Microsoft 365 Contract Job Trends in the North of England

Microsoft 365 (M365, Office 365, O365)
England > North of England

The table below provides summary statistics and contractor rates for jobs advertised in the North of England requiring Microsoft 365 skills. It covers contract job vacancies from the 6 months leading up to 25 August 2026, with comparisons to the same periods in the previous two years.

6 months to
25 Aug 2026
Same period 2025 Same period 2024
Rank 35 42 33
Rank change year-on-year +7 -9 -6
Contract jobs citing Microsoft 365 397 207 190
As % of all contract jobs in the North of England 5.28% 5.17% 4.51%
As % of the Cloud Services category 15.74% 15.11% 14.75%
Number of daily rates quoted 253 130 131
10th Percentile £145 £132 £163
25th Percentile £185 £181 £192
Median daily rate (50th Percentile) £250 £235 £300
Median % change year-on-year +6.38% -21.67% -4.76%
75th Percentile £460 £442 £500
90th Percentile £581 £539 £638
England median daily rate £400 £325 £400
% change year-on-year +23.08% -18.75% +6.67%
Number of hourly rates quoted 37 15 10
10th Percentile £16.00 £12.50 £12.00
25th Percentile £17.25 £12.82 £14.30
Median hourly rate £25.38 £13.00 £20.50
Median % change year-on-year +95.23% -36.59% +17.14%
75th Percentile £26.50 £18.87 £21.88
90th Percentile £178.75 £30.63 £23.05
England median hourly rate £17.64 £19.27 £20.00
% change year-on-year -8.46% -3.65% +5.26%

All Cloud Computing Skills
North of England

Microsoft 365 falls under the Cloud Services category. For comparison with the information above, the following table provides summary statistics for all contract job vacancies requiring cloud computing skills in the North of England.

Contract vacancies with a requirement for cloud computing skills 2,523 1,370 1,288
As % of all contract IT jobs advertised in the North of England 33.55% 34.22% 30.59%
Number of daily rates quoted 1,631 984 872
10th Percentile £288 £300 £288
25th Percentile £400 £375 £400
Median daily rate (50th Percentile) £500 £461 £485
Median % change year-on-year +8.40% -4.90% -4.90%
75th Percentile £588 £538 £575
90th Percentile £675 £625 £650
England median daily rate £525 £510 £525
% change year-on-year +2.94% -2.86% -4.55%
Number of hourly rates quoted 137 34 28
10th Percentile £17.25 £12.82 £12.00
25th Percentile £25.38 £17.75 £16.06
Median hourly rate £65.00 £40.59 £21.00
Median % change year-on-year +60.14% +93.29% -22.79%
75th Percentile £70.00 £67.25 £46.18
90th Percentile £77.00 £85.00 £61.53
England median hourly rate £35.00 £26.15 £27.00
% change year-on-year +33.84% -3.15% -18.18%

Microsoft 365
Job Vacancy Trend in the North of England

Historical trend showing the proportion of contract IT job postings citing Microsoft 365 relative to all contract IT jobs advertised in the North of England.

Microsoft 365 job vacancy trend in the North of England

Microsoft 365
Daily Rate Trend in the North of England

Contractor daily rate distribution trend for jobs in the North of England citing Microsoft 365.

Contractor daily rate distribution trend for jobs in the North of England citing Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365
Daily Rate Histogram in the North of England

Daily rate distribution for jobs citing Microsoft 365 in the North of England over the 6 months to 25 August 2026.

Daily rate histogram for Microsoft 365 in the North of England

Microsoft 365
Hourly Rate Trend in the North of England

Contractor hourly rate distribution trend for jobs in the North of England citing Microsoft 365.

Contractor hourly rate distribution trend for jobs in the North of England citing Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365
Hourly Rate Histogram in the North of England

Hourly rate distribution of jobs citing Microsoft 365 in the North of England over the 6 months to 25 August 2026.

