Lead Programmer Job Trends
Lead Programmer
UK
The median Lead Programmer salary in the UK is £65,000 per year, according to job vacancies posted during the 6 months leading to 22 October 2026.
The table below compares current salary benchmarking and summary statistics with the previous two years.
| 6 months to 22 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 789 | 662 | 754 |
| Rank change year-on-year | -127 | +92 | -18 |
| Permanent jobs requiring a Lead Programmer | 31 | 5 | 6 |
| As % of all permanent jobs in the UK | 0.026% | 0.010% | 0.009% |
| As % of the Job Titles category | 0.028% | 0.011% | 0.009% |
| Number of salaries quoted | 22 | 3 | 6 |
| 10th Percentile | £50,000 | £49,250 | - |
| 25th Percentile | £55,000 | £55,625 | £35,000 |
| Median annual salary (50th Percentile) | £65,000 | £67,500 | £37,500 |
| Median % change year-on-year | -3.70% | +80.00% | -50.00% |
| 75th Percentile | - | £68,750 | £40,000 |
| 90th Percentile | - | - | - |
| UK excluding London median annual salary | £65,000 | £45,000 | £35,000 |
| % change year-on-year | +44.44% | +28.57% | - |
All Permanent IT Job Roles
UK
For comparison with the information above, the following table provides summary statistics for all permanent IT job vacancies. 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.
| 6 months to 22 Oct 2026 |
Same period 2025 | Same period 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent vacancies in the UK with a recognized job title | 111,132 | 44,146 | 66,021 |
| % of permanent jobs with a recognized job title | 92.25% | 89.78% | 95.38% |
| Number of salaries quoted | 75,108 | 26,039 | 37,746 |
| 10th Percentile | £30,500 | £28,238 | £31,250 |
| 25th Percentile | £41,250 | £35,000 | £41,500 |
| Median annual salary (50th Percentile) | £59,250 | £52,500 | £56,500 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +12.86% | -7.08% | -5.83% |
| 75th Percentile | £76,250 | £73,750 | £75,000 |
| 90th Percentile | £98,750 | £95,000 | £95,000 |
| UK excluding London median annual salary | £55,000 | £45,390 | £50,000 |
| % change year-on-year | +21.17% | -9.22% | -4.76% |
Lead Programmer Job Vacancy Trend
Historical trend showing the proportion of permanent IT job postings featuring 'Lead Programmer' in the job title relative to all permanent IT jobs advertised.
Lead Programmer Salary Trend
Salary distribution trend for Lead Programmer job vacancies in the UK.
Lead Programmer Salary Histogram
Salary distribution for jobs citing Lead Programmer over the 6 months to 22 October 2026.
Lead Programmer Top 6 Job Locations
The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median salaries quoted in IT jobs citing Lead Programmer within the UK over the 6 months to 22 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 Permanent IT Job Ads |
Median Salary Past 6 Months |
Median Salary % Change on Same Period Last Year |
Live Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK excluding London | -115 | 31 | £65,000 | +44.44% | |
| England | -124 | 31 | £65,000 | -3.70% | |
| Midlands | -33 | 14 | £50,000 | +11.11% | |
| West Midlands | -37 | 14 | £50,000 | +11.11% | |
| South East | -54 | 13 | £65,000 | - | |
| South West | - | 4 | - | - |
Lead Programmer Skill Set Top 4 Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities
For the 6 months to 22 October 2026, Lead Programmer 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 featuring Lead Programmer in the job title.
| Rank | Skill | Share | Job Ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unreal Engine | 41.9% | 13 |
| 2 | Unity (Game Engine) | 16.1% | 5 |
| 3 | CAD | 3.2% | 1 |
| 3 | Fusion 360 | 3.2% | 1 |
Lead Programmer Skill Set Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities 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.
Job Titles
| Rank | Job Title | Share | Job Ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senior Programmer | 12.9% | 4 |