Software developer salaries are surging in the UK as AI skills gaps drives demand

"UK software developer salaries are surging according to new research, driven largely by growing demand for AI skills. from Stack Overflow show that while US-based developers still boast the highest global pay, their counterparts across the Atlantic are closing the gap at a notable pace. According to Stack Overflow, AI and machine learning engineers now command a median salary of £112,000, while engineering manager pay stands at around £102,000. Elsewhere, median salaries for cloud infrastructure engineers have reached £98,500."

"The study noted that salary growth rates are a welcome sign and underscore the growing influence of the country's tech sector. Despite this, they still lag behind US pay rates, with leading development roles often exceeding $189,000 (£141,900). There are positive signs in terms of future growth, however. Stack Overflow noted that recent investment pledges from companies such as Microsoft and Google could "finally put [UK developer salaries] on a par with the US"."

"Stack Overflow identified a host of in-demand roles that enterprises have been crying out for in 2025. Back-end developers, for example, earn a median salary of £81,000, marking a 6.5% increase compared to £76,000 just last year. Looking at global salary growth rates, Stack Overflow said there has been "uneven growth" in several areas. Product managers, for example, recorded the largest increase in pay from last year (29.3%) alongside game developers and front-end devs."

UK software developer salaries are surging, driven largely by demand for AI skills. AI and machine learning engineers command a median salary of £112,000, while engineering managers earn around £102,000. Cloud infrastructure engineers have a median salary of £98,500. US-based developers still earn more, with leading roles often exceeding $189,000 (£141,900), but UK pay growth is narrowing the gap. Investment pledges from Microsoft and Google could help equalize UK and US salaries. Back-end developers earned a median of £81,000, a 6.5% increase year-on-year. Some mature roles show smaller salary rises, indicating stabilization.

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