The 10 highest technology salary increases for the year ahead 

Sustained investment across the tech industry is helping to drive hiring plans, with certain roles seeing above-average salary growth as organisations seek key skills in a tight market. 

In our UK Salary & Recruiting Trends 2025 guide, we received insights from over a thousand employers and employees in the tech industry, offering a comprehensive picture of tech salaries, recruiting trends and candidate expectations. 

Our latest research gives rise to three crucial questions: 

• What’s influencing tech salaries? 

• Which top jobs in tech are seeing above-average increases? 

• Will tech salaries continue to rise? 

Tech investment keeps salaries growing 

Tech salaries increased by an average of 1.4% over the last year; a more modest increase following the industry’s extended period of sharp increases we have seen over the last 3 years. However, renewed hiring plans – rising from 74% in our last survey to 82% for this year’s – has helped keep salary growth ticking. And with 93% of employers experiencing talent shortages, pay is likely to keep increasing for in-demand roles. 

As organisations continue to invest in technology around data, cyber and cloud to drive and embed AI solutions that deliver longer term cost efficiencies, salary growth has stayed positive. Three quarters (76%) of employers increased their staff’s pay over the past 12 months, and tech salaries have seen stronger regional growth as organisations across the UK look to attract valuable tech skills and catch up with the competitive London tech talent market. 

In-demand tech experts see sharper pay increases 

While tech salary growth has softened, our survey reveals that certain fields have benefited from higher-than-average salary increases. This includes ERP technologies, such as Oracle (2.8%) and SAP (2.7%), due to an increasing need for organisations to shift to cloud solutions. In addition, we are seeing a continued investment in data across all industries, driving demand for these skills and increasing average salaries by 1.6%.  

When it comes to specific tech roles, experienced security experts who can combat the growing threat of cyber-attacks have seen some of the highest salary increases, alongside software architects who can develop scalable solutions that align with evolving business needs. 

While the following list does not necessarily reflect the highest paid jobs on the tech market, it offers a valuable snapshot of the roles seeing some of the highest growth potential. 

Top salary increases in technology 

1. Operational technology cyber manager 
2. Software architect (Microsoft stack) 
3. Senior penetration tester 
4. Lead data engineer
5. Operational technology cyber analyst 
6. DevOps engineer 
7. Threat intelligence manager
8. Data architect 
9. Information security architect 
10. Platform engineer

Career progression could tip the balance 

Tech salary growth may have levelled out following the sharp uplift seen several years ago, yet our salary data still points to an upward trajectory. Looking ahead, almost three quarters (74%) of tech employers expect to increase staff pay in the coming 12 months, just slightly below the UK average (78%). And given the industry’s acute skills shortages, organisations may feel compelled to keep pace with market salary expectations to secure the tech expertise they need. 

It’s clear though that many tech professionals have their sights on greater career prospects; almost two thirds (63%) intend to change jobs in the year ahead, with a lack of future opportunities (44%) being the main factor. Equally, tech professionals are taking a broad outlook in their job search, with over three-quarters (77%) considering an organisation’s purpose to be important when seeking a new role. In light of these expectations, organisations must develop clear career progression pathways, and carefully consider how they position their broader purpose to prospective candidates.  

And for professionals feeling limited by a lack of upward mobility in their current organisation, a buoyant tech hiring market promises plenty of opportunities in the coming year. Be sure to check our latest vacancies when planning your next move. 

For a comprehensive look at salaries across the entire tech industry, along with exclusive employer insights, take a look at our UK Salary and Recruitment Trends 2025 guide.