Market Statistics
The current market for software developers in the north of England reflects the wider UK tech market. An uncertain economy, with rising inflation, has affected many industries over the last 3 years and this meant a decline in the number of tech roles coming into 2023.
Roles were on the decline at the start of the year, but we are seeing more permanent roles come onto the market. We are also seeing an increase in planning and strategic roles entering the market as companies begin plotting out their new projects.
As we see these plans come together, we expect to see numbers of both permanent and contract roles to increase in the coming months.
Salary / Rates Information
Salaries and rates have fluctuated somewhat over the last 12 months but have remained high when compared to 2022 and before.
For permanent roles, we are seeing a tighter range of salaries with fewer roles at the top or bottom extremes. We’ve also seen average salaries across the board
increase by 4% over the last few months.
Day rates for contract roles are in a similar place. There have been small fluctuations throughout 2023 but rates have remained high. Over the last 3 months, rates have dipped by around 4% across a range of roles.
Going forward, we expect salaries and rates to remain around their current levels through the end of the year. As we head into 2024, we expect to see some rises across salaries and rates.
As new projects come online next year, we will get a better picture about the rates and salaries going forward.
Skills Showcase
The distribution of programming languages hasn’t changed much over the last year with JavaScript, C# and SQL all remaining in high demand.
We have seen increases in the number of Java, C# and JS roles, over the last few months, often also wanting developers with experience working with frameworks like Spring, .NET, and React.
Experience with AWS and Azure is also in high demand, as they continue to make up the majority of the cloud services market.
With less developer roles, the market is much more competitive for developers and so it’s important to showcase the right skills. If you’re actively searching for a role, make sure to update your CV to include:
- All experience with relevant tools e.g. Java, PHP, Spring, React
- Any other technical skills e.g. Testing, Database Admin, Debugging
- Non-technical skills e.g. Strong communication, Experience with CI/CD or Agile experience, Multi-tasking
Top Locations
The north continues to grow as part of the UK’s tech sector. With the rise of hybrid and fully remote roles after 2020, we’ve seen more companies looking north to fill roles with the best people, and developers are leading the charge.
Manchester and Leeds continue to be the top northern cities for working in tech but we are also seeing increases in the amount of tech roles coming from other northern cities like Liverpool and Newcastle.
Hybrid Working
The vast majority of companies understand the benefits of working from home, especially for developer roles. Hybrid work makes up the majority of developer roles we see with fully remote roles being less common, and fully in-office being rarer still.
With most companies offering hybrid working, many are increasing their flexibility with working hours and the number of days in the office.
Contact
To request more specific information about the market or to talk to us about your next role, get in touch via our contact form, send us an email, or give us a call.
Contact Form – 4itrecruitment.co.uk/contact/
Phone – 0113 259 0949
Email – tom.shuttleworth@4itrecruitment.co.uk
For information about roles we are actively recruiting for, click here to head to our jobs page.