Software Engineer Job Trends in the South East

Software Engineer
England > South East

The median Software Engineer salary in the South East is £65,000 per year, according to job vacancies posted during the 6 months leading to 1 August 2026.

The table below compares current salary benchmarking and summary statistics with the previous two years.

6 months to
1 Aug 2026
Same period 2025 Same period 2024
Rank 22 95 26
Rank change year-on-year +73 -69 +45
Permanent jobs requiring a Software Engineer 977 253 937
As % of all permanent jobs in the South East 5.91% 2.92% 6.53%
As % of the Job Titles category 6.19% 3.26% 6.93%
Number of salaries quoted 696 165 706
10th Percentile £45,000 £45,000 £40,000
25th Percentile £53,750 £55,000 £45,000
Median annual salary (50th Percentile) £65,000 £65,000 £52,500
Median % change year-on-year - +23.81% -12.50%
75th Percentile £83,750 £80,000 £65,000
90th Percentile £90,000 £95,000 £77,500
England median annual salary £70,000 £80,000 £62,500
% change year-on-year -12.50% +28.00% -10.71%

All Permanent IT Job Roles
South East

For comparison with the information above, the following table provides summary statistics for all permanent IT job vacancies in the South East. Most job vacancies include a discernible job title that can be normalized. As such, the figures in the second row provide an indication of the number of permanent jobs in our overall sample.

Permanent vacancies in the South East with a recognized job title 15,777 7,757 13,519
% of permanent jobs with a recognized job title 95.49% 89.54% 94.27%
Number of salaries quoted 11,162 4,351 9,303
10th Percentile £30,000 £27,500 £29,000
25th Percentile £40,000 £35,500 £38,000
Median annual salary (50th Percentile) £55,000 £50,000 £50,000
Median % change year-on-year +10.00% - -9.09%
75th Percentile £70,000 £67,500 £65,000
90th Percentile £87,200 £81,250 £80,000
England median annual salary £57,500 £55,000 £55,000
% change year-on-year +4.55% - -8.33%

Software Engineer
Job Vacancy Trend in the South East

Historical trend showing the proportion of permanent IT job postings featuring 'Software Engineer' in the job title relative to all permanent IT jobs advertised in the South East.

Software Engineer job vacancy trend in the South East

Software Engineer
Salary Trend in the South East

Salary distribution trend for Software Engineer job vacancies in the South East.

Salary distribution trend for Software Engineer job vacancies in the South East

Software Engineer
Salary Histogram in the South East

Salary distribution for jobs citing Software Engineer in the South East over the 6 months to 1 August 2026.

Salary histogram for Software Engineer in the South East

Software Engineer
Job Locations in the South East

The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median salaries quoted in IT jobs citing Software Engineer within the South East region over the 6 months to 1 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
Permanent
IT Job Ads
Median Salary
Past 6 Months
Median Salary
% Change
on Same Period
Last Year
Live
Jobs
Hampshire +35 418 £65,000 - 43
Thames Valley +104 363 £67,500 +3.85% 70
Oxfordshire +27 170 £65,000 -3.70% 37
Surrey +10 112 £80,000 +6.67% 11
Berkshire +92 110 £65,000 +8.33% 26
Buckinghamshire +51 83 £82,500 +50.00% 7
Kent -10 32 £35,000 -44.00% 4
East Sussex +12 26 £65,000 -27.78% 1
West Sussex 0 22 £75,000 +9.09% 7
Sussex - 4 £85,000 - 4
Software Engineer
England

Software Engineer Skill Set
Top 30 Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the South East

For the 6 months to 1 August 2026, Software Engineer job roles required the following skills and capabilities in order of popularity. The figures indicate the absolute number of co-occurrences and as a proportion of all permanent job ads across the South East region featuring Software Engineer in the job title.

1 968 (99.08%) Software Engineering
2 257 (26.31%) C++
3 204 (20.88%) Python
4 197 (20.16%) C#
5 178 (18.22%) Degree
6 125 (12.79%) .NET
7 123 (12.59%) Agile
8 118 (12.08%) Security Cleared
9 117 (11.98%) AWS
10 97 (9.93%) Linux
11 95 (9.72%) AI
12 90 (9.21%) Azure
13 88 (9.01%) Computer Science Degree
14 87 (8.90%) C
15 86 (8.80%) Computer Science
16 85 (8.70%) SC Cleared
17 84 (8.60%) CI/CD
18 83 (8.50%) Full-Stack Development
19 75 (7.68%) DevOps
20 70 (7.16%) Docker
20 70 (7.16%) Problem-Solving
21 62 (6.35%) JavaScript
22 60 (6.14%) TypeScript
23 59 (6.04%) Mentoring
24 58 (5.94%) Git
25 57 (5.83%) Test Automation
26 56 (5.73%) Containerisation
27 54 (5.53%) SaaS
27 54 (5.53%) SDLC
27 54 (5.53%) Software Architecture

