role yourself. Although money isn’t everything – and a great benefits package and company culture can be just as attractive to candidates – it’s good to know what your skills are worth.
So, let’s take a look at the average developer salary in the UK in 2020 and 2021. It’s useful to compare these two periods to see how the jobs market is growing, but also to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on hiring, salaries and the industry in general.
Developer salaries in 2021
According to ITJobsWatch, the average median annual salary for a UK developer during the 6 months to November was £57,000.
This statistic comes from a total of nearly 23,000 advertised developer roles all over the country, where salary was specifically quoted. It also factors in existing permanent UK jobs requiring a developer. When London is taken out of the equation, the average salary was £50,000.
It’s useful to remember that the ITJobsWatch salary data takes into account all developer jobs, including junior, senior and lead roles. This can potentially skew the average salary, dragging it up or down depending on the market.
The lowest paid 10% of developer roles had salaries of around £35,000, whereas the top end of the salary scale was £95,000.
What about contract roles?
The ITJobsWatch data shows that the average contractor rate for a UK developer (in the 6 months to 26th November 2021) was £525 per day. The lowest earners commanded a rate of £363 a day, whereas the highest earners made £725.
For the UK as a whole, when London was excluded, the average developer contractor earned £450 a day.
How do this year’s salaries compare to 2020?
When compared to the same period in 2020, the 2021 data shows that the average developer salary has increased slightly – by around 4.5%. It was £55,000 in 2020, which was also a significant 10% leap from an average of £50,000 in 2019.
For contractors, the salary situation is even rosier. The average day rate for developers increased by over 10% from 2020 to 2021, going from an average of £475 to £525. Salaries were stagnant between 2019 and 2020, according to the ITJobsWatch data.
Looking to hire new developers, or searching for a new permanent or contract developer role yourself? Get expert help from our specialists here at Fairmont Recruitment – get in touch by calling 01565 756166 or emailing contact@fairmontrecruitment.com. You can also search our latest jobs here.
