If you made a resolution on December 31st to get a new job this year, then you’re probably trying to galvanise yourself now to do something about it.
It’s easy enough to think there may not be much point, given 2022’s rolling layoffs in tech which saw more than 14,000 tech workers at European-headquartered companies made redundant over the past year.
The good news is that the landscape on the ground is a little more positive. According to a recent salary survey, 33 per cent of UK businesses are aiming to add new full-time roles in 2023, and only 2 per cent plan to eliminate positions.
Despite the somewhat shaky economic climate driven by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation and the cost of living, the labour market itself remains robust, according to recent UK labour market statistics. Unemployment did rise in the last quarter of last year, but fell overall across 2022, with 128,000 fewer people out of work compared to before the pandemic.
Real earnings are still an issue, though. The labour market report also highlighted that December 2022 was the twelfth consecutive month that the annual change in real earnings, excluding bonuses, was negative.
Employers are aware of this huge pain point, and 22 per cent companies plan to increase salaries in line with inflation, while 39 per cent will give a flat-rate percentage increase, according to the salary survey. Business leaders understand that money equates to retention rates so this is vital––78 per cent agree that the rising cost of living will push employees to seek higher salaries.
5 Top tech jobs to know about for 2023
So when it comes to the jobs market, and the roles that are on-track to deliver the highest earnings this year, there are a number of London-based tech jobs commanding top salaries.
1. Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
For candidates with little or no prior experience in the position, who are still developing relevant skills, salaries average £128,100 for CTO roles. Those with average, mid-level experience can expect to earn around £172, but top performers do best, commanding an average of £201,300. Right now, QUIBIM is hiring a Chief Technology Officer to define the technology strategy of the company to ensure alignment with corresponding business goals. Get full information on the role here.
2. DevOps Engineer
Sitting between software development and IT operations, DevOps engineers focus on shortening the systems development life cycle, and provide continuous delivery with high software quality. This is an increasingly important role, with those at the start of their DevOps career expecting to earn around £68,320. Senior, experienced DevOps engineers can earn around £84,180. PlayStation Global has an opening for a Senior DevOps Engineer at the moment. You’ll sit within the PlayStation Studios’ Online Technology team and will maintain live production and non-production environments, and develop processes and tools for continuous integration/deployment, infrastructure as code, and observability/operations. Get full information on this role here.
3. Cloud Engineer
Cloud engineer salaries are 22 per cent higher in London than they are nationally. Candidates with extensive prior experience and who have mastered relevant skills are in high demand and can expect to earn around £74,420 annually. Citi is looking for a Public Cloud Solutions Delivery Engineer-VP, where the successful candidate will be instrumental in continuing the bank’s cloud-first strategy, bringing expertise in the strategy, design, development and implementation of large-scale projects. Apply for this role now.
4. Data Scientist
The International Data Corporation (IDC 2021) says that by 2025 worldwide data will grow 61 per cent to 175 zettabytes, which is fuelling the rise of data science professionals who can enable organisations to efficiently process and interpret data. Salaries for established professionals are good: senior-level data scientists can expect to earn around £84,790. Those at the start of their careers are looking at around £67,710. Monzo is hiring for a Senior Product Data Scientist who will have the opportunity to super-charge user engagement, and enable the bank to make better decisions, faster. Discover the job spec here.
5. Information Security Analyst
The growing adoption of the cloud has heightened the need for information security and cybersecurity professionals. Candidates with extensive prior Information Security experience can expect to earn around £63,440. Those with little prior experience are earning £47,275, while those with intermediate experience can expect to earn around £52,460. Walkers Global, a leading international law firm, is seeking an Information Security Analyst to manage and operate Walkers’ security controls, streamlining and automating these in order to improve the overall security posture. Interested? Find out more about the job here.