The West Midlands has been named the UK's fastest-growing tech sector, with the area set to create thousands of new digital jobs by the end of 2025.
The region has been recognised ahead of Birmingham Tech Week as a top performer for digital growth, with an estimated 52,000 digital roles set to be added to the area over the next four years, according to a report from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
How to build a unicorn A guide to the UK’s tech sector Can the UK's tech sector still attract investment after Brexit?
It's also expected to generate at least £2.7 billion for the local economy by 2025, with tech companies in the West Midlands raising £454 million in venture capital funding already this year, compared to just £358 million last year. Tech vacancies have also increased, from 5,099 in December 2020 to 9,287 in October 2021.
Much of the region's success comes from Birmingham, with the city holding an average advertised salary of £51,774 for digital tech roles, according to recruitment site Adzuna. The highest paying jobs in the city include data architects, with an average advertised salary of £76,052, while technical architect and Python developer roles carry an average advertised salary of £74,043 and £63,480, respectively.
According to the analysis by Tech Nation, Birmingham is the second top-ranked city for cost of living versus salary for tech roles, with these positions making up 22% of all job openings in 2020 - growth of 17% compared to 2018. The city is also home to 1,308 startups, which are transforming industries such as ed-tech, digitisation and manufacturing
"As Birmingham Tech Week kicks off it's great to see the digital sector in the West Midlands entering a golden era," said digital minister Chris Philp. "There are high-quality and well-paid job opportunities for those who want to pursue a career in tech and the region is fast becoming a powerhouse of digital talent.
"We are determined to level up the country and we are working around the clock to back digital businesses with pro-innovation policies to boost digital skills and create jobs so everyone can benefit from this dynamic sector."
-
Third time lucky? Microsoft finally begins roll-out of controversial Recall featureNews The Windows Recall feature has been plagued by setbacks and backlash from security professionals
-
The UK government wants quantum technology out of the lab and in the hands of enterprisesNews The UK government has unveiled plans to invest £121 million in quantum computing projects in an effort to drive real-world applications and adoption rates.
-
Optimise CX and accelerate business growth through your voice networkwhitepaper Protecting the human experience in a digital world
-
Enterprises are doubling down on IT optimization strategies – and it’s delivering huge financial returnsNews Organizations that have cracked IT cost optimization and innovation reap the rewards both financially and in terms of time to market.
-
IDC InfoBrief: Sustainability doesn’t need to be all stick and no carrotwhitepaper CIOs are facing two conflicting strategic imperatives
-
How to empower employees to accelerate emissions reductionin depth With ICT accounting for as much as 3% of global carbon emissions, the same as aviation, the industry needs to increase emissions reduction
-
The Forrester Wave™: API management solutionsWhitepaper The 15 providers that matter the most and how they stack up
-
Is Rishi Sunak’s ‘Unicorn Kingdom’ a reachable goal or a mere pipedream?Analysis Plunging venture capital investment and warnings over high-growth company support raise doubts over the ‘Unicorn Kingdom’ ambition
-
Some Tech Nation programs could continue after Founders Forum acquisitionNews The acquisition brings to a close a months-long saga over what the future holds for Tech Nation initiatives
-
Former TSB CIO fined £81,000 for botched IT migrationNews It’s the first penalty imposed on an individual involved in the infamous migration project