Software Engineer Skill Set
Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the South East 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 7 (0.72%) Apache
2 3 (0.31%) Confluence
3 1 (0.10%) ArchestrA
Applications
1 12 (1.23%) Lightworks
2 5 (0.51%) Simulink
3 4 (0.41%) Microsoft Office
4 3 (0.31%) Microsoft Excel
4 3 (0.31%) Microsoft PowerPoint
5 2 (0.20%) AutoCAD
5 2 (0.20%) EPLAN
6 1 (0.10%) Microsoft Project
Business Applications
1 2 (0.20%) Oracle Applications
Cloud Services
1 117 (11.98%) AWS
2 90 (9.21%) Azure
3 54 (5.53%) SaaS
4 39 (3.99%) GCP
5 16 (1.64%) Azure DevOps
6 14 (1.43%) GitHub
6 14 (1.43%) Serverless
7 12 (1.23%) Firebase
8 7 (0.72%) Anthropic Claude
8 7 (0.72%) Cloud Run
9 6 (0.61%) PaaS
10 5 (0.51%) Figma
11 4 (0.41%) Amazon EKS
11 4 (0.41%) AWS Lambda
11 4 (0.41%) Azure Functions
11 4 (0.41%) GitHub Actions
12 3 (0.31%) Azure Monitor
13 2 (0.20%) Amazon S3
13 2 (0.20%) Azure Key Vault
13 2 (0.20%) WhatsApp
Communications & Networking
1 19 (1.94%) Wireless
2 12 (1.23%) TCP/IP
3 10 (1.02%) ATM
4 9 (0.92%) MQTT
5 6 (0.61%) Wireshark
6 3 (0.31%) Ethernet
6 3 (0.31%) Software-Defined Radio
7 1 (0.10%) Broadband
7 1 (0.10%) HTTP
7 1 (0.10%) Internet
7 1 (0.10%) LAN
7 1 (0.10%) Multicast
7 1 (0.10%) Software-Defined Networking
7 1 (0.10%) VoIP
7 1 (0.10%) WAN
Database & Business Intelligence
1 34 (3.48%) SQL Server
2 20 (2.05%) PostgreSQL
3 10 (1.02%) MySQL
4 8 (0.82%) MongoDB
5 7 (0.72%) Pinecone
6 5 (0.51%) Relational Database
7 3 (0.31%) Elasticsearch
7 3 (0.31%) Redis
8 2 (0.20%) NoSQL
9 1 (0.10%) Data Warehouse
9 1 (0.10%) Electronic Patient Records
9 1 (0.10%) Oracle Reports
9 1 (0.10%) RDBMS
Development Applications
1 58 (5.94%) Git
2 20 (2.05%) GitLab
3 19 (1.94%) Visual Studio Code
4 7 (0.72%) Jenkins
4 7 (0.72%) JIRA
5 6 (0.61%) Yeoman
6 5 (0.51%) CMake
7 4 (0.41%) Rational Rhapsody
8 3 (0.31%) Bitbucket
8 3 (0.31%) Eclipse
8 3 (0.31%) Eclipse RCP
8 3 (0.31%) JUnit
8 3 (0.31%) PetaLinux
8 3 (0.31%) Visual Studio
9 2 (0.20%) NUnit
9 2 (0.20%) Postman
9 2 (0.20%) SpecFlow
10 1 (0.10%) GDB
10 1 (0.10%) Storybook
10 1 (0.10%) utPLSQL
General
1 75 (7.68%) Manufacturing
2 67 (6.86%) Social Skills
3 66 (6.76%) Electronics
4 35 (3.58%) Aerospace
5 32 (3.28%) Aviation
5 32 (3.28%) Finance
6 20 (2.05%) Analytical Skills
7 17 (1.74%) Telecoms
8 14 (1.43%) Pharmaceutical
9 13 (1.33%) Military
10 10 (1.02%) Automotive
10 10 (1.02%) Games
10 10 (1.02%) Public Sector
11 6 (0.61%) Law
11 6 (0.61%) Organisational Skills
12 4 (0.41%) Digital Health
12 4 (0.41%) Health Technology
13 3 (0.31%) Banking
14 2 (0.20%) Documentation Skills
15 1 (0.10%) Presentation Skills
Libraries, Frameworks & Software Standards
1 125 (12.79%) .NET
2 48 (4.91%) React
3 31 (3.17%) CSS
4 30 (3.07%) HTML
5 24 (2.46%) Django
6 23 (2.35%) Vue
7 20 (2.05%) AngularJS
8 18 (1.84%) Node.js
8 18 (1.84%) Unreal Engine
9 17 (1.74%) REST
9 17 (1.74%) WPF
10 14 (1.43%) JSON
10 14 (1.43%) WebSockets
11 13 (1.33%) ASP.NET
12 12 (1.23%) XML
13 8 (0.82%) .NET Core
13 8 (0.82%) Blazor
14 7 (0.72%) Kafka
14 7 (0.72%) Qt
14 7 (0.72%) Yocto
Miscellaneous
