UK developer pay hits record levels as AI skills drive demand

New research from the Stack Overflow 2025 Developer Survey shows that UK developer salaries have reached historic levels, driven by rising demand for artificial intelligence expertise and specialised technical skills.

According to the survey, senior executives now occupy the top tier for UK developer earnings, with a median salary of GBP £122,000. AI and machine learning engineers follow with a median of GBP £112,000, and engineering managers earn an average of GBP £102,000.

The report highlights that, while the United States still retains the highest developer salaries globally, the gap with the UK is decreasing. In the US, lead UK-equivalent roles can command salaries exceeding USD $189,500 (GBP £141,900), but ongoing infrastructure investment by major technology companies such as Microsoft and Google in the UK could bring domestic pay more in line with US rates.

The study provides further insight into pay distribution across different technical specialisms. Back-end developers in the UK are now earning more than their front-end counterparts, with a median rate of GBP £81,000 compared to GBP £76,000 recorded in 2024. This suggests increased demand for back-end specialisation in 2025, and a growing recognition of the skills required in those roles.

Other technology roles have experienced notable pay adjustments. Product managers saw the largest global salary increase, with a 29.3% year-on-year rise. Applied scientists and game developers also experienced sharp increases, at 28.9% and 28.7% respectively. Mobile and front-end developers recorded growth of 27.1% and 24%. In contrast, more established roles such as data engineers, cloud infrastructure engineers, and QA/test developers saw only moderate increases of 5.1%, 6.7%, and 8.4% respectively. The survey attributes this to stabilisation in mature technical disciplines, as newer areas attract more focus and investment.

Programmeming language trends continue to show a distinction between widespread use and remuneration. As in previous years, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and Python are the most frequently used programming languages among developers worldwide, reflecting their importance in web and data-intensive projects. The study finds that developers using more niche languages such as Scala, Rust, and Elixir are often rewarded with higher median salaries, reflecting ongoing demand for specialised skillsets in certain enterprise and performance-critical environments.

The survey also sheds light on the adoption of artificial intelligence in daily development practices. A significant proportion of UK developers - 83% - reported using ChatGPT in their workflow, with 69% interested in increasing their usage. However, the integration has not been without its difficulties.

42% say debugging AI-generated code takes longer than expected, and 20% of respondents observe that AI solutions are often "good, but not great at handling complex tasks."

Despite such reservations, only 14% of UK developers view AI as a threat to their employment. The majority, 67%, believe that AI poses no threat to their jobs at present.

The motivation to develop AI-related expertise is clear, with nearly one in three developers (31%) learning AI tools to progress their careers. A further 25% are motivated by personal interest in AI technologies. In terms of training methods, most UK developers choose to learn on the job and through technical documentation instead of relying on formal educational routes for AI upskilling.

The trend known as "vibe coding", which has gained some attention elsewhere, has not had the same impact in the UK. The report found that 83% of UK developers have not tried this approach.

The Stack Overflow 2025 Developer Survey collected over 49,000 responses globally, with 2,036 from the UK.