Higher National Certificate (HNC)
UK
The table below provides summary statistics for contract job vacancies with a requirement for HNC qualifications. It includes a benchmarking guide to the contractor rates offered over the 6 months leading up to 2 August 2025, comparing them to the same period in the previous two years.
| 6 months to 2 Aug 2025 |
Same period 2024 | Same period 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 503 | 470 | 612 |
| Rank change year-on-year | -33 | +142 | +208 |
| Contract jobs citing HNC | 64 | 98 | 59 |
| As % of all contract jobs advertised in the UK | 0.19% | 0.25% | 0.11% |
| As % of the Qualifications category | 0.62% | 0.84% | 0.41% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 18 | 18 | 23 |
| 10th Percentile | £199 | £172 | £172 |
| 25th Percentile | £292 | £200 | £321 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £350 | £253 | £425 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +38.20% | -40.41% | - |
| 75th Percentile | £525 | £350 | £500 |
| 90th Percentile | £538 | £411 | £577 |
| UK excluding London median daily rate | £325 | £277 | £390 |
| % change year-on-year | +17.33% | -28.97% | -6.02% |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 29 | 43 | 26 |
| 10th Percentile | £14.79 | £34.37 | £39.63 |
| 25th Percentile | £29.00 | - | £44.86 |
| Median hourly rate | £41.50 | £43.00 | £53.75 |
| Median % change year-on-year | -3.49% | -20.00% | +119.39% |
| 75th Percentile | £70.00 | - | £67.50 |
| 90th Percentile | £88.00 | - | £68.75 |
| UK excluding London median hourly rate | £43.00 | £43.00 | £45.00 |
| % change year-on-year | - | -4.44% | +106.90% |
All Academic and Professional Certifications
UK
HNC 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.
| Contract vacancies requiring academic qualifications or professional certifications | 10,308 | 11,717 | 14,404 |
| As % of all contract IT jobs advertised in the UK | 31.09% | 29.86% | 26.92% |
| Number of daily rates quoted | 6,355 | 7,453 | 9,421 |
| 10th Percentile | £281 | £313 | £334 |
| 25th Percentile | £413 | £425 | £450 |
| Median daily rate (50th Percentile) | £525 | £525 | £550 |
| Median % change year-on-year | - | -4.55% | +2.33% |
| 75th Percentile | £619 | £638 | £650 |
| 90th Percentile | £700 | £738 | £738 |
| UK excluding London median daily rate | £500 | £525 | £525 |
| % change year-on-year | -4.76% | - | +5.00% |
| Number of hourly rates quoted | 786 | 861 | 692 |
| 10th Percentile | £17.87 | £14.48 | £15.72 |
| 25th Percentile | £19.38 | £21.25 | £26.06 |
| Median hourly rate | £25.15 | £43.00 | £55.41 |
| Median % change year-on-year | -41.51% | -22.40% | +23.13% |
| 75th Percentile | £55.00 | £65.00 | £70.00 |
| 90th Percentile | £74.38 | £76.99 | £80.00 |
| UK excluding London median hourly rate | £25.15 | £45.00 | £52.50 |
| % change year-on-year | -44.11% | -14.29% | +18.11% |
HNC
Job Vacancy Trend
Job postings citing HNC as a proportion of all IT jobs advertised.
HNC
Contractor Daily Rate Trend
3-month moving average daily rate quoted in jobs citing HNC.
HNC
Daily Rate Histogram
Daily rate distribution for jobs citing HNC over the 6 months to 2 August 2025.
HNC
Contractor Hourly Rate Trend
3-month moving average hourly rates quoted in jobs citing HNC.
HNC
Hourly Rate Histogram
Hourly rate distribution of jobs citing HNC over the 6 months to 2 August 2025.
HNC
Top 14 Contract Locations
The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median contractor rates quoted in IT jobs citing HNC within the UK over the 6 months to 2 August 2025. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK excluding London | -38 | 56 | £325 | +17.33% | 373 |
| England | -11 | 47 | £500 | +53.85% | 378 |
| East of England | -37 | 20 | £60 | - | 48 |
| Scotland | -2 | 11 | £325 | +85.71% | 45 |
| Work from Home | -10 | 10 | £525 | +50.00% | 83 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 8 | £350 | - | 44 |
| Midlands | -3 | 8 | £350 | +37.80% | 60 |
| South East | +24 | 7 | £275 | -21.43% | 92 |
| London | +12 | 6 | £500 | +98.02% | 52 |
| South West | +26 | 4 | £525 | - | 38 |
| Northern Ireland | - | 3 | - | - | 6 |
| North West | -4 | 2 | - | - | 53 |
| North of England | -9 | 2 | - | - | 81 |
| Wales | +6 | 1 | £290 | - | 12 |
HNC
Co-occurring Skills and Capabilities by Category
The follow tables expand on the table above by listing co-occurrences grouped by category. The same employment type, locality and period is covered with up to 20 co-occurrences shown in each of the following categories:
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