MCTS Contract Job Trends

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
UK

The table below provides summary statistics for contract job vacancies with a requirement for MCTS qualifications. It includes a benchmarking guide to the contractor rates offered over the 6 months leading up to 14 October 2026, comparing them to the same period in the previous two years.

6 months to
14 Oct 2026
Same period 2025 Same period 2024
Rank - 553 535
Rank change year-on-year - -18 +93
Contract jobs citing MCTS 0 3 20
As % of all contract jobs in the UK - 0.009% 0.053%
As % of the Qualifications category - 0.028% 0.18%
Number of daily rates quoted 0 2 18
10th Percentile - £229 £362
25th Percentile - £253 £375
Median daily rate (50th Percentile) - £313 £400
Median % change year-on-year - -21.88% -42.86%
75th Percentile - £378 £425
90th Percentile - £406 -
UK excluding London median daily rate - £225 £400
% change year-on-year - -43.75% -

All Academic and Professional Certifications
UK

MCTS 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 17,645 10,563 10,982
As % of all contract IT jobs advertised in the UK 31.93% 31.84% 29.30%
Number of daily rates quoted 11,668 6,616 6,647
10th Percentile £355 £283 £310
25th Percentile £447 £413 £419
Median daily rate (50th Percentile) £533 £525 £525
Median % change year-on-year +1.43% - -4.55%
75th Percentile £631 £625 £630
90th Percentile £713 £703 £725
UK excluding London median daily rate £525 £500 £520
% change year-on-year +5.00% -3.85% -3.26%
Number of hourly rates quoted 1,491 890 568
10th Percentile £16.50 £17.54 £18.13
25th Percentile £25.00 £18.87 £25.47
Median hourly rate £43.96 £25.15 £47.50
Median % change year-on-year +74.79% -47.05% -11.52%
75th Percentile £72.25 £40.19 £68.00
90th Percentile £89.08 £70.00 £75.00
UK excluding London median hourly rate £43.96 £25.15 £50.00
% change year-on-year +74.79% -49.70% -3.65%

MCTS
Job Vacancy Trend

Historical trend showing the proportion of contract IT job postings citing MCTS relative to all contract IT jobs advertised.

MCTS job vacancy trend in the UK

MCTS
Daily Rate Trend

Contractor daily rate distribution trend for jobs in the UK citing MCTS.

Contractor daily rate distribution trend for jobs in the UK citing MCTS

MCTS
Hourly Rate Trend

Contractor hourly rate distribution trend for jobs in the UK citing MCTS.

Contractor hourly rate distribution trend for jobs in the UK citing MCTS