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Looking for an IT job? The streets of London really are paved with gold

IT workers in the capital can expect to out-earn their peers around the country.
Written by Steve Ranger, Global News Director

IT workers in the UK's capital are significantly out-earning their peers working in other parts of the country, thanks to high demand for skilled tech staff.

Across the country, those working in IT are paid an average of £45,597, which is a healthy £17,411 higher than the average salary for all workers, which stands at £28,186.

But the average salary of an IT worker in the capital is £56,574 - based on a sample of 54,875 IT professionals working there - compared to the average London salary of £33,952.

This means IT workers in London are earning £22,622 more than the London average. According to recruitment company Randstad Technologies, which carried out the research, even after taking into account the generally higher salaries in the capital, London tech salaries are nine percent higher than those elsewhere.

London IT salaries are boosted by the high demand for tech staff in London, from start-ups but also from large international companies headquartered in the capital.

Randstad Technologies managing director Ruth Jacobs said: "Not only are average salaries higher in London, but tech workers are paid a higher wage compared to their peers, meaning they earn more relative to their neighbours than in other regions."

According to Randstad's calculations, techies in Scotland are also out-earning the average, with a 'salary premium' in the country of six percent above the average.

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IT Salary Premiums/Discounts by Region
Image: Randstad Technologies

The results also showed that IT workers in Northern Ireland are most likely to be comparatively underpaid. In this region, IT workers earn just £10,018 more than the regional average, which means they are being paid £7,392 less than they might expect given their location and profession - a salary discount of 22 percent.

The same is apparently occurring - to a lesser extent - in the Midlands. IT workers are paid an average of 15 percent lower than would be expected in the East Midlands, and 13 percent lower than expected in the West Midlands.

The study analysed more than 870,000 CVs and pay packets including those of 177,300 IT workers.

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