UK pay growth is becoming increasingly concentrated in specialist, high-skill roles, with technology positions now dominating the top end of advertised salaries. A new analysis suggests that while median pay continues to rise overall, the benefits are being felt unevenly across sectors, regions and job types.
The latest figures point to a labour market where demand for advanced technical capability is shaping how employers price roles, even as many workers continue to struggle with rising living costs. While advertised salaries have increased year on year, a large proportion of employees report cutting back on both discretionary and essential spending, indicating that higher pay offers are not translating into broader financial security.
At the same time, the data shows a growing divide between high paying knowledge based roles and lower paid frontline work. As employers compete for scarce expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, data and software development, workers in customer facing and service roles continue to fall behind national averages.
Technical skills drive highest salaries
The findings come from new analysis by recruitment platform Totaljobs, which examined more than 21.6 million job adverts across the UK labour market. It found that median advertised pay rose by 7.5 percent year on year to just over £33,500, with growth driven largely by demand for specialist technical skills.
Roles within the technology sector dominate the upper end of the pay scale. Median advertised salaries for Python developers were listed at £90,000, followed by technical architects at £87,500 and artificial intelligence software developers at £75,000. Senior software engineers also featured prominently, with median pay of £70,000.
Mentions of technical skills within job adverts rose by 12 percent between 2024 and 2025, reinforcing the link between advanced capability and pay. Recruiters increasingly rank artificial intelligence and automation expertise as the most valuable capability when determining salary and progression, ahead of leadership or broader technical experience.
The analysis also found that technology workers were among the most likely to receive pay increases, with around two thirds reporting a rise in the past year.
Frontline sectors continue to lag behind
While specialist roles pull ahead, industries with large frontline and customer facing workforces remain among the lowest paid. Median advertised salaries in hospitality, retail, travel and administrative roles all sit below £28,000, well under the national median.
The data shows how pay progression is increasingly shaped by access to specialist and digital skills, even beyond traditionally technical occupations. As more roles require data literacy, systems knowledge or automation capability, workers without access to training or development opportunities risk being locked out of higher pay bands.
This divide is reinforced by employee sentiment data included in the analysis. Despite a majority of workers receiving a pay rise in the past year, more than half reported cutting back on leisure spending, while nearly a third said they had reduced spending on essentials. The findings point to a disconnect between headline pay growth and lived financial pressure.
Regional pay gaps remain pronounced
The analysis also reveals major differences in earning potential across the UK. London remains the highest-paying city, with a median advertised salary of £40,000 and the widest range of available roles.
Several regional centres are beginning to narrow the gap. Oxford, Birmingham and Leeds all recorded median salaries above £35,000, supported by demand in education, healthcare, technology and professional services. These centres appear to be benefiting from a broader mix of skilled roles and more diverse local labour markets.
But the national pay divide remains substantial. In Swansea, the median advertised salary was just over £29,000, more than £10,000 lower than London, underlining how uneven pay growth continues to be across the country.
Pay increasingly linked to skills and progression
Commenting on the findings, Luke McKend, managing director at jobs platform The Stepstone Group, said advertised pay was continuing to rise despite softer hiring volumes.
“Across the UK labour market, we’re seeing a clear recalibration. Hiring volumes remain softer than the post-pandemic peak, yet advertised pay continues to rise, particularly for roles requiring advanced technical, leadership or AI-driven skills,” he said.
“These trends form part of a wider workforce rebalancing, where long-term structural forces are reshaping the supply and demand for skills,” he said.
McKend pointed to growing expectations around progression and fairness. “With salary now a proxy for value, opportunity and equity, accessible data is essential to building a more informed and competitive jobs market in 2026 and beyond,” he said.
