UK Tech sector salaries to remain strong despite trends

Salaries in the UK IT and tech sectors continue to grow despite the general wage stagnation in other industries.

Global recruitment consultancy Robert Walters has produced its annual Salary Survey, and the results don't look too bad for the tech and IT sectors. Professional salaries are expected to remain flat throughout 2019 due to complications with Brexit, but IT is expected to buck the trend.

“Uncertainty around Brexit has created a fear of ‘last in first out,’ which in turn has meant that employees are less willing to move roles as swiftly as they would have in previous years,” stated Chris Hickey, CEO of the UK, Middle East & Africa at Robert Walters. “As a result, despite there being high demand for specialist and highly skilled professionals, companies are finding themselves contending with a UK-wide candidate shortage across most disciplines.”

Roles that are expected to continue rising in wages include highly specialised emerging tech sector jobs. Anyone with experience in Machine Learning, natural language processing, and data engineering should see pay increases throughout 2019. The tech sector is continuing to grow despite the threat of Brexit, with the number of tech roles advertised growing by 11% from 2016 to 2018.

There is also expected to be significant growth in the financial tech sector, and those with experience of risk management, financial regulation compliance and internal auditing will be highly prized as the UK leaves the EU. With Northern Ireland's strong financial and tech scene, it should perform well in salaries in the year ahead.

Source: Robert Walters press release and Salary Survey