Hourly rate histogram for Microsoft 365 in the North of England

Microsoft 365
Contract Job Locations in the North of England

The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median contractor rates quoted in IT jobs citing Microsoft 365 within the North of England region over the 6 months to 25 August 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
Matching
Contract
IT Job Ads
Median
Daily Rate
Past 6 Months
Median Daily Rate
% Change
on Same Period
Last Year
Live
Jobs
North West +13 234 £250 -23.08% 105
Yorkshire -7 145 £240 +2.13% 69
North East -34 21 £270 +38.46% 26
Microsoft 365
England

Microsoft 365
Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the North of England by Category

The following tables expand on the one above by listing co-occurrences grouped by category. They cover the same employment type, locality and period, with up to 20 co-occurrences shown in each category:

Application Platforms
1 137 (34.51%) SharePoint
2 83 (20.91%) Microsoft Exchange
3 8 (2.02%) SharePoint Server
4 5 (1.26%) Confluence
5 3 (0.76%) CMS
6 1 (0.25%) IIS
6 1 (0.25%) Mendix
6 1 (0.25%) SharePoint 2013
Applications
1 21 (5.29%) Microsoft Office
2 7 (1.76%) Microsoft Excel
3 3 (0.76%) Acrobat
3 3 (0.76%) Chatbot
4 1 (0.25%) Microsoft PowerPoint
4 1 (0.25%) Microsoft Project
4 1 (0.25%) MS Visio
Business Applications
1 8 (2.02%) Remedy ITSM
2 3 (0.76%) Dynamics CRM
3 1 (0.25%) Workday HCM
Cloud Services
1 149 (37.53%) Azure
2 112 (28.21%) Entra ID
3 61 (15.37%) Power Platform
4 54 (13.60%) OneDrive
5 51 (12.85%) Microsoft Copilot
6 29 (7.30%) Power Automate
6 29 (7.30%) PowerApps
7 18 (4.53%) Azure DevOps
8 17 (4.28%) AWS
9 14 (3.53%) Dynamics 365
9 14 (3.53%) GCP
10 11 (2.77%) GitHub
10 11 (2.77%) Google Workspace
10 11 (2.77%) SaaS
11 10 (2.52%) GitHub Actions
12 9 (2.27%) Azure AI
12 9 (2.27%) Microsoft Purview
13 7 (1.76%) Copilot Studio
13 7 (1.76%) Google Drive
14 6 (1.51%) Azure Logic Apps
Communications & Networking
1 36 (9.07%) VPN
2 29 (7.30%) DNS
3 21 (5.29%) DHCP
4 19 (4.79%) Firewall
5 17 (4.28%) LAN
5 17 (4.28%) VLAN
6 15 (3.78%) Wi-Fi
7 12 (3.02%) TCP/IP
7 12 (3.02%) Wireless
8 11 (2.77%) WAN
9 9 (2.27%) SAN
9 9 (2.27%) VoIP
9 9 (2.27%) WLAN
10 7 (1.76%) BGP
10 7 (1.76%) Cisco ASA
10 7 (1.76%) Cisco Nexus
10 7 (1.76%) OSPF
11 6 (1.51%) Cisco Firepower
12 5 (1.26%) NAS
12 5 (1.26%) Network Security
Database & Business Intelligence
1 24 (6.05%) Power BI
2 6 (1.51%) Amazon RDS
2 6 (1.51%) SQL Server
3 4 (1.01%) Metadata
4 3 (0.76%) Data Warehouse
5 2 (0.50%) Azure SQL Database
5 2 (0.50%) Data Lake
5 2 (0.50%) EDRMS
6 1 (0.25%) Azure SQL Data Warehouse
6 1 (0.25%) Star Schema
Development Applications
1 17 (4.28%) JIRA
2 4 (1.01%) MSI
3 3 (0.76%) Browser DevTools
3 3 (0.76%) Fiddler
