Find a realistic contractor rate range for your role, then calculate what you keep after tax and the structure that applies to you.
74roles tracked1cities covered£1400/daytop day rate0roles with rising rates
How to use these rates
Start with the benchmark for your role, check the usual range, then use the calculator to see what the rate means for your own working pattern and structure. City pages are useful when location is part of the decision.
UK contract decision
A day-rate benchmark helps you negotiate. It does not determine IR35 status or tell you what reaches your bank account. Use the rate for your role, enter realistic billable days, and compare the two tax treatments before you accept the contract.
All contract day rate benchmarks
Featured technology roles appear first, followed by the full set of verified contractor benchmarks.
At the top end
Roles with the highest current rate benchmarks
Software Engineering
Software Engineer
£525/day
£513/day – £525/day
Software Engineering
Principal Software Engineer
£863/day
£844/day – £881/day
Data & Analytics
Data Analyst
£450/day
£425/day – £550/day
Data & Analytics
Data Engineer
£625/day
£475/day – £650/day
Project & Change
Business Analyst
£513/day
£481/day – £525/day
Product & Design
Product Manager
£713/day
£650/day – £781/day
Infrastructure & Cloud
DevOps Engineer
£575/day
Range: limited data
Infrastructure & Cloud
Cloud Architect
£900/day
£850/day – £950/day
Infrastructure & Cloud
Cloud Engineer
£475/day
Range: limited data
Software Engineering
Full Stack Developer
£563/day
£532/day – £619/day
0.0% YoY
Data & Analytics
Data Scientist
£675/day
£606/day – £675/day
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Analyst
£675/day
Range: limited data
Data & Analytics
AI Engineer
£675/day
£625/day – £700/day
Data & Analytics
Machine Learning Engineer
£663/day
£600/day – £725/day
Infrastructure & Cloud
Site Reliability Engineer
£625/day
£600/day – £675/day
Product & Design
UX/UI Designer
£475/day
£413/day – £538/day
Product & Design
UX Researcher
£538/day
£519/day – £556/day
Infrastructure & Cloud
Network Engineer
£575/day
£550/day – £650/day
Software Engineering
Java Developer
£600/day
£525/day – £694/day
0.0% YoY
Software Engineering
Python Developer
£725/day
£688/day – £763/day
Project & Change
Scrum Master
£550/day
£525/day – £575/day
Software Engineering
QA Engineer
£500/day
£475/day – £563/day
Data & Analytics
BI Developer
£525/day
£450/day – £625/day
0.0% YoY
Infrastructure & Cloud
Systems Administrator
£425/day
£400/day – £525/day
0.0% YoY
Software Engineering
Engineering Director
£700/day
£638/day – £807/day
0.0% YoY
Infrastructure & Cloud
Infrastructure Architect
£650/day
£625/day – £688/day
0.0% YoY
Infrastructure & Cloud
Infrastructure Manager
£650/day
£625/day – £675/day
0.0% YoY
Enterprise Applications
Oracle Specialist
£550/day
£525/day – £575/day
0.0% YoY
Enterprise Applications
Salesforce Specialist
£550/day
£525/day – £575/day
0.0% YoY
Cybersecurity
Identity Access Management Engineer
£500/day
£475/day – £538/day
0.0% YoY
Data & Analytics
SQL Developer
£500/day
£450/day – £563/day
0.0% YoY
Enterprise Applications
RPA Developer
£475/day
£413/day – £550/day
0.0% YoY
Leadership
IT Manager
£450/day
£425/day – £500/day
0.0% YoY
Infrastructure & Cloud
Network Administrator
£400/day
£375/day – £425/day
0.0% YoY
Software Engineering
Engineering Manager
£850/day
£700/day – £850/day
Software Engineering
Solutions Architect
£750/day
£725/day – £875/day
Enterprise Applications
SAP Specialist
£663/day
£625/day – £775/day
Project & Change
Project Manager
£575/day
£525/day – £600/day
Project & Change
Programme Manager
£700/day
£638/day – £775/day
Software Engineering
.NET Developer
£625/day
£563/day – £738/day
Software Engineering
Android Developer
£600/day
£550/day – £675/day
Data & Analytics
Database Administrator
£575/day
£513/day – £588/day
Infrastructure & Cloud
