Are you looking to move into a highly profitable IT career in the UK? Our tech recruitment experts reveal which IT and tech roles have the highest pay and share intel on the skills and experience needed to advance your career in the right direction.
Highest-paying IT jobs and tech roles in the UK
Chief Data OfficerA mid-level Chief Data Officer (CDO) makes an average salary of £110,250 and can start on anything from £88,250 as a newcomer to the role. Professionals with in-demand skills and excellent experience can hope to earn a maximum of £132,500, with higher salary options available in locations like London (£120,000-£180,250), Reading (£115,500-£173,500), and Bristol (£106,000-£159,000).The route to a CDO career starts with a degree in computer science, but highly qualified candidates may also have a master's in statistics or business administration. You can enter the field via a Data Analyst or Data Scientist role and work up to head of data strategy, where you'll gain valuable experience shaping data strategy and working closely with the executive team. You can apply for the Chief Data Officer position once you have ten or more years of experience in a data leadership role.The most in-demand CDOs have experience guiding teams and stakeholders through ethical AI and data governance frameworks and should be actively considering data ethics as part of their work. In the current hiring climate, employers are also interested in CDOs who can use data to support sustainability initiatives.Chief ArchitectYou can start on an average of £95,000 as a Chief Architect in the 2026 hiring landscape. As a member of the IT leadership team, sitting directly below the C-suite executive level, salaries are competitive, offering highly experienced professionals an average of £145,500 at the top end of the pay scale, and an average of £125,750 for those with some experience. Central London offers the highest Chief Architect roles in the UK (£130,000-£198,000), followed by Greater London (£127,000-£193,500), and Reading (125,000-£190,500).To reach the role of Chief Architect, you can start as a junior IT Architect, before moving into a specialised role, such as systems, network, or software. From there, you can move into a senior or lead role (Lead IT Architect, Senior Solutions Architect, or Enterprise Architect) before attempting to move into a coveted management position. The highest-paid Chief Architects have excellent change management and business transformation skills to complement the technical aspect of their role. Network security and security architecture experience could help increase your earning potential, along with multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies, AI, and blockchain integration.Chief Information Security OfficerThe Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is one of the newer tech C-suite roles introduced to satisfy the growing need for an executive leadership role responsible for data and information security. As a CISO in the UK, your salary range is £96,250-£161,750, with the highest salaries typically awarded to professionals in central London. The starting pay in this region is £131,000, and salaries at the top end can reach £220,000.CISOs typically start their careers by obtaining a degree in cybersecurity or a related IT subject. If you want a competitive edge, we recommend pursuing a master's degree in cybersecurity as well. CISOs typically spend anything up to a decade in security-based roles, like security analyst, security architect, or roles in programming, risk management, or information security. The most desirable CISO candidates will have extensive experience managing IS and IT security teams. It's also a good idea to invest in IT security and training credentials, CISSP (Certified Information System Security Professional) or CAP (Certified Authorisation Professional). Good problem-solving skills and stakeholder management skills are also essential.Read more: Could you be earning more in a London tech job?Chief Technology Officer (CTO)As an entry-level professional in a CTO role, you could earn an average of £120,000. Talent with most of the necessary skills can earn an average of £160,500, and experienced professionals can earn anything up to £201,500. Central and Greater London offer the highest salaries for this role in the UK (at £218,250 and £213,500 respectively), but locations like Reading, Guildford, and Cambridge are also at the higher end of the pay scale. Like many of the tech C-suite roles, your career should ideally start with a degree in computer science and engineering (a master's or PhD isn't strictly necessary but is very helpful). From here, you can secure a role as a technical engineer before moving up to technical project manager or a head engineer before trying for a C-suite position.CTOs traverse rapid technological change while also keeping true to business alignment. As a result, the most valuable professionals will have experience in planning AI roadmaps that deliver tangible business outcomes, supported by robust governance frameworks. Proven experience with cloud optimisation, proactive cyber resilience strategies, and strategic skills across IT, business, and technology are also valuable. It's common for candidates to miss out on a CTO role due to favouring strategy over technical skills on their CV. Despite its high stature, the CTO role is highly technical, and candidates with a strong technical background and a broad breadth of technical knowledge are often the most successful. Competition is high for CTO positions, so value alignment with key stakeholders could help you cinch the role. "You need to have strong experience with strong examples of building high-performing, technical teams with a great culture. So, you need to be able to tell stories of where you've been able to do that," says Robert Half division manager, James Willson.Chief Information Officer (CIO)The Chief Information Officer (CIO) sits in the penultimate position of highest-paying technology jobs in the UK. As a CIO, your starting salary would be an average of £108,000, which could increase to £150,250 as you gain experience. The top-end salary for a CIO role is £200,000, but could be higher in locations with high demand, like Central London (£204,250) and Greater London (£199,750).To secure a CIO role, we recommend starting with an undergraduate computer science degree to hone the necessary technical skills for the role, like coding, knowledge of consulting tools, and IT skills. Start in an information assistant role and work up to entry-level positions in information management, then aim for systems analyst or business analyst roles to help develop your business knowledge. From here, you can aim for management roles and study part-time for a CILIP-accredited certification to improve your prospects as a C-suite applicant. In-demand professionals can integrate business strategy with technology initiatives to generate revenue and facilitate growth. Knowledge of agentic AI, advanced understanding of cybersecurity risks, and strong change management and leadership skills could also help you advance. "Qualifications like MBAs and educational master's degrees in management are excellent for CIO roles. I always see CIOs having that MBA education background, and ones that do have that tend to go further than the ones that don't," says James.Read more: How to answer ‘Why are you applying for this position?’Head of AIMeet one of the newest roles to hit the tech and IT hiring landscape, and the top of our list. The Head of AI is responsible for leading the strategy, governance, and development of AI, including setting the roadmap, maintaining ethics and compliance, and overseeing development and deployment in alignment with the business’s goals. Professionals who are new to the role can expect an average starting salary of £90,000 and can increase to an average of £157,250 with some experience. The top percentile of professionals—those with extensive experience—have the potential to earn anything up to £205,000. To get yourself onto the career ladder for a role as Head of AI, you should aim to secure an ML engineer position to gain the fundamentals of building and training models and partaking in AI experimentation. From here, you can aim for an AI team lead position to hone your project management skills, which can help you reach the Head of AI position. Generative AI development experience is one of the most sought-after skills for 2026, according to the latest Salary Guide data, along with AI-powered software development. Other valuable skills include excellent stakeholder management, leadership, and experience with AI ethics and regulatory frameworks.
The future of IT jobs: maintain an upward salary trajectory
Employers consider skill sets and experience when hiring for key roles. If you’re aiming for any of the careers featured, use a trusted source of industry hiring information (such as the 2026 Salary Guide) to learn which skills are in demand for your chosen role.According to our new data, 70% of tech and IT hiring managers are willing to award higher salaries to tech talent with specialised skills in 2026. The most valuable of these include cybersecurity, cloud computing, automated machine learning, DevOps, and DevSecOps. Undertaking independent learning and development, shadowing more experienced professionals, and contributing to complex projects can help you fine-tune your CV.Once you’ve started the process, an expert tech recruiter could be the link you need to secure a higher-paying role. Upload your CV to the Robert Half site or—if you already have many of these skills—browse open roles and apply today.
About the author
With over a decade of experience at Robert Half, James Willson specialises in mid-to-senior level technology recruitment across London and the wider UK. Since joining the team in 2013, he has built a strong track record of helping organisations secure top tech talent, with a focus on delivering diverse and future-ready IT teams.
