The Tech Nation 2016 Report: The UK’s digital sector to earn better wages than the rest of the economy

Myra E. Economy, Employment and Growth, Features, Freelance Contractors 349 Views

IT workers in the UK’s digital sector can expect to earn better wages than the rest of the economy, according to the latest government data.

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The Tech Nation 2016 report has revealed that the average salary within the digital sector has reached just under £50,000, which is 36 per cent higher than the national average and indicates growth of 13 per cent between 2012 and 2015.

The report revealed that the digital technology industries are growing 32 per cent faster than the average in other sectors, with a combined average turnover of £161 billion and a total number of jobs of almost 1.6 million.

This growth is creating a large number of highly paid opportunities for IT contractors and other tech workers, according to the study, which also revealed that three-quarters of tech businesses were based in London.

Commenting on the report’s conclusion, Geoff Mulgan, chief executive of Nesta, which backed the report alongside Tech City UK, said: “Digital jobs and activity are becoming more important in apparently non-digital industries.”

“And it’s why the premium is so high, at an average of over £15,000 for digital over non-digital jobs. I hope that parents and teenagers will get the message – that acquiring digital skills pays off, wherever you are.”