Application Support Engineer
£500/day
£413/day – £525/day
Project & Change
PMO Analyst
£325/day
£300/day – £363/day
Software Engineering
Mobile Developer
£738/day
£675/day – £819/day
Data & Analytics
Analytics Engineer
£500/day
£463/day – £525/day
Enterprise Applications
ERP/CRM Specialist
£575/day
Range: limited data
Software Engineering
Enterprise Architect
£938/day
£881/day – £994/day
Project & Change
Agile Coach
£875/day
£838/day – £913/day
Data & Analytics
Data Architect
£813/day
£769/day – £856/day
Software Engineering
C/C++ Developer
£713/day
£681/day – £744/day
Software Engineering
Scala Developer
£713/day
£669/day – £756/day
Software Engineering
Go Developer
£688/day
£669/day – £706/day
Software Engineering
iOS Developer
£675/day
£638/day – £713/day
Cybersecurity
Security Engineer
£675/day
Range: limited data
Project & Change
Delivery Manager
£650/day
£625/day – £675/day
Software Engineering
Ruby Developer
£625/day
£588/day – £663/day
Software Engineering
PHP Developer
£600/day
£563/day – £638/day
Software Engineering
Front End Developer
£563/day
£556/day – £569/day
Project & Change
Programme Director
£975/day
Range: limited data
Project & Change
Transformation Director
£975/day
Range: limited data
Data & Analytics
MLOps Engineer
£675/day
Range: limited data
Cybersecurity
Security Architect
£675/day
Range: limited data
Infrastructure & Cloud
Platform Engineer
£625/day
Range: limited data
Enterprise Applications
Workday Specialist
£575/day
Range: limited data
Cybersecurity
Penetration Tester
£525/day
Range: limited data
Cybersecurity
Threat Intelligence Analyst
£525/day
Range: limited data
Infrastructure & Cloud
Infrastructure Engineer
£475/day
Range: limited data
Leadership
IT Director
£475/day
Range: limited data
Infrastructure & Cloud
IT Support Specialist
£325/day
Range: limited data
Leadership
Chief Data Officer
£1000/day
£988/day – £1125/day
Leadership
Chief Technology Officer
£1400/day
£1300/day – £1500/day
Leadership
Chief Digital Officer
£975/day
Range: limited data
Leadership
Chief Information Security Officer
£675/day
Range: limited data
Contractor rate intel
Day rates move. Most people find out too late.
We track UK contractor rate movements across tech roles each month. Get our monthly contractor rate roundup: what's up, what's down, and where demand is shifting.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time. GDPR-compliant.
See how contractor day rates vary across United Kingdom cities.
Contractor day rates in the United Kingdom vary significantly by role and seniority. The highest benchmark on this page is Chief Technology Officer at £1400/day. Use the role cards below to find benchmarks for your specific discipline.
Use the IR35 calculator to compare inside vs outside IR35 take-home. Outside IR35 you pay Corporation Tax, Income Tax, and dividends via your limited company. Inside IR35 you are treated as an employee for tax purposes.
Year-on-year signals are shown on each role card where matched prior-year data exists. Check individual role pages for the latest YoY signals.
Use the range for your role as the evidence base, then adjust for seniority, specialist skills, contract length, location, and whether the rate needs to cover unpaid time or business costs. A benchmark is a starting point for negotiation, not a guaranteed offer.
Use the days you realistically expect to invoice, not every weekday in a year. Allow for holidays, public holidays, gaps between contracts, sick time, training, and non-billable administration. The calculator lets you test the assumption rather than relying on a single annualised number.
Check the client or agency's status-determination process, the written contract, expected working practices, and the rate after the applicable deductions. The IR35 calculator is a comparison tool, not a status determination. Obtain professional advice where the status is unclear.