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IT Jobs UK: Top Careers, Key Skills & Hiring Trends for the Future

01/12/2025

IT Jobs UK: Top Careers, Skills, and Hiring Trends for the Coming Years

The demand in IT Jobs UK is increasing as UK Businesses invest in input. As companies in the UK continue to invest in Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Automation and AI, people are looking for jobs in IT in the UK due to the excellent pay potential (with most jobs providing flexibility in their working arrangements), and the number of IT jobs continues to grow continuously. 

Jobs that will be needed in the future are those related to Software Development, IT Support, Cyber Security, and Data Analysts, will only grow in importance as companies ramp up their AI and Automation initiatives over the next couple of years, creating a large number of UK Information Technology jobs.

Why IT Jobs UK Are Growing Rapidly

The Increasing Demand for IT Jobs in the UK  It is not difficult to see why IT related jobs have been and continue to be on the rise.  Increased use of technology across many different industries has led to a barrage of new IT vacancies in the UK with an increase in cloud engineering, DevOps, and internet security positions.

Also, with companies starting to increase their investment in AI, ML, and automation platforms in the coming year, there will be a further increase in demand for people employed as ML engineers, AI analysts, and automation specialists.

Additionally, due to the continuing increase of cyber threats in all industries, organisations are hiring now and will continue to hire security-focused IT professionals to help protect their organisations' systems and data from being compromised.  Security focused IT jobs in the UK continue to be among the most sought after and lucrative types of IT jobs.

Further, the COVID19 pandemic has changed how organizations view remote employment for IT positions.  With this new paradigm shift, companies are focusing on hiring employees anywhere in the UK without regard for geographic location enabling individuals employed in IT to work remotely.  Examples of remote IT job opportunities in the UK include systems administration, cloud support, and application development jobs.

Top Four Careers in Technology in the UK

The following represents the four most sought after jobs within the field of technology throughout the UK and the jobs that are most likely to continue their vigorous growth in the coming years.

  1. Software Developer

The Software Developer position continues to grow steadily in terms of opportunities available here in the UK. Certain software developers will focus on developing front-end applications or backend web applications. Other software developers will be focused on mobile application development. The following programming languages are some that are utilized by the UK's Software Developers - Java, C# and PHP.

  1. IT Support Specialist

IT Support Specialist positions are often a starting point for those just beginning their careers in IT. There are many different types of IT Support roles available (e.g. Service Desk Technician, First-Line Support and Technical Support).

  1. Cybersecurity Analyst

Cybersecurity has continued to rise as a strong, secure and future-proofed job within IT. The increased focus on establishing strong security strategies by many organisations has created renewed interest in this field.

4) Cloud Engineer

As more and more companies are transitioning to cloud-based infrastructures, there is an increasing number of opportunities for Cloud Engineers.

  1. Data Analyst / Data Scientist

As companies become more dependent on data for both strategic and tactical decision making, there are numerous job opportunities available for Data Analysts and Data Scientists and these roles are part of the growing number of high-paying technology careers in the UK.

  1. DevOps Engineer

The rise and widespread use of automation, pipelines and Cloud deployments have created extremely large numbers of DevOps Engineer job openings.

7) AI & Machine Learning Engineer

As many companies have invested heavily in developing AI technologies for the future, there is currently an extremely high demand for Machine Learning Engineers in both the technology space and non-technology related industries.

IT jobs in the UK require many skills to be successful.

To obtain success within the growth of IT employment opportunities, jobseekers in the UK must have both types of skills: Soft and Technical Skills.

Technical Skills

Some specific Technical Skills include the following: Python, JavaScript, C#, Java

Cloud Platforms, (AWS, Azure, GCP) Cybersecurity (Fundamentals)

SQL + Power BI + Data Analytics

Basic Linux & Networking

Automation Tools such as Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes.

Soft Skills

Some specific examples of Soft Skills are: Problem Solving/Problem Solving Competencies, Communicating, Adaptability, and working with other people on projects.

According to industry research, Hiring Managers are looking for candidates who possess strong learning capabilities and can contribute effectively to Digital Transformation projects.

The following cities have become increasingly popular for hiring qualified IT professionals; however as more people utilize remote options for work, there are many other cities that have also seen large numbers of available positions for IT workers:

- London: A large number of companies hire employees to work in Financial Services Technology, (FinTech), Artificial Intelligence, (AI), and Cyber-Security in London.

- Manchester: Many employers hire software and cloud computing engineers in Manchester. 

- Birmingham: There are large numbers of job openings for IT Support and Enterprise Technology in Birmingham.

- Cambridge: A large number of job openings for Research, Artificial Intelligence, and Advanced Technology.

- Edinburgh: A large number of positions available for Data Analytics and Software Roles in Edinburgh.

Jobseekers now have more options to consider based upon hybrid models and remote work opportunities regardless of the city in which they live. 

For those interested in securing the highest paying IT jobs in the UK, jobseekers should consider the following:

- Building an effective CV to highlight their most relevant technical skills

- Listing any industry certifications (i.e. AWS, Azure, CompTIA, ITIL)

- Looking to apply for IT jobs through niche job boards

- Following industry trends happening in the upcoming year; especially AI and Automation

- Considering both permanent and contract job opportunities.

By implementing the strategies above, jobseekers should have no problem securing a high-paying IT position with excellent growth potential in the UK.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the most in-demand IT jobs in the UK?

Software developers, cloud engineers, cybersecurity analysts, DevOps engineers, and data analysts are among the most in-demand IT jobs UK.

2. Are entry-level IT jobs UK available for beginners?

Yes. IT support, junior developer, service desk, and trainee cybersecurity roles are great starting points.

3. Can I get remote IT jobs UK without being in a major city?

Absolutely. Many companies now hire nationwide, offering remote IT support, cloud admin, and development roles.

4. What skills are important for UK IT careers?

Programming, cloud computing, networking, cybersecurity, and strong problem-solving skills.

5. Will AI reduce or increase IT vacancies UK in the coming years?

AI will create more jobs by increasing demand for automation engineers, AI specialists, and data professionals.

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