Average Salaries ($K)
Birmingham 2020-2024
Data Salary review
Birmingham
2020 - 2024
- 56% Average Cost Of Living Rise
- #11/23 Cheapest City To Live
- 31% Average Salary Rise
- #1/23 Salary Growth - All Roles
- #1/23 Salary Growth For Heads Of Data
- #6/23 Salary Growth For Data Engineers
- #1/23 Salary Growth For Data Analysts
- #3/23 Salary Growth For Data Scientists
Overview
When thinking of global tech hubs, cities like San Francisco or London usually come to mind, not Birmingham. Yet, it is remarkable that this West Midlands city now leads our rankings for wage growth in Head of Data and Data Analyst roles, and ranks third for Data Scientist salary growth. This shift highlights Birmingham’s growing prominence in the tech and analytics landscape.
Traditionally known for its strength in manufacturing, textiles, and transportation, Birmingham has historically struggled to retain data talent due to its proximity to London. However, the city is now competing closely with the capital on salaries, supported by a burgeoning, close-knit analytics community. Data roles in Birmingham often focus on practical applications like optimising operations, improving customer experiences, and driving organisational efficiencies, offering professionals the opportunity to take a hands-on, impactful approach compared to the high-level specialisation often found in larger tech hubs.
While it is encouraging to see Birmingham top our rankings, there are signs of stagnation in data analyst wages and a downward trend for data engineer salaries over the past three years. The city’s lower cost of living remains a significant advantage, wages alone will not sustain its growth as a tech hub. To stay competitive, Birmingham must focus on strengthening community networks, investing in training programs and bootcamps, and showcasing clear pathways for career progression. These initiatives will help make the city a more attractive place to live and work, as long-term retention becomes key.
Heads Of Data
For Heads of Data considering Birmingham, the city provides a compelling option for professionals seeking leadership roles in a growing regional market. The lower cost of living and smaller, tight-knit data community can offer a more balanced lifestyle and opportunities to make a significant impact in medium-sized organisations or regional headquarters. However, the city does not yet offer the same scale or variety of opportunities as London, where large multinational corporations and tech firms dominate, or Manchester, with its thriving digital sector. Birmingham is ranked #1 for salary growth over the last five years with a 34.38% rise from 2020 to 2024, which demonstrates high demand in a growing sector, and indeed Birmingham could be an excellent choice for those looking to lead data initiatives in established industries or organisations undergoing digital transformation. For those aspiring to manage large-scale global teams or work on high-profile AI and data science projects might find greater opportunities in London or Manchester.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Engineers
The wage growth trend for data engineers shows a concerning pattern, especially for those at senior levels. While expert-level wages have increased by 20.87% over the last five years, this growth is much smaller compared to intermediate-level (33.8%) and beginner-level (42.85%) positions. This indicates that employers are perceiving data engineering salaries as being too expensive and are instead focusing on hiring professionals with less experience to manage costs.
For those at the intermediate level, this can mean more responsibility and authority, but also suggests that employers are opting to hire someone with less experience rather than a more seasoned candidate. While it might be a good time to switch employers for a pay increase, you are quite likely taking on significantly more responsibility, potentially more so than your current level of experience.
For those starting out as data engineers, the trends are more positive, with a variety of industries available and London just a few hours away. Birmingham could be an appealing place to develop early in your career. However, based on our data, it is not the ideal location for Data Engineers aiming to advance and grow their careers long-term.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Analysts
You could argue that data salaries in Birmingham were relatively low in 2020, which likely led to talent being drawn to nearby London, offering 10 times more opportunities. While there was a significant salary increase between 2020 and 2022 (53.44% at the senior level), this could be seen more as a market correction, with the rise in remote work driving salary growth. This is not to discount the great achievment however of ranking #1 for wage growth for data analysts when comparing 2020 to 2024.
Since 2022, wage growth has plateaued, with increases of less than 5%. At the same time the cost of living has surged by 45%. Although inflationary pressures on goods in 2024 have caused prices to rise, it is unlikely we will see a significant drop in the near future, meaning Data Analysts may feel the financial strain.
On the positive side, there is a clearer salary structure based on expertise in Birmingham, reducing ambiguity in role expectations. Whilst job-hopping might seem like an effective way to climb the career ladder, the close-knit nature of Birmingham’s data community and its relatively limited opportunities might make this approach riskier. It could be more beneficial to find employers with a proven track record of offering salary increases and career advancement opportunities.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Scientists
Data scientist careers in Birmingham are growing steadily, driven by the city’s diverse industry base and its expanding role as a regional tech hub. Unlike larger hubs like London or Manchester, where advanced AI and deep learning projects may dominate, Birmingham’s data science work is often more focused on practical applications tailored to traditional industries. This difference can provide opportunities to work on tangible, high-impact projects that directly influence business operations and public services. Professionals in this field are likely to engage in a range of data analysis, from customer behavior modelling for retail and e-commerce firms to financial risk assessment for banks and insurance companies.
For data scientists considering their career path, Birmingham offers both advantages and challenges. Its lower cost of living compared to London and a growing job market make it appealing, especially for those seeking a balance between professional growth and personal affordability. However, the city has fewer opportunities. For those seeking to specialise in applied data science with a focus on actionable insights in well-established industries, Birmingham could be an excellent choice. However, for those aiming to advance quickly in high-tech, research-intensive roles, or in globally recognised tech hubs, London, Manchester, or Cambridge might provide a more suitable environment. We see that demand for senior talent is high and a noticeable jump-up in terms of wages presents itself for senior Data scientists.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Hiring Data Roles For Birmingham Companies
Birmingham’s data talent pool is growing but remains smaller compared to larger UK hubs like London or Manchester. The city has a strong pipeline of graduates from universities such as the University of Birmingham and Aston University, but many early-career professionals leave for opportunities in bigger tech markets. While hiring for generalist data roles, such as analysts and engineers, is relatively straightforward, employers may struggle to find specialists in areas like machine learning, and real-time data processing. Salaries in Birmingham are more affordable than in London, making it an attractive location for businesses looking to build cost-effective data teams, but retention can be a challenge as skilled professionals often seek higher-paying roles elsewhere.
For companies needing high-level expertise or looking to scale their data operations quickly, working with a data agency like 173tech can be a practical solution. Agencies offer access to experienced specialists in advanced analytics, data science, and advanced engineering without the long-term costs and risks of permanent hires. This is particularly beneficial for businesses outside of finance and tech, where attracting top-tier data talent can be difficult. Using an agency allows companies to execute complex projects efficiently while keeping costs under control, making it a valuable alternative to in-house hiring.
173tech Direct Comparison
- Head Of Data (5+ yrs) $225k
- Data Engineer (5+ yrs) $115k
- Data Engineer (0-3 yrs) $70k
- Data Analyst (3-5 yrs) $72k
- $482k per yr + Tax + Pension + Holidays
- Candice (15+ yrs) Ruben (8+ yrs) Oliver (10+ yrs)
- Adrian (15+ yrs)
- Oscar (2+ yrs)
- Emeric (3+ yrs) Mai (4+ yrs) Noel (2+ yrs) Amy (2+ yrs)
- $240k
Working with 173tech is effortless – wake up, log in, and instantly tap into a full data team at your fingertips. From strategy to implementation, we make leveraging data for growth easy and hassle-free.
We deploy a full team to every project and give you direct access through weekly syncs and shared slack. We work with the tools and processes you have already established or can set up from scratch.
We provide a fully flexible resource to tap into when you need to fast-track data projects and represent not only great value, but are passionate about creating value from data. Get in touch today to see how we can help you!