1 48 (4.91%) Algorithms
2 34 (3.48%) Robotics
3 32 (3.28%) Embedded Systems
4 25 (2.56%) Product Ownership
5 21 (2.15%) Cloud Native
6 18 (1.84%) Distributed Computing
6 18 (1.84%) Distributed Systems
7 16 (1.64%) Client/Server
7 16 (1.64%) IoT
8 13 (1.33%) AI Agents
8 13 (1.33%) Self-Motivation
9 11 (1.13%) Data Structures
10 7 (0.72%) Life Science
11 6 (0.61%) Legacy Systems
11 6 (0.61%) Management Information System
11 6 (0.61%) Smart Energy
12 5 (0.51%) Video Conferencing
13 4 (0.41%) Driving Licence
13 4 (0.41%) FPGA
13 4 (0.41%) SCADA
Operating Systems
1 97 (9.93%) Linux
2 23 (2.35%) Windows
3 9 (0.92%) Embedded Linux
4 5 (0.51%) Debian
5 3 (0.31%) Android
5 3 (0.31%) FreeRTOS
5 3 (0.31%) Gentoo
6 2 (0.20%) Robot Operating System
7 1 (0.10%) Ubuntu
Processes & Methodologies
1 968 (99.08%) Software Engineering
2 123 (12.59%) Agile
3 95 (9.72%) AI
4 86 (8.80%) Computer Science
5 84 (8.60%) CI/CD
6 83 (8.50%) Full-Stack Development
7 75 (7.68%) DevOps
8 70 (7.16%) Problem-Solving
9 59 (6.04%) Mentoring
10 57 (5.83%) Test Automation
11 56 (5.73%) Containerisation
12 54 (5.53%) SDLC
12 54 (5.53%) Software Architecture
13 49 (5.02%) Machine Learning
14 44 (4.50%) Continuous Improvement
15 42 (4.30%) Code Quality
16 41 (4.20%) Microservices
17 36 (3.68%) Software Testing
18 33 (3.38%) Embedded Software Development
19 29 (2.97%) Data Science
Programming Languages
1 257 (26.31%) C++
2 204 (20.88%) Python
3 197 (20.16%) C#
4 87 (8.90%) C
5 62 (6.35%) JavaScript
6 60 (6.14%) TypeScript
7 43 (4.40%) Java
7 43 (4.40%) SQL
8 31 (3.17%) Rust
9 13 (1.33%) Go
10 11 (1.13%) Ada
11 8 (0.82%) PHP
12 7 (0.72%) MATLAB
12 7 (0.72%) Ruby
13 6 (0.61%) PL/SQL
14 5 (0.51%) T-SQL
15 4 (0.41%) Apex Code
15 4 (0.41%) Bash
15 4 (0.41%) Julia
15 4 (0.41%) VB.NET
Qualifications
1 178 (18.22%) Degree
2 118 (12.08%) Security Cleared
3 88 (9.01%) Computer Science Degree
4 85 (8.70%) SC Cleared
5 45 (4.61%) Master's Degree
6 30 (3.07%) DV Cleared
7 24 (2.46%) PhD
8 8 (0.82%) Azure Certification
9 7 (0.72%) BPSS Clearance
10 3 (0.31%) HNC
10 3 (0.31%) HND
11 2 (0.20%) AWS Certification
11 2 (0.20%) Microsoft Certification
11 2 (0.20%) NVQ Level 3
12 1 (0.10%) Numerate Degree
Quality Assurance & Compliance
1 24 (2.46%) QA
2 4 (0.41%) DO-178B
3 3 (0.31%) ECSS
3 3 (0.31%) GAMP
4 2 (0.20%) GDPR
4 2 (0.20%) ISO/IEC 27001
5 1 (0.10%) AUTOSAR
5 1 (0.10%) ISO 9001
5 1 (0.10%) MISRA
5 1 (0.10%) MISRA C
System Software
1 70 (7.16%) Docker
2 34 (3.48%) Firmware
3 11 (1.13%) Embedded Firmware
3 11 (1.13%) KVM
3 11 (1.13%) VMware Infrastructure
4 10 (1.02%) Hyper-V
5 8 (0.82%) Virtual Machines
6 1 (0.10%) Active Directory
Systems Management
1 40 (4.09%) Kubernetes
2 16 (1.64%) Terraform
3 12 (1.23%) Ansible
4 6 (0.61%) Podman
5 2 (0.20%) Puppet
Vendors
1 12 (1.23%) Microsoft
1 12 (1.23%) Oracle
2 11 (1.13%) VMware
3 9 (0.92%) Salesforce
4 4 (0.41%) Google
5 3 (0.31%) Allen-Bradley
5 3 (0.31%) Siemens
5 3 (0.31%) Wonderware
5 3 (0.31%) Xilinx
6 2 (0.20%) Atlassian
6 2 (0.20%) Yahoo!
7 1 (0.10%) Adobe
7 1 (0.10%) IBM
7 1 (0.10%) NVIDIA
7 1 (0.10%) ServiceNow
7 1 (0.10%) Typelevel
7 1 (0.10%) Xamarin