The UK employment landscape has changed dramatically over the past 12 months. With the number of vacancies outstripping the number of unemployed workers for the first time, and employers engaged in hot competition for prime candidates, it’s become an employee’s market.
This is especially so in IT and tech, where demand for workers with high levels of expertise continues to grow, and top candidates are commanding best compensation and a workplace culture to match their personal needs.
As the days remaining in 2022 continue to dwindle, IT and tech workers with an eye for fresh horizons should be looking to the year ahead, where employee demand is expected to remain intense. But to look ahead, you must know which tech roles will be the hottest, where they can be found, and what specialist skills and knowledge you’ll need to secure your dream job.
Read on to discover everything you need to know about the most in-demand IT and tech roles in 2023.
What are the hottest IT and tech jobs for 2023?
The IT and tech jobs that will be in most demand next year can be summed up in one word – ‘data’.
Whether it’s to better understand and communicate with their customers, shape the products and services they sell, support their data and IT systems, administer logistics and production operations, power R&D, or better control their financial systems; organisations across the UK will require more data analysts, developers, architects, engineers, and experienced staff in the important service roles that support them, than ever before. This will create a situation where premium candidates can be selective in their employment – commanding top level salaries and benefits, opting for an employer who ticks all the right culture and ethics boxes, and choosing where, when, and how they work.
The roles in most demand in 2023
Data analysts
Business Analysts
.NET developers
Cloud/Data Architects
Data Engineers
Technical Support
Database Administrators
IT Security.
The skills and knowledge employers want
Hard skills:
SQL
Power BI
Java and Javascript
Tech stacks like React Python or .NET
Cloud computing
DevOps
Soft skills:
Project Management
Data Literacy
Technical Writing
Content Creation.
The salaries employers are offering
Average salaries for the roles above range from £35,000 to £90,000, although data architects and candidates with strong cloud skills may command salaries above the highest level.
Average salaries by role (as of August 2022):
Data engineers, architects, analysts, and cloud engineers – £85,000 – £90,000
IT security – £65,000
Database administration – £55,000
Technical support – £35,000.
Where the IT and Tech jobs are in 2023
Although London and the South-East’s Innovation Corridor will still dominate the UK tech sector and provide rich opportunities for top IT and tech workers, 2023 will be the year the North-West of England and the central belt of Scotland, rise to the fore.
Partly driven by the government’s levelling-up agenda, but also powered by businesses seeking more economical locations for their operations and wishing to engage the bright talent emerging from Scotland and the North-West’s many universities; Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh will reap the lion’s share of tech industry growth. Employees from these regions, or those willing to relocate from elsewhere, can expect to choose their next job from an array of choice opportunities.
London no longer calling?
Roles in London and surrounding regions will still pay the highest salaries, but the cost of living in the capital and a desire for more spacious homes (especially in the WFH era), are driving IT and tech talent to consider roles elsewhere. The North-West and Scotland are the key areas to watch.
Other areas where IT and tech workers will be in demand
Scotland and the North-West may be the bright new stars, but other regions will also offer fertile ground for IT and tech workers seeking change. The Thames Valley, Reading, and Birmingham are other locations to consider.
In the office, WFH, or hybrid?
According to the Q4 2022 Manpower Group Regional Outlook: “Empty office space in London has increased by 51% and the region is least likely for employers to ask workers to work in the office full time.” In other words, fully remote or hybrid working is here to stay, and employers seeking the best talent will need to consider being more flexible in terms of the working conditions they offer.
Who will be hiring? Large, medium, or small companies?
Although large organisations will continue to hire, Experis can report the majority of new IT and tech candidate requests are currently from small to medium-sized businesses. This may continue in 2023.
Which jobs in tech are in decline?
Not all IT and tech workers will enjoy high demand next year, some roles are witnessing reducing demand from employers. The reasons for decline include: new technology driving new skills, outsourcing of lower-need roles to lower-cost countries, changing consumer demands, and business attrition.
However, regardless of the reasons demand for these roles is dropping off, the situation gives candidates in these risk categories a hard choice – continue as you are and chance that your role will become obsolete or upskill yourself in the roles that employers need now and in the mid-term. Neither of these options is easy, but valuable IT and tech experience may go to waste if workers in declining roles are not offered the skill transformations they need.
Some employers may provide skills development as part of their package, but where it is not available via a corporate offer, candidates in ‘at risk’ job categories should immediately find other options to build the critical skills they need to compete for the next wave of job roles.
IT and tech roles with reducing demand
Network engineers
Single-language developers
Infrastructure engineers
Systems administrators.
Experis skills transformation resource for IT and tech workers
Start building the new skills you will need in 2023:
What are IT and tech employees asking for?
At a time where75% of employers are reporting difficulties in hiring– a 16 year high – listening, adapting, and responding to workers’ needs beyond the paycheque has become a differentiating factor in attracting and retaining the best talent. This employer sea-change is matched by candidates’ rising expectations – where compensation is a big thing, but it’s not the only thing they want in their dream job.
Great expectations – what employees are seeking most from employers
Competitive pay and benefits
Flexible working
Good company culture and ethics
Upskilling, and learning and development
Roles outside of IR35.
Why are employees changing jobs?
If IT and tech workers are seeking the features listed above in their next role, it would be expected that failure to achieve these needs in their current job is the reason they are switching. However, this is not always the case – lack of acknowledgement that workers are a valued part of the organisation and poor opportunities for career advancement are also key factors in job mobility.
Important factors for changing jobs:
Uncompetitive remuneration
Lack of flexible working
Poor company culture
Not feeling valued
Lack of opportunities for career advancement.
What about IT and tech jobs beyond 2023?
Skills and experience are more important than ever and training in the right skills at the right time is key. Tech workers must keep track of ever-changing trends and continually take training to ensure their skills remain relevant, as technology for business continues to evolve.
How to secure the hot IT and tech job you want
2023 will be the year of IT and tech, as the post-pandemic recovery gives way to an urgent need for UK businesses to invest in new technology and upgrade their ageing data systems. The growth in in-demand tech jobs will also be more widespread than ever before, and the need for candidates to offer the specific skillsets that employers want will be essential for success.
Key points workers must consider when seeking their next role:
Be prepared to relocate – some of the hottest jobs will be outside the South-East
Research before you apply – it’s not just about the paycheque, make sure your next role meets your employment expectations
Continual skills development is essential
– tech workers must seek out the training and learning that keeps their skillset at the forefront of employer demand.
Are you seeking your next IT and tech role, or the best programme for skills transformation? Talk to Experis, the UK’s experts in information technology recruitment.
Contact Experis now.
With thanks to Naomi P Arkaah, Market Researcher at Experis, Gareth Cahill, Senior Key Account Manager at Experis, and Alex Carr, Sales Operations Manager at ManpowerGroup for their market insight and expertise.
Sources and links
More open jobs than workers looking for them
Manpower talent shortage report
Innovation Corridor
North-West technology centre
Manpower Group Regional Outlook Q4 2022
Declining tech jobs
Experis online learning
Experis job search
