Developer Salary Benchmarks 2026
Real salary data across 25+ developer roles in the UK and US. Updated quarterly to help you craft competitive offers that attract top talent.
Key Market Insights
The developer hiring landscape has shifted. Here is what the data tells us heading into Q2 2026.
AI/ML Engineer Demand
AI and machine learning roles saw the highest salary growth year-over-year, driven by enterprise AI adoption.
Avg. Time-to-Hire
Senior developers are off the market in just 14 days. Speed is the single biggest factor in securing top talent.
Remote-First Preference
Nearly three-quarters of UK developers now prefer remote or hybrid roles. Onsite-only offers see 40% fewer applicants.
Counter-Offer Premium
Developers receiving counter-offers typically see 15-20% salary bumps. Factor this into your initial offer strategy.
UK Developer Salary Table
Annual salaries in GBP for permanent roles. Data sourced from 500+ placements and market benchmarks.
| Role | Junior (0-2yr) | Mid (2-5yr) | Senior (5+yr) | Lead / Principal | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontend Developer (React) | £28-35k | £45-58k | £65-80k | £85-105k | Hot |
| Backend Developer (Node.js) | £30-38k | £48-62k | £68-85k | £90-110k | Hot |
| Full-Stack Developer | £30-37k | £46-60k | £65-82k | £88-108k | High |
| Python Developer | £28-36k | £45-60k | £65-85k | £90-115k | Hot |
| DevOps / Cloud Engineer | £35-42k | £52-68k | £75-95k | £100-125k | Hot |
| Mobile Developer (iOS/Android) | £30-38k | £48-62k | £68-85k | £88-110k | High |
| AI / ML Engineer | £38-48k | £58-75k | £80-105k | £110-140k | Hot |
| Data Engineer | £32-40k | £50-65k | £72-90k | £95-120k | High |
| QA / Test Engineer | £25-32k | £38-50k | £55-70k | £72-90k | Steady |
| Cybersecurity Engineer | £35-45k | £55-72k | £78-100k | £105-130k | Hot |
Roles by Hiring Demand
Relative demand index based on active job postings and recruiter activity across the UK market.
UK vs US Salary Comparison
How do senior developer salaries compare across the two markets we cover?
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Senior Developer Salaries (GBP)🇺🇸 United States
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