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Average Software Developer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A software developer in United Kingdom earns about 68,200 GBP a year. That's 2% roughly in line with the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 36,400 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 107,700 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a software developer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
68,200 GBP
5,683 GBP per month
Lowest reported
36,400 GBP
3,033 GBP per month
Highest reported
107,700 GBP
8,975 GBP per month

A typical software developer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,683 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 36,400 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 107,700 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior software developer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the software developer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How software developer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all software developers in United Kingdom earn less than 65,800 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 47,500 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 83,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of software developers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 36,400 GBP. The highest stretch to 107,700 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

36,400
Low
65,800
Median
107,700
High
47,500
25th
83,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Software developer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a software developer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical software developer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    42,600 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    54,700 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +34% from previous
    73,100 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +17% from previous
    85,700 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    94,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +6% from previous
    99,700 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 34%. That is the point at which a software developer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Software developer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving software developer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average software developer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    49,400 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +52% from previous
    75,000 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +41% from previous
    105,800 GBP

Software developer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male software developers in United Kingdom earn an average of 70,700 GBP a year, while female software developers earn around 69,700 GBP. That works out to a 1% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Software Developer gender pay gap

1%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 70,700 GBP
Women 69,700 GBP

Pay raises for a software developer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Software developer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

55%

55% of software developers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a software developer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary. The remaining 45% of software developers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Software developer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Software developer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Software developer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Glasgow
  • Leeds
  • London
  • Somerset
  • Cardiff
  • Birmingham
  • Sheffield
  • Bristol
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion140,700 GBP132,000 GBP70,500-211,200 GBP
ScotlandRegion95,900 GBP88,300 GBP53,300-148,300 GBP
GlasgowCity84,600 GBP88,600 GBP40,500-130,500 GBP
LeedsCity83,800 GBP87,600 GBP39,800-130,500 GBP
LondonCity83,300 GBP89,200 GBP39,100-130,400 GBP
SomersetCity81,200 GBP73,700 GBP40,600-121,800 GBP
CardiffCity79,600 GBP74,500 GBP40,700-118,900 GBP
BirminghamCity79,600 GBP83,800 GBP35,300-125,400 GBP
SheffieldCity78,700 GBP74,700 GBP40,200-121,800 GBP
BristolCity78,700 GBP78,200 GBP42,500-124,500 GBP
BradfordCity78,500 GBP81,000 GBP36,700-123,000 GBP
ManchesterCity78,200 GBP80,700 GBP35,200-121,800 GBP
NottinghamCity78,200 GBP71,600 GBP41,400-115,600 GBP
LiverpoolCity78,200 GBP71,400 GBP40,700-117,100 GBP
LeicesterCity76,600 GBP78,100 GBP35,600-118,900 GBP
CoventryCity75,900 GBP73,800 GBP39,600-117,100 GBP
NewcastleCity75,800 GBP75,800 GBP36,800-118,900 GBP
EdinburghCity75,100 GBP71,000 GBP41,000-114,300 GBP
WolverhamptonCity74,500 GBP78,700 GBP33,500-114,300 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity73,800 GBP68,500 GBP39,500-114,600 GBP
YorkCity73,700 GBP78,500 GBP36,500-115,600 GBP
LincolnCity73,100 GBP68,500 GBP36,800-111,700 GBP
ArmaghCity72,400 GBP72,400 GBP35,600-112,700 GBP
DundeeCity72,000 GBP68,300 GBP36,200-111,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity72,000 GBP73,800 GBP36,000-114,900 GBP
BelfastCity72,000 GBP70,900 GBP36,200-111,700 GBP
PlymouthCity71,800 GBP68,200 GBP36,400-108,200 GBP
DerbyCity71,000 GBP67,400 GBP38,100-107,700 GBP
ExeterCity70,600 GBP73,300 GBP35,100-114,600 GBP
BrightonCity69,800 GBP69,800 GBP36,500-111,700 GBP
AberdeenCity69,800 GBP69,800 GBP36,500-111,700 GBP
NewryCity69,700 GBP71,200 GBP31,700-107,700 GBP
PooleCity69,600 GBP67,800 GBP38,700-107,700 GBP
OxfordCity69,400 GBP72,000 GBP32,600-109,700 GBP
HartlepoolCity68,200 GBP65,900 GBP34,900-107,300 GBP
DerryCity68,100 GBP64,300 GBP35,400-105,200 GBP
SwanseaCity67,800 GBP71,200 GBP35,300-109,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity67,800 GBP73,800 GBP33,200-111,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity67,800 GBP63,800 GBP36,400-105,800 GBP
NewportCity67,500 GBP72,700 GBP30,300-107,700 GBP
StirlingCity67,000 GBP59,900 GBP33,600-99,900 GBP
CambridgeCity67,000 GBP61,400 GBP33,300-98,000 GBP
DurhamCity67,000 GBP68,500 GBP30,700-105,200 GBP
WalesRegion66,900 GBP66,900 GBP33,300-102,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion66,900 GBP70,000 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
WinchesterCity66,400 GBP62,600 GBP36,500-102,700 GBP
GloucesterCity66,200 GBP66,200 GBP34,000-105,800 GBP
NorwichCity65,800 GBP64,800 GBP35,300-102,700 GBP
TruroCity64,900 GBP68,900 GBP31,200-99,700 GBP
CanterburyCity64,800 GBP67,800 GBP28,900-103,600 GBP
RiponCity64,300 GBP65,100 GBP30,800-99,900 GBP
KirkwallCity64,300 GBP63,700 GBP34,100-99,100 GBP
LisburnCity64,300 GBP67,200 GBP31,300-97,900 GBP
InvernessCity63,900 GBP65,200 GBP29,100-97,400 GBP
StromnessCity63,900 GBP66,200 GBP28,900-97,900 GBP
WakefieldCity63,900 GBP65,500 GBP29,100-98,000 GBP
ChesterCity63,500 GBP66,000 GBP30,000-99,600 GBP
St DavidsCity63,200 GBP65,500 GBP29,300-98,100 GBP
SalisburyCity61,700 GBP61,700 GBP30,300-97,200 GBP
WellsCity60,800 GBP60,100 GBP32,200-96,000 GBP
StrontianCity60,400 GBP62,100 GBP26,400-94,100 GBP
BangorCity60,200 GBP60,500 GBP29,100-93,800 GBP
AbingdonCity59,900 GBP60,200 GBP30,200-93,600 GBP

Software Developer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a software developer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A software developer in United Kingdom earns about 5,683 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 68,200 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a software developer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level software developers in United Kingdom start near 36,400 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 107,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 47,500 and 83,200 GBP.

  • Is the median software developer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 65,800 GBP, lower than the average of 68,200 GBP. Half of software developers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for software developers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a software developer in United Kingdom earn around 1% more than women on average (70,700 vs 69,700 GBP a year).

  • Do software developers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 55% of software developers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary.

  • Do software developers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a software developer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do software developers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A software developer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.