Tech roles top UK pay league as AI skills fuel rises

Technology roles remain the highest-paid jobs advertised in the UK, with median pay in the sector rising to £48,595, according to new analysis by Totaljobs.

The data points to continued wage growth for digital roles even as the wider labour market sees slower hiring than in the period immediately after the pandemic. The figures cover more than 21.6 million job adverts from 2019 to 2025.

Across all industries, the median advertised UK salary rose 7.5% year on year to just over £33,500. Technology pay rose faster, increasing 9%.

Sentiment data suggested tech workers felt relatively positive about compensation. In the survey, 94% of tech employees said they were satisfied with their salary, while 91% said they were satisfied with their benefits.

Skills premium

The analysis linked pay momentum to sustained demand for specialist technical expertise, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence. Mentions of technical skills in job adverts rose 12% between 2024 and 2025, the report found.

Luke Mckend, Managing Director at Stepstone Group, said shifts in the market were keeping upward pressure on salaries for specialist roles.

"Across the UK labour market, we're seeing a clear recalibration. Hiring volumes remain softer than the post-pandemic peak, yet advertised pay continues to rise - particularly for roles requiring advanced technical, leadership or AI-driven skills. This growing skills premium reflects both the pace of technological change and the increasing pressure on employers to secure the talent that will future proof their organisations," said Luke Mckend, Managing Director, Stepstone Group.

Top-paid roles

Several software and architecture roles sat at the top end of advertised pay ranges in the dataset. Python developers were typically advertised at around £90,000, followed by technical architects at £87,500.

AI software developers were advertised at roughly £75,000, and senior software engineers averaged around £70,000.

The figures reflect advertised salaries rather than earnings. Totaljobs said it deduplicated listings, standardised salaries, and removed outliers, arguing the data shows how employers position roles in a market where skills are in demand.

The dataset spans 23 industries and 21 major UK cities, though fewer locations were published in the report for consistency with earlier editions. It draws on job-ad data collected through a Stepstone Group tool called OTT.

Routes into tech

The research also highlighted alternative pathways into technology careers, including apprenticeships alongside university degrees. Thales UK, which employs more than 7,000 people across engineering and technology roles, has expanded its apprenticeship intake across Level 3 to Level 6 programmes.

Its apprenticeship roles cover areas including digital, cyber security and engineering, combining work-based training with degree study through partner institutions, depending on the programme level.

Amy Clarke, 19, a Technical Publications & Training Design Apprentice based in Reading, described her experience moving from school into work and study.

"I joined Thales straight from school and I'm now in my second year of a Mechatronic Engineering degree with Ulster University. I've already travelled for work, including attending major technology exhibitions like DSEI in London and the Southern Manufacturing Show. It's been exciting to learn on the job while studying," said Amy Clarke.

Jamie Lewis, 20, a Cyber Security Engineering Apprentice in Reading, said he was drawn by the chance to enter cyber security without a traditional university route.

"Cyber security has always fascinated me because it's where technology meets real world impact. I moved to Reading to start my apprenticeship after studying Maths, Computer Science and Physics. Being able to step straight into a cyber role without going down the traditional university route has been a huge opportunity," said Jamie Lewis.

Robert Oseh, 22, a Digital & Technology Solutions Apprentice in Crawley, said he was completing a masters-level apprenticeship while working on a mentoring scheme inside the business.

"I'm completing a Digital and Technology Solutions MSc Apprenticeship while leading Thales UK's first ever reverse mentoring scheme. One of the biggest opportunities has been starting my Level 7 Masters in cyber security and working in the corporate security office - a role offered to me by the Chief Security Officer after taking part in the mentoring programme," said Robert Oseh.

Recent advertised apprenticeship opportunities at Thales included systems engineering (Level 6), hardware engineering (Level 6), end user support (Level 3), and manufacturing (Level 3). The roles span areas such as systems design, electro-mechanical engineering, IT support and manufacturing support.

Totaljobs said its findings were based on advertised positions and survey responses from workers and recruiters, and it expects demand for technical and AI-related skills to remain a key driver of advertised pay in technology roles.