4 2 (0.50%) Jenkins
4 2 (0.50%) SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
4 2 (0.50%) Terragrunt
4 2 (0.50%) Zephyr
General
1 154 (38.79%) Social Skills
2 49 (12.34%) Public Sector
3 46 (11.59%) Analytical Skills
4 35 (8.82%) Legal
5 29 (7.30%) Finance
6 15 (3.78%) Organisational Skills
7 11 (2.77%) Law
7 11 (2.77%) Manufacturing
8 9 (2.27%) Documentation Skills
8 9 (2.27%) Local Government
9 7 (1.76%) Telecoms
10 6 (1.51%) Inclusion and Diversity
11 5 (1.26%) Banking
11 5 (1.26%) Games
12 4 (1.01%) Influencing Skills
12 4 (1.01%) Pharmaceutical
12 4 (1.01%) Police
13 3 (0.76%) Retail
14 2 (0.50%) Advertising
14 2 (0.50%) Presentation Skills
Job Titles
1 97 (24.43%) IT Support
2 68 (17.13%) Support Engineer
3 59 (14.86%) IT Engineer
4 58 (14.61%) IT Support Engineer
5 49 (12.34%) Analyst
6 29 (7.30%) 2nd Line Support
7 25 (6.30%) Service Analyst
7 25 (6.30%) Service Desk Analyst
8 22 (5.54%) 1st Line Support
8 22 (5.54%) Architect
8 22 (5.54%) Senior
9 21 (5.29%) 2nd Line Engineer
10 19 (4.79%) IT Analyst
10 19 (4.79%) Microsoft 365 Engineer
11 16 (4.03%) 2nd Line Support Engineer
11 16 (4.03%) Support Analyst
12 15 (3.78%) Administrator
12 15 (3.78%) Designer
12 15 (3.78%) Lead
13 14 (3.53%) Solutions Architect
Libraries, Frameworks & Software Standards
1 16 (4.03%) Microsoft Graph
2 9 (2.27%) Terraform
3 8 (2.02%) OAuth
4 5 (1.26%) OpenID
4 5 (1.26%) REST
4 5 (1.26%) SAML
4 5 (1.26%) YAML
5 3 (0.76%) .NET
5 3 (0.76%) .NET Framework
5 3 (0.76%) FIDO
5 3 (0.76%) JSON
5 3 (0.76%) OAuth2
5 3 (0.76%) SOAP
5 3 (0.76%) Web Services
6 2 (0.50%) LDAP
6 2 (0.50%) ODBC
6 2 (0.50%) React
6 2 (0.50%) SPFx
6 2 (0.50%) XSLT
7 1 (0.25%) EDI
Miscellaneous
1 33 (8.31%) Onboarding
2 15 (3.78%) Enterprise Software
3 13 (3.27%) Driving Licence
3 13 (3.27%) Management Information System
4 12 (3.02%) Data Centre
5 11 (2.77%) Analytical Mindset
5 11 (2.77%) CMDB
6 7 (1.76%) Blackberry
6 7 (1.76%) Mobile App
6 7 (1.76%) Self-Motivation
7 6 (1.51%) Product Ownership
7 6 (1.51%) Video Conferencing
8 5 (1.26%) Animation
8 5 (1.26%) Handset
8 5 (1.26%) PKI
9 4 (1.01%) Data Protection Act
9 4 (1.01%) NHS
10 3 (0.76%) Enterprise Storage
10 3 (0.76%) Freedom of Information
10 3 (0.76%) Smartphone
Operating Systems
1 232 (58.44%) Windows
2 85 (21.41%) Windows 10
3 48 (12.09%) Windows Server
4 24 (6.05%) Android
5 20 (5.04%) Apple iOS
6 7 (1.76%) Linux
6 7 (1.76%) Mac OS
7 5 (1.26%) Windows Server 2019
8 2 (0.50%) Windows 7
8 2 (0.50%) Windows Server 2012
8 2 (0.50%) Windows Server 2016
9 1 (0.25%) Mac OS X
9 1 (0.25%) Unix
Processes & Methodologies
1 95 (23.93%) Problem-Solving
2 92 (23.17%) ITIL
3 91 (22.92%) Customer Service
4 47 (11.84%) Service Management
5 39 (9.82%) ITSM
6 37 (9.32%) Continuous Improvement
