Looking to benchmark technology salaries in 2026?

Find out how hiring trends have shifted across technology teams and what this really means. This page breaks down the key insights from our 2026 London Technology Salary Guide, built on 20,000+ data points across 900 companies.

 

What’s changed in the 2026 tech hiring market?

After two years of hiring slowdowns, the market is recovering, but it looks very different.

Key shifts:

  • Fewer roles, but higher expectations
  • Leaner teams, more technical depth
  • AI driving structural change across organisations

Companies are no longer hiring for volume. They’re hiring for impact from day one .

What this means in practice:

  • Demand has increased for AI engineers and data leaders
  • Generalist and junior hiring has slowed
  • Salary expectations have moved beyond 2023 benchmarks

👉 See full salary benchmarks by role 

 

How are tech salaries benchmarked in this report?

We’ve structured salaries across three clear percentiles:

  • P25: Lower end (entry or less competitive offers)
  • P50: Market midpoint
  • P75: Top-end, competitive offers for in-demand talent 

This allows you to compare:

  • Your current team salaries
  • Offers you’re making
  • Market competitiveness by role and seniority

👉 Explore salary tables across engineering, AI, data, product, design & leadership

Talent Leadership Insights

Is equity now expected in tech offers?

Short answer: yes.

  • 58% of UK companies now offer equity to all employees
  • Equity is no longer a differentiator, it’s expected

What’s changed:

  • Candidates are more informed
  • They ask deeper questions about real value
  • Poorly explained equity kills offers late in process

👉 Read full equity guidance for hiring leaders 

What does pay transparency mean for UK tech companies?

With EU Pay Transparency laws coming into effect in 2026, this is becoming unavoidable.

Key implications:

  • Salary bands will increasingly be public
  • Candidates will compare offers more easily
  • Internal pay scrutiny will increase

What companies need:

  • Clear progression frameworks
  • Defined competencies by level
  • Alignment between hiring, performance, and pay

👉 See how to build a progression framework 

How is AI changing hiring in 2026?

What skills matter most for engineers now?

AI hasn’t replaced engineering skill, it’s raised the bar.

Most in-demand capabilities:

  • Problem-solving and system thinking
  • Communication and collaboration
  • Ability to guide and critique AI output

“The strongest hires aren’t those with the most polished code — they demonstrate genuine problem-solving ability.” 

How are companies assessing engineers in an AI world?

Hiring processes are evolving quickly:

  • AI-assisted coding is being tested in interviews
  • Some companies allow AI tools, others ban them
  • Live problem-solving is becoming more important

At the same time:

  • +56% increase in AI mentions in job listings
    (Source: Autodesk, 2025)
  • ~7% of all technical job postings are now AI roles
    (Source: LinkedIn, 2025)
  • +130% growth in AI roles worked by Burns Sheehan (H2 2024 → H2 2025)
    (Source: Burns Sheehan internal data)

 

👉 Explore AI salary benchmarks and roles 

How are talent teams using AI?

More than half of VC-backed teams are now using AI in hiring workflows. But the biggest shift isn’t speed, it’s filtering signal from noise.

Where AI is adding value:

  • Interview note-taking and transcription
  • Workflow automation
  • Candidate screening support

What’s staying human:

  • Decision-making
  • Relationship building
  • Final hiring judgement

👉 Read more on the AI-enabled talent stack 

C-Suite & Leadership Hiring Trends

What are companies looking for in tech leaders?

Executive hiring is opening up again, but expectations are higher.

Top priorities:

  • Practical AI literacy
  • Technical credibility (even at senior level)
  • Proven experience at the same company stage

Boards are prioritising leaders who can:

  • Turn AI into real business value
  • Scale teams efficiently
  • Deliver measurable outcomes

What do executive candidates care about in 2026?

Senior candidates are more selective than ever.

Top decision drivers:

  • Clear growth plans
  • Meaningful AI exposure
  • Financial health over hype 

👉 See full leadership salary benchmarks

Software Engineering Salaries & Trends

What are software engineers earning in London?

Salary ranges vary significantly by level and stack, but key trends include:

  • Higher salaries for AI-enabled engineers
  • Continued demand for senior and lead engineers
  • Increased value on product thinking

“The strongest hires often aren’t those with the most polished code – they’re candidates who demonstrate genuine problem-solving ability and understand the ‘why’ behind what theyre building.”
- Simon Newton, Head of Platforms @ Canva

👉 View full salary tables for:

  • Backend engineers
  • Frontend engineers
  • Full-stack engineers
  • Product engineers

What is a Product Engineer (and why are they in demand)?

A Product Engineer blends:

  • Software engineering
  • Product thinking
  • User-focused delivery

They’re especially valuable in:

  • Early-stage companies
  • Scaling teams
  • Product-led environments

👉 Explore product engineering salaries → page 13

What is a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)?

FDEs sit at the intersection of:

  • Engineering
  • Product
  • Customer success

They:

  • Work directly with customers
  • Ship production code
  • Improve product feedback loops

👉 See FDE insights → page 12

Platform, Infrastructure & Security Trends

What is an AI Platform Engineer?

One of the fastest-growing roles in 2026.

These engineers:

  • Build internal AI platforms
  • Manage infrastructure and deployment
  • Enable teams to scale AI systems

👉 Salary range & insights: page 15

Why demand is rising:

  • AI needs production-grade infrastructure
  • Companies are standardising internal tooling
  • Reliability and governance are becoming critical

Data & AI Hiring Trends

What does a modern data leader look like?

The role has shifted from technical ownership to business impact.

Top traits:

  • Commercial mindset
  • Focus on measurable outcomes
  • Ability to enable AI at scale

Which AI roles are in highest demand?

Key roles emerging in 2026:

  • AI Engineer
  • AI Product Manager
  • AI Platform Engineer
  • AI Governance / Responsible AI
  • AI Trainer / Adoption Lead 

Market insight:

  • Our AI hiring increased +130% year-on-year
  • Most demand we’re seeing sits in Series B–C companies

👉 View full AI salary benchmarks → page 19

Product & Design Salaries

What is happening with AI Product Managers?

This is one of the most interesting shifts in the market.

  • AI PMs earn 25–35% more than standard PMs 
  • But the role is likely transitional
  • AI capability will become baseline across all PM roles

👉 Explore product & design salary data → page 21

The full report includes:

  • Detailed salary tables across every function
  • Hiring trends by sector and stage
  • Practical insights from talent and tech leaders