PhD Contract Job Trends in London
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil, EngD, Doctorate)
England > London
The table below provides summary statistics for contract job vacancies advertised in London citing PhD qualifications. It includes a benchmarking guide to the contractor rates offered over the 6 months leading up to 25 October 2026, comparing them to the same period in the previous two years.
| 6 months to 25 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 416 | 332 | 346 |
| Rank change year-on-year | -84 | +14 | +29 |
| Contract jobs citing PhD | 38 | 44 | 34 |
| As % of all contract jobs in London | 0.19% | 0.33% | 0.22% |
| As % of the Qualifications category | 0.64% | 1.22% | 0.85% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 10th Percentile | £413 | £463 | £500 |
| 25th Percentile | £482 | £537 | £555 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £675 | £650 | £725 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +3.85% | -10.34% | -9.38% |
| 75th Percentile | £746 | £763 | £859 |
| 90th Percentile | £785 | £1,000 | £986 |
| England median daily rate | £658 | £575 | £700 |
| % change year-on-year | +14.35% | -17.86% | -6.67% |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 10th Percentile | - | - | - |
| 25th Percentile | - | £78.75 | - |
| Median hourly rate | £36.00 | £82.50 | - |
| Median % change year-on-year | -56.36% | - | - |
| 75th Percentile | £60.50 | £86.25 | - |
| 90th Percentile | £75.20 | - | - |
| England median hourly rate | £42.98 | £29.61 | £23.25 |
| % change year-on-year | +45.15% | +27.35% | - |
All Academic and Professional Certifications
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 citing academic qualifications or professional certifications in London.
| 6 months to 25 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract vacancies citing academic qualifications or professional certifications | 5,952 | 3,613 | 4,000 |
| As % of all contract jobs advertised in London | 29.26% | 26.95% | 25.32% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 4,311 | 2,446 | 2,550 |
| 10th Percentile | £363 | £351 | £350 |
| 25th Percentile | £456 | £431 | £450 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £550 | £537 | £544 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +2.42% | -1.24% | -1.14% |
| 75th Percentile | £650 | £653 | £650 |
| 90th Percentile | £738 | £738 | £775 |
| England median daily rate | £537 | £525 | £529 |
| % change year-on-year | +2.29% | -0.76% | -3.82% |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 120 | 84 | 59 |
| 10th Percentile | £19.03 | £19.05 | £18.13 |
| 25th Percentile | £24.38 | - | £28.50 |
| Median hourly rate | £52.75 | £25.15 | £42.50 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +109.74% | -40.82% | -22.73% |
| 75th Percentile | £78.75 | £39.53 | £61.88 |
| 90th Percentile | £155.00 | £65.00 | £76.68 |
| England median hourly rate | £47.50 | £25.15 | £52.50 |
| % change year-on-year | +88.87% | -52.10% | -1.87% |
PhD Job Vacancy Trend in London
Historical trend showing the proportion of contract IT job postings citing PhD relative to all contract IT jobs advertised in London.
PhD Daily Rate Trend in London
Contractor daily rate distribution trend for jobs in London citing PhD.
PhD Daily Rate Histogram in London
Daily rate distribution for jobs citing PhD in London over the 6 months to 25 October 2026.
PhD Hourly Rate Trend in London
Contractor hourly rate distribution trend for jobs in London citing PhD.
PhD Hourly Rate Histogram in London
Hourly rate distribution for jobs citing PhD in London over the 6 months to 25 October 2026.
PhD Contract Job Locations in London
The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median contractor rates quoted in IT jobs citing PhD within the London region over the 6 months to 25 October 2026. The 'Rank Change' column provides an indication of the change in demand within each location based on the same 6 month period last year.
| Location | Rank Change on Same Period Last Year |
Job Ads Past 6 Months |
Median Daily Rate Past 6 Months |
Median Daily Rate % Change on Same Period Last Year |
Live Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central London | -29 | 1 | £755 | +23.27% | 52 |
| PhD England |
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PhD Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in 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 | 94.7% | 36 |
| 2 | Master's Degree | 68.4% | 26 |
| 3 | Computer Science Degree | 21.1% | 8 |
| 4 | BPSS Clearance | 15.8% | 6 |
| 5 | Postgraduate | 5.3% | 2 |
| 5 | SC Cleared | 5.3% | 2 |
| 5 | Security Cleared | 5.3% | 2 |
| 8 | Microsoft Certified Professional | 2.6% | 1 |