7 35 (8.82%) Migration
8 32 (8.06%) Stakeholder Engagement
9 31 (7.81%) Agile
9 31 (7.81%) User Experience
10 28 (7.05%) DevOps
10 28 (7.05%) Incident Management
11 25 (6.30%) Analytics
11 25 (6.30%) Computer Science
12 23 (5.79%) AI
13 21 (5.29%) Data Protection
13 21 (5.29%) Digital Transformation Programme
13 21 (5.29%) Stakeholder Management
14 20 (5.04%) Cybersecurity
15 19 (4.79%) Change Management
Programming Languages
1 43 (10.83%) PowerShell
2 9 (2.27%) Python
3 8 (2.02%) SQL
4 5 (1.26%) T-SQL
5 4 (1.01%) C#
6 3 (0.76%) JavaScript
6 3 (0.76%) Kusto Query Language
7 2 (0.50%) Bicep
7 2 (0.50%) Shell Script
7 2 (0.50%) TypeScript
8 1 (0.25%) Bash
8 1 (0.25%) Google Apps Script
Qualifications
1 58 (14.61%) Degree
2 55 (13.85%) Security Cleared
3 39 (9.82%) SC Cleared
4 27 (6.80%) Microsoft Certification
5 24 (6.05%) Computer Science Degree
6 14 (3.53%) BPSS Clearance
7 10 (2.52%) A+ Certification
7 10 (2.52%) Network+ Certification
8 9 (2.27%) ITIL Foundation Certificate
9 8 (2.02%) Cisco Certification
9 8 (2.02%) DBS Check
10 7 (1.76%) CCNP
11 6 (1.51%) DV Cleared
12 4 (1.01%) Microsoft Certified Professional
13 3 (0.76%) Azure Certification
14 2 (0.50%) ITIL Certification
14 2 (0.50%) MCSE
14 2 (0.50%) Numerate Degree
14 2 (0.50%) PMI Certification
14 2 (0.50%) PMP
Quality Assurance & Compliance
1 21 (5.29%) SLA
2 6 (1.51%) Cyber Essentials
2 6 (1.51%) GDPR
3 5 (1.26%) Accessibility
3 5 (1.26%) Cyber Essentials PLUS
3 5 (1.26%) Data Quality
3 5 (1.26%) NIST
3 5 (1.26%) QA
3 5 (1.26%) WCAG
4 4 (1.01%) GRC
4 4 (1.01%) ISO/IEC 27001
5 2 (0.50%) Actionable Recommendations
5 2 (0.50%) IASME
6 1 (0.25%) Disclosure Scotland
6 1 (0.25%) ISO/IEC 42001
6 1 (0.25%) PMO
System Software
1 193 (48.61%) Active Directory
2 20 (5.04%) VMware Infrastructure
3 19 (4.79%) Hyper-V
4 16 (4.03%) Virtual Desktop
5 3 (0.76%) Virtual Machines
6 2 (0.50%) Docker
7 1 (0.25%) Microsoft Virtual Server
7 1 (0.25%) Terminal Services
7 1 (0.25%) Virtual Servers
7 1 (0.25%) vSphere
Systems Management
1 82 (20.65%) Microsoft Intune
2 23 (5.79%) SCCM
3 15 (3.78%) Jamf Pro
4 8 (2.02%) Single Sign-On
5 4 (1.01%) WSUS
6 3 (0.76%) Systems Management Server (SMS)
7 2 (0.50%) FortiGate
7 2 (0.50%) Kubernetes
8 1 (0.25%) Active Directory Federation Services
8 1 (0.25%) Cisco CUCM
8 1 (0.25%) Tivoli
8 1 (0.25%) Tivoli Storage Manager
Vendors
1 296 (74.56%) Microsoft
2 68 (17.13%) ServiceNow
3 30 (7.56%) Cisco
4 25 (6.30%) VMware
5 22 (5.54%) iManage
6 17 (4.28%) Google
7 15 (3.78%) Apple
7 15 (3.78%) Bomgar
7 15 (3.78%) Citrix
8 12 (3.02%) Remedy
9 9 (2.27%) CyberArk
9 9 (2.27%) Sophos
10 8 (2.02%) Splunk
11 7 (1.76%) BeyondTrust
11 7 (1.76%) CheckPoint
11 7 (1.76%) Meraki
11 7 (1.76%) Ribbon
12 5 (1.26%) Adobe
12 5 (1.26%) Okta
12 5 (1.26%) Perforce