Overview of the UK's IT industry

Discover the areas most in need of new recruits within the UK's growing IT industry and get to work with the latest technologies, such as cloud computing, machine learning and AI

What is the UK IT industry?

Typically referred to as the tech industry, the information technology (IT) sector refers to the organisations that produce, maintain and develop computer hardware and software systems used by businesses and consumers.

The workforce consists of technical positions for organisations inside and outside the sector and business professionals employed by technology companies in operational roles such as marketing, human resources (HR) and finance.

For instance, your job may involve creating applications or systems, solving problems with technology, or supporting those who use it. You could also work in the IT department of retail, finance, manufacturing, or public sector organisations.

How big is the UK tech sector?

According to Tech Nation's 2024 report, the UK tech sector was valued at $1.1 trillion (£784billion) at the start of 2024, making it the leading tech ecosystem in Europe.

CompTIA's State of the Tech Workforce UK 2024 report showed that the sector employed 2.1 million workers in 2023, with employment to increase by nearly 2% in 2024.

What areas of IT can I work in?

If you possess the relevant knowledge and technical skills, you could work in:

applications development
artificial intelligence (AI)
cloud computing
computer forensics
content management
cyber security and risk management
data analysis and analytics
game development
geographical information systems (GIS)
hardware engineering
information management
IT consultancy (business and technical)
IT sales
machine learning
multimedia programming
software engineering (designing, building, developing and testing)
systems/network management
technical support
telecommunications
web design/development.

Who are the main IT graduate employers?

Large and global companies include:

Accenture
Amazon
Apple
Capgemini
CGI
Cisco
Cognizant
Dell
FDM Group
Fujitsu
Google
IBM
Infosys
Intel
Meta (Facebook)
Microsoft
Oracle
Rockstar Games
Samsung
Softcat
Ubisoft.

Major telecommunications companies include:

BT Group (EE, Openreach, Plusnet)
Sky UK
TalkTalk
Telefónica UK (O2)
Three
Vodafone.

As the sector is fast-moving and dynamic, there are also many smaller businesses and tech start-ups that are worth seeking out for entry-level job opportunities, such as consultancy and technical roles.

What other sectors can IT professionals work in?

Financial services - recruiters such as Barclays, Citigroup, Deloitte, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley are looking for IT graduates to work with the latest technologies. These include jobs focusing on AI, cloud services, virtual reality software development, robotics process automation, user experience (UX) or analytics.
Manufacturing - multinational engineering companies in the oil, pharmaceutical, automotive and energy industries need IT specialists to work on the processes and technologies that underpin their operations. For instance, aerospace and defence innovator MBDA requires software engineers with programming language skills.
Public sector - local authorities, central government and the National Health Service (NHS) recruit IT professionals to keep their systems running smoothly, deliver projects and analyse data efficiently so it can be used to make major decisions.
Retail - major online and high street retailers such as Amazon, Tesco, TJX Europe and John Lewis look to technology graduates to develop new systems and apps while rolling out technological solutions that satisfy their customers' needs.

Where can I find IT jobs in the UK?

Most employers expect you to have gained some technical knowledge, although any relevant IT work experience or internship would be beneficial as you seek your first role.

Consider what you can do with degrees in computer science or information systems.

You can visit the websites of major IT and telecommunications companies to browse job opportunities and explore their technology graduate schemes.

Vacancies for entry-level and graduate jobs can also be found on specialist IT recruitment sites, including:

IT jobs in the public sector can be found on websites such as:

In addition, you can look for IT vacancies on general job websites, as employers across all sectors require graduates to fill IT and computing roles in their organisations.

Explore the range of technical careers on offer at IT graduate jobs. You can also search for graduate jobs in IT.

How do I apply for IT roles?

An IT CV, also known as a technical CV, can be used to apply for roles such as:

applications developer
IT consultant
software tester
web developer.

Include an introductory paragraph mentioning your technical expertise and experience and incorporate a 'key skills' heading for more detail when discussing technical competencies.

While you might be tempted to showcase all your technical abilities simultaneously, ensure that you highlight relevant skills first and foremost. You should also remember that the document will need to be understood by non-technical people such as HR managers.

Use this CV template to focus on your:

ability to maintain existing software applications and develop new ones
experience in applying technical standards, theories and techniques
problem-solving capabilities
communication skills.

What's it like working in IT?

Graduates entering the IT industry in the UK can expect:

An average starting salary - according to High Fliers' The Graduate Market in 2024 report, starting salaries for technology jobs with organisations featuring in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list are £33,000.
Long working hours - employers tend to emphasise completing a task or project over maintaining standard 9am to 5pm office hours.
Opportunities to work abroad - many large IT companies have branches or subsidiaries in other countries.
The chance to be self-employed - it's not unusual for graduates to go freelance, work as contractors, or even start their own companies.
A constantly changing industry - as new technologies and software are developed, it's important to keep your skills up to date to remain at the top of your profession.

Discover more about salaries and working conditions by exploring our IT job profiles.

What are the IT skills shortages?

Representing over 800 member organisations, the industry trade association techUK has highlighted the need to address the UK's growing digital skills gaps to remain at the forefront of innovation and research and development (R&D).

Nimmi Patel, head of skills, talent and diversity at techUK, explains, 'The UK's tech sector is growing at two and a half times the rate of the rest of the economy, creating exciting jobs that require a range of skills and talent - but the UK is still facing a major digital skills shortage. To effectively prepare our workforce in an ever-changing digital economy, we need to inspire and support people into digital roles.

'There are a number of vocational and academic pathways that can provide people with the right technical skills to flourish in the industry, but the IT sector needs more than developers and programmers,' adds Nimmi.

TechNation also found that while the number of advertised tech jobs had risen to a remarkable two million, higher than in any other area of the UK jobs market, many employers still struggle to fill their vacancies.

The top in-demand skills are those associated with data, followed by management, engineering and security.

The key roles employers are looking to fill include:

business analyst
data analyst
DevOps engineer
Java developer
project manager
software developer.

According to a report on What If the IT Skills Gap Widens in 2024? by IT services firm CSI, the widest gap is in cyber security. It noted the World Economic Forum's findings that the industry requires another 3.4 million experts. Get the lowdown on cyber security training.

With such a strong demand for professionals with the required skills, career changers of any age can retrain and gain industry-recognised certifications in these areas. Read more about IT courses at all experience levels.

What about trends in the IT industry?

In its research for a piece on AI and digital in business life 2024, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, spoke with IT leaders and digital professionals about their most important issues.

Driven by advancements in digital technologies and the need to remain secure, the report revealed that both sets of respondents had made cyber security their main technological priority - over a third (38%) and a quarter (26%) of each group, respectively.

This was followed by AI, which a fifth (21%) of IT leaders and digital professionals made their second key issue. Business process automation was the third top priority for both groups.

Despite these findings, less than a tenth (8%) of respondents thought that their organisations had enough resources to achieve these technology priorities.

Both groups also agreed that their existing workforce needed enhanced IT capabilities and skills, with two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed highlighting this. Nearly three-quarters (70%) felt that these gaps could be filled through upskilling/on-the-job training, with a quarter (26%) looking to general recruitment to meet their needs.

Other priorities included:

cloud
aiming for net zero
data science
the as-a-service model (for example, SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, X-aaS)
DevOps
5G.

Find out more

Explore IT apprenticeships.
Read about diversity in the tech industry.
Take the Tech Career Quiz from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.