Degree Contract Job Trends in the North West
Academic Degree
England > North West
The table below provides summary statistics for contract job vacancies advertised in the North West with a requirement for Degree qualifications. It includes a benchmarking guide to the contractor rates offered over the 6 months leading up to 19 October 2026, comparing them to the same period in the previous two years.
| 6 months to 19 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 36 | 27 | 22 |
| Rank change year-on-year | -9 | -5 | -5 |
| Contract jobs citing Degree | 227 | 149 | 165 |
| As % of all contract jobs in the North West | 5.66% | 6.61% | 6.91% |
| As % of the Qualifications category | 17.97% | 19.45% | 24.19% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 113 | 79 | 70 |
| 10th Percentile | £178 | £308 | £353 |
| 25th Percentile | £364 | £366 | £444 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £475 | £458 | £538 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +3.83% | -14.96% | +10.70% |
| 75th Percentile | £538 | £528 | £587 |
| 90th Percentile | £630 | £703 | £638 |
| England median daily rate | £513 | £502 | £500 |
| % change year-on-year | +2.29% | +0.35% | -4.76% |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 49 | 26 | 24 |
| 10th Percentile | £17.25 | £15.50 | £22.08 |
| 25th Percentile | £21.25 | £19.72 | £31.25 |
| Median hourly rate | £36.00 | £38.72 | £45.59 |
| Median % change year-on-year | -7.02% | -15.07% | +12.32% |
| 75th Percentile | £63.75 | £64.60 | £62.50 |
| 90th Percentile | £69.50 | £77.38 | £88.85 |
| England median hourly rate | £38.72 | £34.48 | £50.00 |
| % change year-on-year | +12.30% | -31.04% | +1.75% |
All Academic and Professional Certifications
North West
Degree 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 North West.
| 6 months to 19 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract vacancies requiring academic qualifications or professional certifications | 1,263 | 766 | 682 |
| As % of all contract IT jobs advertised in the North West | 31.49% | 33.98% | 28.57% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 798 | 487 | 346 |
| 10th Percentile | £300 | £272 | £294 |
| 25th Percentile | £419 | £400 | £401 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £519 | £500 | £500 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +3.81% | - | -4.76% |
| 75th Percentile | £603 | £638 | £600 |
| 90th Percentile | £670 | £716 | £675 |
| England median daily rate | £536 | £525 | £526 |
| % change year-on-year | +2.00% | -0.24% | -4.32% |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 148 | 78 | 60 |
| 10th Percentile | £17.56 | £15.50 | £18.03 |
| 25th Percentile | £26.90 | £20.00 | £24.14 |
| Median hourly rate | £41.06 | £27.19 | £42.66 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +51.03% | -36.27% | -7.62% |
| 75th Percentile | £51.69 | £57.57 | £56.34 |
| 90th Percentile | £74.93 | £70.55 | £79.31 |
| England median hourly rate | £47.54 | £25.15 | £52.50 |
| % change year-on-year | +89.03% | -52.10% | -2.54% |
Degree Job Vacancy Trend in the North West
Historical trend showing the proportion of contract IT job postings citing Degree relative to all contract IT jobs advertised in the North West.
Degree Daily Rate Trend in the North West
Contractor daily rate distribution trend for jobs in the North West citing Degree.
Degree Daily Rate Histogram in the North West
Daily rate distribution for jobs citing Degree in the North West over the 6 months to 19 October 2026.
Degree Hourly Rate Trend in the North West
Contractor hourly rate distribution trend for jobs in the North West citing Degree.
Degree Hourly Rate Histogram in the North West
Hourly rate distribution of jobs citing Degree in the North West over the 6 months to 19 October 2026.
Degree Contract Job Locations in the North West
The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median contractor rates quoted in IT jobs citing Degree within the North West region over the 6 months to 19 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 |
Matching Contract IT Job Ads |
Median Daily Rate Past 6 Months |
Median Daily Rate % Change on Same Period Last Year |
Live Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | -14 | 96 | £510 | +11.48% | 298 |
| Cheshire | +9 | 70 | £483 | +14.39% | 85 |
| Lancashire | -2 | 35 | £125 | -76.94% | 47 |
| Cumbria | -11 | 16 | £395 | - | 16 |
| Merseyside | -12 | 9 | £150 | -70.00% | 42 |
| Degree England |
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Degree Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the North West 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 | Computer Science Degree | 14.5% | 33 |
| 2 | Microsoft Certification | 11.5% | 26 |
| 2 | Security Cleared | 11.5% | 26 |
| 4 | CISSP | 10.6% | 24 |
| 5 | Azure Certification | 10.1% | 23 |
| 5 | BPSS Clearance | 10.1% | 23 |
| 7 | SC Cleared | 9.7% | 22 |
| 8 | AWS Certification | 5.3% | 12 |
| 8 | ITIL Foundation Certificate | 5.3% | 12 |
| 10 | HNC | 4.8% | 11 |
| 11 | CISM | 3.5% | 8 |
| 12 | DBS Check | 3.1% | 7 |
| 13 | HND | 2.6% | 6 |
| 13 | ITIL Certification | 2.6% | 6 |
| 15 | Chartered Engineer | 2.2% | 5 |
| 15 | Cisco Certification | 2.2% | 5 |
| 15 | Master's Degree | 2.2% | 5 |
| 18 | CCNP | 1.8% | 4 |
| 18 | CEH | 1.8% | 4 |
| 20 | A+ Certification | 1.3% | 3 |