Average technology salary in UK&I reaches over £80,000

IT professionals in the UK and Ireland (UK&I) earn an average of more than £80,000 a year, according to the Computer Weekly 2018 salary survey.

Though salary varies depending on region, job role and number of years in the industry, the research found the average annual salary of tech workers in the UK and Ireland is £81,116.

This is slightly more than in previous years – in 2017 the average salary for UK&I IT workers was between £50,000 and £75,000, and in 2016, the average salary for tech workers in the UK&I was £64,590 a year.

The need for people in specialised roles such as those in cyber security and data science are on the rise, but because of the lack of people to fill these roles, it has also pushed up their expected annual pay.

Years of experience paired with the role performed has a significant impact on average salary. For example, those in an executive vice-president (EVP), senior vice-president (SVP), vice-president (VP) or associate vice-president (AVP) role with more than 30 years of experience make an average of £204,142, whereas members of the executive team who have more than 30 years of experience make an average of £96,011.

Those in executive team roles who have between 21 and 30 years of experience make more than those who have been around a long time – with an average salary of £205,444 a year.

There appear to be salary gaps between different roles in the UK&I technology industry, with higher positions such as EVPs, SVPs, VPs and AVPs earning an average of £183,894 and executive team members earning an average of £125,192, while other roles, such as managers or architects, will earn no more than £75,000 on average.

General IT staff are only earning an average of £45,374, and not surprisingly, this group are more likely to take up an opportunity to move role or company to earn more money.

Around 45% of IT professionals in the UK and Ireland are not actively looking for new jobs, but are open to new opportunities.

A focus on mental health in the workplace, as well as the importance of work-life balance has been increasing over the last few years, especially as people in tech are being encouraged to be more creative in the wake of job automation.

For those who are higher up in the picking order, benefits such as workplace flexibility, a shorter commute or a nicer office are more important, and 50% of EVPs, SVPs, VPs and AVPs said they would be open to new job opportunities if it meant an improvement in their work-life balance, alongside 52% of those in a director role and 23% of those in the C-suite.

There are growing skills gaps in the UK when it comes to digital, with not just a lack of skilled tech professionals but also a general lack of basic digital skills as technology evolves the workplace.

A majority of firms expect to face a skills shortage over the next year, and in last year’s salary survey, almost one-third of IT workers said they need more training to move forward in their career.