Technology continues to shape how the UK economy grows, competes, and innovates. According to the latest State of the Tech Workforce UK report from CompTIA, the tech workforce is expanding and is embedded across every sector of the economy.
The UK tech workforce is growing steadily and led by core tech roles:
CompTIA defines net tech employment as a combination of:
- Technology professionals working in technical roles (such as software developers, tech support specialists, data professionals, and cybersecurity experts), regardless of industry
- Business professionals, such as sales, HR, finance, and operations, working within tech companies
- Full-time, self-employed technology workers
Using this definition, net tech employment in the UK reached approximately 2.15 million workers in 2025 and is projected to grow to 2.17 million in 2026, accounting for 6.4% of the total UK workforce. Importantly, 56% of technology professionals work outside the tech sector itself, embedded in industries ranging from finance and health care to manufacturing and public services. This shows how central tech talent has become to operations, innovation, and competitiveness across the wider UK economy.
The UK tech workforce remains on a clear upward trajectory. Key trends include:
- Net tech employment increased by nearly 145,000 jobs since 2020
- A brief dip between 2023 and 2024 was followed by renewed growth
- Employment is projected to increase by just over 1% in 2026
Growth is being driven primarily by core technology occupations, especially:
- Software development and programming
- IT business analysts and systems architects
- Cybersecurity and IT quality roles
- IT support and infrastructure professionals
At the same time, the report notes that long-term projections increasingly intersect with the evolution of AI. While AI may change the nature of work, the data suggests it continues to reinforce demand for skilled professionals who can build, secure, manage, and apply technology responsibly. Workers who can combine technical expertise with the ability to apply emerging technologies in ways that drive business value are likely to have an advantage.
By 2031, tech occupation employment is projected to reach approximately 1.44 million workers. Certain roles are expected to grow well above the national average, including:
- IT directors
- Network professionals
- Software developers
- Cybersecurity specialists
Job posting data reinforces this trend. In 2025 alone, UK employers advertised around 540,000 tech-related job postings, with particularly strong demand for:
- Digital fluency skills
- Data and analytics capabilities
- Cybersecurity expertise
- AI-related skills, increasingly embedded across job categories
Tech is important to metropolitan city areas across the UK:
London employs over 570,000 tech workers and has the highest employment concentration, with tech roles making up more than 10% of all local jobs. Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, and Glasgow also stand out as important regional tech hubs, reflecting how tech opportunity is increasingly distributed across the UK. Tech business establishments are concentrated in major population and innovation centres, reinforcing technology’s role in local economies. In several metropolitan city areas, tech employment concentration meets or exceeds the national benchmark.
In the UK, tech jobs deliver a significant wage premium, with pay more than 50% higher than the national median across all occupations. While earnings can vary based on factors such as location, industry sector, role, and skills, the opportunity to build higher earnings remains strong. For professionals who continue building their experience and expertise, earning potential can grow substantially over time, with median pay in advanced career stages exceeding £90,000.
Overall, the employment, wage, business, and job posting trends point to a field that continues to offer strong career opportunities.
For more details, please see the full State of the Tech Workforce UK report here.