UK tech salaries trail behind the US amid Brexit uncertainty

Tech workers based in London are earning significantly less than their counterparts in the US, a report by job site Hired has revealed.

The average salary of a London-based tech worker is $78,000 (56,399), while in the US, those working in similar roles can expect to earn between $129,000 if they're based in New York or Los Angeles and $142,000 if they're in San Francisco, according to the report.

Hired looked into the average salaries of tech workers across 13 cities in the UK, Canada, France and the US and those working in London were second worse off, with only Parisians receiving lower salaries. That means the UK has dropped a place since Hired's Global Tech Salaries report, published in February 2017, which found the UK was above

Even when taking the cost of living into account, UK workers were worse off than many US employees, despite it being much more expensive to live in cities such as San Francisco and New York.

"It is likely due to uncertainty around the impact on immigration following the decision to leave the EU, and companies appear to be playing it safe until things become clearer," said Hired's UK chief Gordon Smith. "There is still a lot of work to be done if the UK wants to retain its status as a global tech leader, particularly in light of Brexit."

"Employers and politicians alike must work together to make Britain a more attractive place to work. This starts with transparency across the board, ensuring candidates know and achieve their worth throughout all stages of their career."

Hired also found that salaries in the London tech scene have dropped by 17% over the last three years, and that UK-based businesses cut back on the number of employees they hired from outside the UK by 7% in 2017, demonstrating the uncertainty businesses have with future relationships within Europe.

Clare Hopping
Freelance writer

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.