PhD Contract Job Trends in the City of London
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil, EngD, Doctorate)
Central London > City of London
The table below provides summary statistics for contract job vacancies advertised in the City of London with a requirement for PhD qualifications. It includes a benchmarking guide to the contractor rates offered over the 6 months leading up to 17 October 2026, comparing them to the same period in the previous two years.
| 6 months to 17 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 144 | 112 | 123 |
| Rank change year-on-year | -32 | +11 | +22 |
| Contract jobs citing PhD | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| As % of all contract jobs in the City of London | 0.047% | 0.41% | 0.14% |
| As % of the Qualifications category | 0.18% | 1.61% | 0.58% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 10th Percentile | - | £519 | £601 |
| 25th Percentile | £728 | £563 | £602 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £755 | £650 | £606 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +16.15% | +7.22% | -21.77% |
| 75th Percentile | £783 | £763 | £614 |
| 90th Percentile | - | - | £617 |
| Central London median daily rate | £755 | £650 | £606 |
| % change year-on-year | +16.15% | +7.22% | -21.77% |
All Academic and Professional Certifications
City of London
PhD falls under the Academic Qualifications and Professional Certifications category. For comparison with the information above, the following table provides summary statistics for all contract job vacancies requiring academic qualifications or professional certifications in the City of London.
| 6 months to 17 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract vacancies requiring academic qualifications or professional certifications | 562 | 435 | 520 |
| As % of all contract IT jobs advertised in the City of London | 26.24% | 25.36% | 24.52% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 389 | 298 | 308 |
| 10th Percentile | £404 | £347 | £360 |
| 25th Percentile | £463 | £456 | £463 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £540 | £550 | £563 |
| Median % change year-on-year | -1.82% | -2.22% | +0.45% |
| 75th Percentile | £638 | £673 | £659 |
| 90th Percentile | £738 | £738 | £775 |
| Central London median daily rate | £545 | £550 | £550 |
| % change year-on-year | -0.91% | - | - |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 10th Percentile | £23.30 | £20.55 | £23.10 |
| 25th Percentile | £29.00 | £25.75 | £27.00 |
| Median hourly rate | £60.00 | £27.50 | £32.50 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +118.18% | -15.38% | -30.11% |
| 75th Percentile | £65.00 | £28.91 | £112.00 |
| 90th Percentile | £119.20 | £50.91 | - |
| Central London median hourly rate | £54.50 | £28.15 | £32.50 |
| % change year-on-year | +93.61% | -13.38% | +80.56% |
PhD Job Vacancy Trend in the City of London
Historical trend showing the proportion of contract IT job postings citing PhD relative to all contract IT jobs advertised in the City of London.
PhD Daily Rate Trend in the City of London
Contractor daily rate distribution trend for jobs in the City of London citing PhD.
PhD Hourly Rate Trend in the City of London
Contractor hourly rate distribution trend for jobs in the City of London citing PhD.
PhD Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the City of London by Category
The table below expands on the one above by listing co-occurrences one category at a time. It covers the same employment type, locality and period, with up to 20 co-occurrences in each category.
Qualifications
| Rank | Skill | Share | Job Ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Degree | 100.0% | 1 |
| 1 | Master's Degree | 100.0% | 1 |