Software Developer Careers in the UK: Best Cities, Skills, and Salary Potential
The software jobs in the UK market continue to show steady growth. Over the past six months, the median salary for developers in the Software Developer category has reached £63,250 per year, and the number of job postings has increased by about a third compared to last year.
London remains the main hub for IT professionals: software developer jobs in London in the top pay quartile offer a median salary of £112,500, making the capital especially attractive for experienced candidates.
For many companies, software developers in the UK are becoming a key resource in digital transformation projects and technology services, and demand for such specialists remains consistently high.
Software developer jobs in London combine a high level of pay with a wide range of projects — according to the latest data, there are 108 active vacancies. Hybrid and remote work formats, access to international projects and software development services, as well as a well-developed IT infrastructure allow London to maintain its leadership among cities with the best software jobs in the UK.
Manchester also has grown into a powerful technology hub in recent years. The development of the startup ecosystem and the arrival of international companies have ensured steady growth in the number of software developer jobs in Manchester.
Median salaries here are lower than in the capital, but the balance between income and cost of living makes the city attractive for specialists considering software jobs in the UK outside London.
In the north of the country, Edinburgh is attracting no less attention. The number of software developer jobs there is growing, and median salaries are in the range of £60,000–65,000, which is above the national average. The development of the fintech sector, cybersecurity projects, and AI solutions ensures the city is a stable place among the leaders of software jobs in the UK.
However, no matter the region, the requirements for technical skills remain common. For many software engineer jobs in Leeds, employers specify essential skills in working with AWS and Azure, experience with Docker and Kubernetes, as well as the ability to integrate AI services into business products.
In London and Manchester, additional advantages for software developers include knowledge of Java, Python, JavaScript, and experience in fintech projects. This skill set directly affects salary levels and the number of offers in the software jobs in the UK segment.
In terms of competition, there are more candidates for each vacancy in the North East than in London or Manchester, but the growth in software development jobs and the expansion of the UK software development sector is creating opportunities for careers outside the capital. Every software developer in the UK can find the right niche based on their goals and location.
In Birmingham, entry‑level programming jobs are decreasing as routine tasks shift to AI services and algorithms. Demand for experienced specialists remains stable, and companies compete for senior developers.
Work formats are becoming increasingly flexible: more than 40% of software developer jobs in Edinburgh today offer a hybrid schedule.
In Manchester and Leeds, flexible conditions have already become the standard for many software developer jobs, while in Birmingham, about a quarter of programming jobs allow employees to work remotely several days a week.
And overall, for a software developer in the UK, this is becoming an important criterion when choosing a vacancy.
In terms of urban potential, Leeds is cementing its reputation as a city with high levels of tech expertise. Software engineer jobs in Leeds involve participation in complex projects using AI and implementing innovative solutions. Increasing requirements for candidates make software developers the key executors of strategic business tasks and advanced technology services.
According to the EY UK Regional Economic Forecast 2025, from 2025 to 2028, employment in professional and technical sectors, including IT, will grow on average by 1.6% per year — more than twice the overall rate for the economy (0.7%).
London expects annual job growth of 0.9%, while the Northeast and Scotland are projected at 0.5–0.4%. By 2026, the total number of software jobs in the UK may rise 5–7%, with most new roles in major IT hubs.
Software developer jobs in London will lead in pay, with median salaries reaching £115,000–118,000.
Software developer jobs in Manchester could grow 8–10% from investments and the startup park expansion.
Software developer jobs in Edinburgh will stay in demand in fintech, cybersecurity, and AI, while programming jobs in Birmingham and software engineer jobs in Leeds remain the most sought after in automation and AI projects.
Software developer jobs in London, Manchester, and Edinburgh are the top three hubs for developers.
Programming jobs in Birmingham and Leeds offer career opportunities for high‑level specialists. Every software developer in the UK has real growth prospects in the expanding software jobs in the UK market.
