Software developer salary [how to become one] 

If you are considering a career in software development, one of the pressing matters would be the salary. The short answer is that it is quite promising with future growth in store. In the UK, software roles tend to pay above the national average, and with relatively decent increases based on your professional growth. However, there are a lot more nuances present when it comes to salaries and software development due to how big of a field it has become in the present day. Multiple attributes go into actually determining the salary such as title, location, tech stacks, industry and your entrance into employment to just name a few. 

Snapshot: what UK developers are earning right now

Job listings on websites, government censuses, and business reports record and show salaries in various ways. The sources vary, as some report information directly obtained by the employees, while others look at the listed salaries shown in live vacancies. Due to the varied sources and methods of obtaining information, you might see a range of expectable salaries, but one must take all the information and tabulate it together in a reasonable manner to arrive at a consistent picture. 

Across the UK, the average reported salary for a software developer sits around the mid-forties. Glassdoor’s latest UK figures show an average near £44,000 for software developers. For software engineers, the UK average is higher, around £55,000. These are base pay figures and do not include bonuses or equity.  London on the average  pays more. The average software developer salary in London is currently around £54,000, while the average software engineer salary in London is about £68,000. That London uplift reflects both demand and cost of living. 

When you switch from self-reported pay to what employers are advertising in job postings, the numbers step up again. Market trackers that index live vacancies show median offered salaries around £63,000 for software developers and £76,000 for software engineers across the UK. Remember these are medians from job ads, not guaranteed offers for every candidate.  

Contracting changes the picture further. If you work as a contractor rather than on a permanent salary, current median day rates for software developers cluster around £525 per day. Day rate work can boost your effective annual income, but you will be responsible for gaps between contracts, tax structuring, benefits, and compliance.  

Salary by experience level

Entry-level roles exist, and they pay better than many graduate jobs in other fields, especially in London and the South East. Across the UK, graduate software developers cluster around the high twenties to low thirties, with a UK median near £29,000. In London, graduate software developer salaries average about £36,000, with some larger employers going higher for strong candidates.  

Once you move beyond entry level, the range widens quickly. Many mid-level developers with two to five years of experience land a total base pay in the £45,000 to £65,000 band nationally, with London often adding a premium on top. This aligns with both self-reported averages and vacancy medians noted above.

At the senior end, six to ten years of depth and evidence of impact can push base pay into the £70,000 to £95,000 bracket at mainstream employers, with total compensation higher where bonuses or equity are part of the package. Vacancy medians for software engineers approaching £76,000 show how seniority and role scope lift the baseline. In London, senior engineers and leads regularly clear six figures when bonuses and stock awards are included.

A quick word on big-tech pay. At certain London offices, total compensation can include significant stock. Public salary contribution sites show a wide total-comp spread for entry-level and mid-level engineers at name-brand firms, which is one reason ranges look so broad. 

Location still matters inside the UK

London is not the only game in town, but it remains the most liquid market. The capital’s averages for developers and engineers sit notably above national figures. Outside London, advertised medians are strong in hubs such as Manchester, Cambridge, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Thames Valley. UK-excluding-London vacancy medians for software developers sit around £60,000, while England as a whole shows offered medians near £65,000.  

If you are remote, expect your offer to reference the employer’s pay bands for your location. Many UK organisations now use regional bands to keep pay consistent and transparent across distributed teams. 

Total compensation, not just base salary

There is more to the value you gain than just the upfront notion of the salary. A London package at £60,000 with private medical insurance, a healthy pension match, a cash bonus, and a learning budget can be worth more than a £65,000 base with no benefits. In parts of the market, equity grants or RSUs can become a major part of total compensation, especially at listed tech companies. Public crowd-sourced compensation data shows how stock can widen the gap between base and total.  

Hiring constraints to know about if you need a work visa

If you will need sponsorship, be aware of the UK Skilled Worker rules. Employers must pay at least the general threshold or the occupation’s going rate, whichever is higher. The government maintains official going rates by occupation code and updates them periodically.  

From April 2024 the general Skilled Worker threshold increased to £38,700, and many professional roles now have higher occupation-specific going rates. Sponsors will check these numbers before they can hire you, so it helps to understand the baseline. 

How to become a software developer or software engineer in the UK

There is no single route. Choose the path that fits your starting point, your finances, and the time you can commit. Here are pragmatic options that UK employers recognise. 

The skills that get interviews

Start with a language used widely in UK teams. Java, C#, Python, and TypeScript are safe bets. Learn how to design and build web services, test your code, work with databases, containerise a service, and deploy to a cloud provider. Hiring managers care about problem solving and teamwork just as much as syntax. Surveys of the developer ecosystem keep showing JavaScript and web technologies at the centre of commercial development, which is why full-stack experience remains a durable investment.  

The bottom line

A software developer salary in the UK starts solid and grows quickly with impact, responsibility, and the right stack. Nationwide, developers report averages around the mid-forties, engineers report mid-fifties, and London pays a premium on both. Vacancy data shows higher medians for in-demand roles, and contracting adds another route to higher take-home if you prefer independent work. If you are set on  breaking into the world of software engineering, choose a route that fits your life, build a portfolio that proves what you can do, and apply with focus.