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Average Software Development Manager Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A software development manager in United Kingdom earns about 96,000 GBP a year. That's 38% above 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 47,500 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 146,900 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 development manager make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
96,000 GBP
8,000 GBP per month
Lowest reported
47,500 GBP
3,958 GBP per month
Highest reported
146,900 GBP
12,241 GBP per month

A typical software development manager working in United Kingdom brings home around 8,000 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 47,500 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 146,900 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 development manager 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 development manager salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How software development manager 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 development managers in United Kingdom earn less than 97,400 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 64,600 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 123,800 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of software development managers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 47,500 GBP. The highest stretch to 146,900 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.

47,500
Low
97,400
Median
146,900
High
64,600
25th
123,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Software development manager pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a software development manager 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 development manager salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    54,200 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +34% from previous
    72,400 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +35% from previous
    98,000 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    121,800 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +5% from previous
    128,400 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    139,100 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 35%. That is the point at which a software development manager 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 development manager pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving software development manager 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 development manager salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    72,400 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +31% from previous
    95,000 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +56% from previous
    147,900 GBP

Software development manager 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 development managers in United Kingdom earn an average of 96,400 GBP a year, while female software development managers earn around 92,100 GBP. That works out to a 5% 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 Development Manager gender pay gap

4%

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

Men 96,400 GBP
Women 92,100 GBP

Pay raises for a software development manager 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 13% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 9% 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 development manager 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.

59%

59% of software development managers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a software development manager 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 6% of base salary. The remaining 41% of software development managers 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 development manager: 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 development manager salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Software development manager 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
  • Sheffield
  • Somerset
  • London
  • Manchester
  • Leeds
  • Liverpool
  • Cardiff
  • Glasgow
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion182,400 GBP183,600 GBP87,900-283,400 GBP
ScotlandRegion134,100 GBP127,700 GBP69,400-204,900 GBP
SheffieldCity107,700 GBP109,700 GBP50,600-166,600 GBP
SomersetCity107,700 GBP105,800 GBP55,700-163,500 GBP
LondonCity107,300 GBP116,400 GBP48,000-168,700 GBP
ManchesterCity105,200 GBP105,200 GBP50,100-160,600 GBP
LeedsCity105,200 GBP109,000 GBP49,700-164,100 GBP
LiverpoolCity105,200 GBP103,600 GBP54,300-160,700 GBP
CardiffCity103,600 GBP99,700 GBP51,400-156,200 GBP
GlasgowCity103,600 GBP107,300 GBP48,500-160,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity101,100 GBP92,200 GBP51,800-153,800 GBP
LeicesterCity100,700 GBP96,500 GBP51,500-152,700 GBP
NottinghamCity100,700 GBP93,600 GBP51,900-152,900 GBP
EdinburghCity100,300 GBP92,500 GBP50,600-151,800 GBP
PlymouthCity100,300 GBP105,800 GBP47,500-157,600 GBP
BirminghamCity99,700 GBP109,000 GBP45,000-160,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity99,600 GBP94,100 GBP51,400-150,100 GBP
BelfastCity99,100 GBP101,100 GBP47,100-153,800 GBP
NewcastleCity98,900 GBP90,900 GBP54,100-151,800 GBP
BristolCity97,900 GBP103,600 GBP48,000-153,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity97,200 GBP92,100 GBP48,300-148,300 GBP
PortsmouthCity96,800 GBP105,800 GBP43,100-153,700 GBP
DerbyCity96,000 GBP92,500 GBP47,200-147,900 GBP
CoventryCity95,900 GBP102,700 GBP45,400-152,700 GBP
SwanseaCity95,900 GBP88,300 GBP53,300-148,300 GBP
BradfordCity95,400 GBP95,400 GBP46,700-146,900 GBP
PooleCity93,800 GBP92,100 GBP46,700-142,300 GBP
OxfordCity93,100 GBP97,300 GBP44,200-146,900 GBP
WolverhamptonCity93,100 GBP98,300 GBP42,800-148,300 GBP
BrightonCity92,900 GBP86,600 GBP49,100-142,100 GBP
NewportCity92,500 GBP99,700 GBP43,500-146,900 GBP
AberdeenCity92,400 GBP85,500 GBP50,800-139,100 GBP
NorwichCity92,400 GBP92,500 GBP45,600-140,200 GBP
ArmaghCity92,100 GBP83,100 GBP50,300-140,700 GBP
LincolnCity91,900 GBP94,300 GBP41,500-142,300 GBP
YorkCity90,300 GBP90,300 GBP46,400-141,000 GBP
NewryCity90,000 GBP83,700 GBP44,500-134,700 GBP
DerryCity89,300 GBP84,600 GBP45,900-134,100 GBP
SalisburyCity88,600 GBP81,000 GBP45,800-130,400 GBP
WalesRegion88,500 GBP81,300 GBP46,900-137,100 GBP
ExeterCity88,000 GBP88,000 GBP45,000-138,700 GBP
DundeeCity87,800 GBP92,300 GBP44,900-140,700 GBP
HartlepoolCity87,700 GBP86,100 GBP42,700-134,100 GBP
AbingdonCity87,400 GBP92,200 GBP42,000-137,100 GBP
GloucesterCity86,800 GBP80,400 GBP45,800-130,400 GBP
TruroCity86,600 GBP90,900 GBP41,000-137,100 GBP
StirlingCity86,600 GBP83,300 GBP43,500-130,400 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion86,100 GBP92,300 GBP41,400-138,700 GBP
LisburnCity84,600 GBP87,800 GBP39,800-134,100 GBP
ChesterCity84,500 GBP79,800 GBP44,900-127,600 GBP
CambridgeCity83,900 GBP80,400 GBP44,200-128,400 GBP
WakefieldCity83,700 GBP80,200 GBP44,300-123,800 GBP
BangorCity83,300 GBP88,600 GBP37,900-128,400 GBP
RiponCity83,100 GBP83,100 GBP41,500-130,500 GBP
DurhamCity83,000 GBP88,500 GBP37,800-132,000 GBP
InvernessCity82,200 GBP79,800 GBP43,500-123,800 GBP
WinchesterCity81,000 GBP78,700 GBP42,600-125,400 GBP
St DavidsCity81,000 GBP81,000 GBP42,000-127,700 GBP
CanterburyCity81,000 GBP85,500 GBP37,900-128,200 GBP
StromnessCity80,200 GBP85,400 GBP35,600-123,800 GBP
StrontianCity78,900 GBP78,900 GBP39,800-121,800 GBP
KirkwallCity78,400 GBP85,500 GBP36,700-123,800 GBP
WellsCity75,800 GBP82,200 GBP35,600-123,000 GBP

Software Development Manager in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A software development manager in United Kingdom earns about 8,000 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 96,000 GBP.

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

    Entry-level software development managers in United Kingdom start near 47,500 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 146,900 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 64,600 and 123,800 GBP.

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

    The median is 97,400 GBP, higher than the average of 96,000 GBP. Half of software development managers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a software development manager in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (96,400 vs 92,100 GBP a year).

  • Do software development managers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 59% of software development managers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

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

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

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

    A software development manager in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 13% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.