How much money top tech workers earn in the UK
New research from Hays shows AI is augmenting rather than replacing UK tech talent, with strong global pay competitiveness in key roles like security engineering and solutions architecture.
The group’s new Tech Talent Explorer report, the UK ranks 15th out of 34 countries for average permanent tech salaries and 16th for contractor day rates. While not at the very top – where the United States, Switzerland, Denmark, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia lead for permanent roles – the UK sits comfortably in the upper half for most job categories.
The data, drawn from global workforce intelligence and input from nearly 10,000 tech professionals worldwide, highlights resilience in UK tech pay despite widespread AI adoption.
Wages are driven more by skills scarcity, demand for cloud, cybersecurity, DevOps, and platform engineering expertise than by automation risks.
What people earn
Hays’ data provides clear benchmarks for permanent salaries and contractor day rates across 20 technical roles.
It should be noted that these are average salaries. Experienced professionals working at big tech firms such as Meta or Google can and do earn well into the six figures.
Here are some of the standout figures:
Highest average permanent salaries:
- Solutions Architect: £84,249
- Security Engineer: £75,702
- DevOps Engineer: £67,532
Lower averages appear in roles with broader talent supply, such as Project Manager (£41,736), Test Analyst (£43,971), and Data Analyst (£44,415).
Top contractor day rates:
- Java Developer: £695
- Cloud Engineer: £684
- Security Engineer: £659
On the lower end for contractors: Project Manager (£388), Test Analyst (£391), and Network Engineer (£407).
The UK performs particularly strongly in specific high-demand areas. For permanent roles, Security Engineers rank 4th globally, while Java Developers, DevOps Engineers, Solutions Architects, and .NET Developers all sit at 10th.
The UK lands in the top half of countries for salaries in 18 out of 20 job categories.
Contractors fare even better in some niches. UK Java Developers rank 3rd globally for day rates, Cloud Engineers 5th, and Security Engineers 7th. The UK appears in the top half for contractor rates in 13 of 20 categories.
Full rankings highlight variation:
- Security Engineer: 4th (salary), 7th (day rate)
- DevOps Engineer: 10th (salary)
- Solutions Architect: 10th (salary)
- Cloud Engineer: 12th (salary), 5th (day rate)
- AI Engineer: 13th (salary)
- Software Developer: 14th (salary)
Project Managers rank lower at 23rd for permanent salaries, reflecting broader availability.
The top five countries for average permanent tech salaries are the US, Switzerland, Denmark, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. For contractor day rates, Switzerland, Denmark, Australia, Germany, and Japan lead.
Despite not topping the charts overall, the UK’s position underscores its attractiveness for tech talent. Pay levels reflect classic market forces – supply and demand, plus the system-critical nature of many roles – rather than AI-driven wage suppression.
Broader 2026 salary guides from other sources align with this picture, showing premiums for specialized skills.
Senior AI/ML Engineers, Cloud Architects, and cybersecurity leaders often command six-figure packages in London and other hubs, with total compensation (including bonuses and equity at big tech or fintech firms) reaching significantly higher in some cases.
The role of AI
Contrary to fears of mass displacement, the report finds AI is primarily augmenting human expertise in UK tech roles.
Software-intensive positions – such as Software Developers, Data Engineers, and AI Engineers – face the highest relative exposure to AI, as the technology automates routine tasks.
However, human oversight, design, problem-solving, and quality control remain essential. Roles which require judgment, coordination, and strategic oversight show lower AI impact. Infrastructure positions like Security and Network Engineering have even less exposure and are increasingly critical for the safe deployment of AI systems.
“This reflects a two-speed transformation,” the report notes. AI is reshaping software-heavy work most rapidly, while governance, leadership, and operational safety roles gain strategic importance.
David Curtis, STEM Senior Managing Director at Hays UK&I, said that this two-tier system presents opportunities.
“The findings of our report clearly show that AI isn’t replacing human talent but amplifying it. As automation accelerates routine tasks, the roles that thrive are those grounded in judgement, coordination and strategic oversight,” he said.
“For professionals, this creates significant opportunities to build future-ready careers by developing adaptable, strategic and tech-augmented skill sets.”
