The best and worst places for tech jobs in the UK in 2024

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According to a review by the company eskimoz.co.uk, London continues to dominate the top spots for technology job opportunities. At the same time, certain areas in the North East and Wales are facing challenges.

The outcome singles out the City of London as the best place for technology jobs in the UK, recording the highest wages (£30.15/hour) and the shortest commute (5.4 kilometres annually). This area achieved the highest final score of 90.00, with seven percent growth in the number of technology enterprises.

Conversely, Thurrock in Essex was identified as the least desirable area for technology jobs, experiencing the second-fastest rate of decline in the tech sector (35.5 percent). Thurrock has a final score of 50, with an average hourly wage of £16.33, and a total of 300 enterprises.

The review analysed 169 UK counties/local authorities based on six criteria: commute distance, tech employment percentage, median hourly pay, pay increase from 2020-2023, number of tech enterprises, and their growth rate. Scores were normalized and weighted to ensure fairness, resulting in final scores from 50 to 90. Data was sourced from Nomis, provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The compiled data shows the top twenty best areas for technology jobs in the UK to be:

The largest technology industry is in the county of Surrey, while the smallest is in Blaenau Gwent.

Other interesting trends included Middlesbrough showing the highest enterprise growth at 13.8 percent. Whereas the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham recorded the lowest enterprise growth at minus 13.8 percent.

With wages, Herefordshire has recorded the lowest gross hourly median pay at £14.23/hr.

Westminster (in London) secures the second spot with a score of 89.8. It features a robust tech sector with 5,730 enterprises, growing at an impressive rate of 8.2 percent. The average hourly wage is £24.16, and the annual commute distance is 101.7 km, making it one of the top areas for tech employment.
 

Camden ranks third with a score of 88.84. The area has 5,355 tech enterprises and a growth rate of 6.7 percent. Tech professionals here earn an average of £22.43 per hour, and the annual commute distance is 102. 5 km, highlighting its strong tech job market.

Hackney holds the fourth position with a score of 88.28. The area is home to 4,5 tech firms and has a moderate growth rate of 4 percent. The average hourly wage is £23.90, and the annual commute distance is 134.3 km. Islington is fifth with a score of 82.2.