IT Salary Overview: How Much Can You Make?

Computer and information technology (IT) professionals in the UK make an average base salary of £44,812 across sectors [1]. That’s significantly more than the average salary for all occupations.

Keep in mind that many factors can influence your salary, including your level of experience, skill set, the cost of living of your location, your education level, and what qualifications you have.

IT salaries by position

So what do IT workers in these roles actually make? The following are average annual base salaries from different IT positions in the UK. Bear in mind that as this is a base salary, various bonuses and commissions may also be added.

*All salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of August 2023

• Product support specialist: £35,301

• Desktop support analyst: £34,369

• Hardware analyst: £43,470

• Systems administrator: £37,695

• Systems analyst: £36,004

• Scrum master: £60,487

• Cloud computing analyst: £61,020

• Database administrator: £41,551

• Systems engineer: £53,440

• Network/cloud engineer: £44,886

• DevOps Engineer: £54,305

• Site reliability engineer: £77,694

• Network security engineer: £55,190

• Big data engineer: £55,225

• Security architect: £84,532

• Network/cloud architect: £80,262

• Information systems security manager: £53,439

What IT roles make the highest salaries?

The highest salaries in the IT world are tied to roles that are high in demand and currently have a shortage of qualified workers—typically positions related to cloud computing, cybersecurity, and big data. Managers, engineers, and architects indicate mid-career or senior positions and are also correlated with higher incomes.

Generally speaking, entry-level positions are correlated with lower salaries. These include help desk and troubleshooting positions like help desk analyst, IT technician, and IT associate. As you gain more experience and specialise your skills in areas like systems administration or cloud computing, you' maysee your salary increase.

IT salaries by location: UK regions

Here’s a breakdown of the average salary you can earn in an IT role in various counties across the UK, according to CW Jobs [2].

Here are the cities in the UK that are correlated with the largest tech salaries [3]. Keep in mind that these areas may also be more expensive to live in, leading to higher salaries.

Boosting your IT salary

Learning in-demand skills, through qualifications or other means, has been linked to an increase in salaries.

How do skills and qualifications impact your salary?

According to Global Knowledge, 12 per cent of those who received a raise in 2020 credit gaining new skills, through training for certifications or otherwise. IT professionals who received raises related to getting new certifications saw their salaries rise by an average of $13,000 (£11,000) [4]. 

IT skills associated with higher salaries

Pursuing in-demand skills in the industry may make you more competitive for raises and higher-paying jobs. These technical skills include:

• Cybersecurity

• Data analysis

• DevOps

• Cloud computing

• Machine learning

You can also speak with your employer to see what skills gaps your company is hoping to fill, or browse job listings of roles similar to yours to see what skills are currently in demand.

Should I get an IT degree?

Degrees aren’t always necessary to land a job in IT. But higher education levels are linked to higher incomes. 

Employers may also still favour job candidates with at least an undergraduate degree, or even master’s degrees, for certain IT positions. Though going back to college or university might be intimidating, the financial and career benefits can be rewarding. If you’ve already received an undergraduate degree, pursuing a master’s degree in IT or computer science can help you advance in your current role, or pivot to a new one.

So yes—a degree in IT has its benefits. But it'll also cost you time and money. In making your decision, think about where you want your career to go. Are you willing to make a long-term investment for salary increases and a faster track to managerial positions? Then a degree might make sense. If you're looking for a quick way to find a new job or get a raise, other options like a certification might be what you're looking for.

Getting started in IT

IT jobs, as diverse as they are, offer higher-than-average salaries. Plenty of IT jobs can be done from the comfort of your own home. If you’re ready to get started, take a look at some entry-level IT certifications like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. You’ll learn the fundamentals of tech support, system administration, operating systems, and other key skills to prepare you for a job in IT.