Innovative Thinking Job Trends in the South West

Innovative Thinking
England > South West

The table below provides summary statistics and salary benchmarking for jobs advertised in the South West requiring Innovative Thinking skills. It covers permanent job vacancies from the 6 months leading up to 1 January 2026, with comparisons to the same periods in the previous two years.

6 months to
1 Jan 2026
Same period 2025 Same period 2024
Rank 94 172 190
Rank change year-on-year +78 +18 -13
Permanent jobs citing Innovative Thinking 93 21 25
As % of all permanent jobs in the South West 1.85% 0.49% 0.57%
As % of the Processes & Methodologies category 2.56% 0.58% 0.63%
Number of salaries quoted 17 2 9
10th Percentile - £52,868 -
25th Percentile £63,750 £55,723 £25,124
Median annual salary (50th Percentile) £67,500 £63,410 £52,500
Median % change year-on-year +6.45% +20.78% -4.55%
75th Percentile £71,250 £73,169 £67,500
90th Percentile - £77,267 £68,000
England median annual salary £67,500 £60,000 £57,500
% change year-on-year +12.50% +4.35% -11.54%

All Process & Methodology Skills
South West

Innovative Thinking falls under the Processes and Methodologies category. For comparison with the information above, the following table provides summary statistics for all permanent job vacancies requiring process or methodology skills in the South West.

Permanent vacancies with a requirement for process or methodology skills 3,635 3,643 4,000
As % of all permanent jobs advertised in the South West 72.48% 84.45% 91.35%
Number of salaries quoted 2,465 1,869 3,032
10th Percentile £27,750 £30,000 £30,775
25th Percentile £33,750 £40,000 £41,000
Median annual salary (50th Percentile) £50,000 £55,000 £54,000
Median % change year-on-year -9.09% +1.85% +6.32%
75th Percentile £65,000 £68,750 £67,750
90th Percentile £80,000 £82,500 £82,500
England median annual salary £55,000 £60,000 £60,000
% change year-on-year -8.33% - -4.00%

Innovative Thinking
Job Vacancy Trend in the South West

Historical trend showing the proportion of permanent IT job postings citing Innovative Thinking relative to all permanent IT jobs advertised in the South West.

Innovative Thinking job vacancy trend in the South West

Innovative Thinking
Salary Trend in the South West

Salary distribution trend for jobs in the South West citing Innovative Thinking.

Salary distribution trend for jobs in the South West citing Innovative Thinking

Innovative Thinking
Job Locations in the South West

The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median salaries quoted in IT jobs citing Innovative Thinking within the South West region over the 6 months to 1 January 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
Wiltshire - 44 - - 2
Gloucestershire +43 25 £67,500 -10.00% 2
Bristol +34 23 - - 6
Somerset -17 1 £70,000 +35.09%
Innovative Thinking
England

Innovative Thinking
Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the South West 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 16 (17.20%) IIS
Applications
1 1 (1.08%) Microsoft Office
Cloud Services
1 4 (4.30%) Google Workspace
2 1 (1.08%) Cloud Computing
Database & Business Intelligence
1 4 (4.30%) Big Data
Development Applications
1 4 (4.30%) Git
2 3 (3.23%) GitLab
2 3 (3.23%) Rational DOORS
General
1 50 (53.76%) Finance
2 21 (22.58%) Social Skills
3 20 (21.51%) Analytical Skills
4 14 (15.05%) Aerospace
5 7 (7.53%) Aeronautics
6 6 (6.45%) Avionics
7 3 (3.23%) Aviation
7 3 (3.23%) Electronics
7 3 (3.23%) Manufacturing
7 3 (3.23%) Presentation Skills
8 1 (1.08%) Back Office
8 1 (1.08%) Banking
8 1 (1.08%) Influencing Skills
8 1 (1.08%) Marketing
Job Titles
1 30 (32.26%) Administrator
1 30 (32.26%) Systems Administrator
2 22 (23.66%) Systems Engineer
3 17 (18.28%) Senior
4 16 (17.20%) Consultant
4 16 (17.20%) Cybersecurity Consultant
4 16 (17.20%) Security Consultant
4 16 (17.20%) Senior Consultant
4 16 (17.20%) Senior Cybersecurity Consultant
4 16 (17.20%) Senior Security Consultant
5 6 (6.45%) Test Engineer
6 5 (5.38%) Junior
6 5 (5.38%) Junior Systems Engineer
6 5 (5.38%) Reliability Engineer
6 5 (5.38%) Safety Engineer
6 5 (5.38%) Systems Safety Engineer
7 3 (3.23%) Analyst
7 3 (3.23%) Artificial Intelligence Engineer
7 3 (3.23%) Business Analyst
7 3 (3.23%) Graduate
Miscellaneous
1 49 (52.69%) e-Learning
2 19 (20.43%) Management Information System
3 16 (17.20%) CESG
4 6 (6.45%) Algorithms
5 3 (3.23%) Analytical Mindset
5 3 (3.23%) Augmented Reality
5 3 (3.23%) PKI
5 3 (3.23%) Virtual Reality
6 1 (1.08%) Operational Technology
Operating Systems
1 31 (33.33%) Linux
2 24 (25.81%) Unix
Processes & Methodologies
1 30 (32.26%) High Availability
2 29 (31.18%) Cybersecurity
3 27 (29.03%) Problem-Solving
4 24 (25.81%) Matrix Organization
5 18 (19.35%) Mathematics
5 18 (19.35%) Physics
6 16 (17.20%) Active Listening
6 16 (17.20%) AI
6 16 (17.20%) Creative Thinking
6 16 (17.20%) Information Assurance
6 16 (17.20%) Information Security
6 16 (17.20%) Information Security Management
6 16 (17.20%) ISMS
6 16 (17.20%) Risk Management
6 16 (17.20%) Security Management
7 15 (16.13%) Trend Analysis
8 14 (15.05%) Analytics
8 14 (15.05%) Validation
9 13 (13.98%) Data Analytics
10 11 (11.83%) Verification and Validation
Programming Languages
1 10 (10.75%) Python
2 4 (4.30%) C++
2 4 (4.30%) Java
3 3 (3.23%) C
3 3 (3.23%) Google Apps Script
3 3 (3.23%) MATLAB
3 3 (3.23%) Tcl
4 1 (1.08%) C#
Qualifications
1 67 (72.04%) Security Cleared
2 59 (63.44%) SC Cleared
3 44 (47.31%) DV Cleared
4 42 (45.16%) Degree
5 30 (32.26%) CCNP
5 30 (32.26%) Cisco Certification
6 24 (25.81%) CCNA
7 20 (21.51%) BPSS Clearance
8 16 (17.20%) CESG Certified Professional
8 16 (17.20%) CISM
8 16 (17.20%) CISMP
8 16 (17.20%) CISSP
8 16 (17.20%) IISP
9 6 (6.45%) RHCSA
10 3 (3.23%) Computer Science Degree
Quality Assurance & Compliance
1 16 (17.20%) HMG Security Policy Framework
1 16 (17.20%) JSP 440
1 16 (17.20%) NCSC
1 16 (17.20%) NIST
1 16 (17.20%) NIST 800
1 16 (17.20%) RMADS
2 5 (5.38%) ARP4761
Vendors
1 30 (32.26%) Cisco
2 7 (7.53%) Google
3 6 (6.45%) Red Hat
4 3 (3.23%) Microsoft
5 1 (1.08%) Salesforce