London’s tech workforce? It’s massive - and incredibly mixed in terms of skillsets. As of 2023, over 900,000 people were working in tech across the city, according to London & Partners / Tech Nation. A big slice of that is made up of software, web, front-end, and back-end developers, and mobile app developers.

Some are deep in startups, others are holding down roles at major banks, digital agencies, SaaS companies, or even public-sector projects. It’s not all flashy product launches - there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.

The demand’s still strong across the board. Doesn’t matter if you’re into front-end frameworks, backend APIs, mobile platforms, AI, or security - there’s space for you. And the hiring hasn’t slowed much, even when the economy’s shaky. Tech, especially in London, just keeps pulling talent.

When it comes to pay, web developers in London tend to do pretty well, especially compared to most other European cities.

Glassdoor UK pegged the average salary at around £42,000 in early 2025. Junior devs usually start somewhere near £30,000, and folks with a few years of experience or a solid niche skill can easily cross £60,000.

Sure, London’s expensive. But salaries here reflect the level of skill expected, and the fact that this market doesn’t settle for average.

London’s roots in web and software development stretch all the way back to the early internet boom of the 1990s. Being a major financial and cultural hub, it was one of the first places in Europe to really lean into the digital shift. Early-stage tech companies, creative coders, and digital-first thinkers all started setting up shop here.

By the early 2000s, things really picked up. The explosion of e-commerce, the rise of fintech, and the growing demand for digital content created a serious need for skilled developers. That momentum laid the groundwork for the tech ecosystem we see today.

Neighborhoods like Shoreditch and Old Street, you’ve probably heard it called Silicon Roundabout, became the go-to spots for startups, creative agencies, and freelance tech talent.

What helped?

A mix of private money flowing in and public support like the Tech City UK initiative, which gave the whole scene an extra push.

London’s still one of the toughest, most mature web development markets anywhere in Europe.

It’s packed with talent - more than 2,700 development companies listed just on ITProfiles alone, not to mention all the indie studios, freelancers, and product teams that don’t even make the directories. Whether you’re building for web, mobile, cloud, or AI, you’ll find people here who can take a project from idea to launch without skipping a beat.

A lot of the demand is still coming from the usual heavy-hitters - finance, e-commerce, healthcare, and a steady stream of ambitious startups. They’re all chasing scalable, future-ready tech, and London developers are pretty well-known for delivering under pressure.

The bar’s high. But that’s kind of the point. Developers here aren’t just coding, they’re solving messy, complex problems and building stuff that works on a global stage.

And it’s not slowing down. With international tech firms setting up shop and the local startup scene constantly refreshing itself, London’s staying right in the middle of the action.

Brexit shook things up for London’s tech scene, especially when it came to hiring and scaling dev teams.

Before the split from the EU, it was pretty straightforward - companies could tap into a massive pool of skilled developers from across Europe. Need a React developer from Berlin? A DevOps engineer from Barcelona? No problem. That flexibility made it easier to grow fast and stay agile.

But post-Brexit? Things got trickier. New immigration rules made it harder to bring in EU-based talent, and suddenly, London firms had to rely more on local hires or look further afield. The Skilled Worker visa and a few other government-backed routes helped a bit, but it hasn’t fully solved the problem, especially when it comes to high-demand roles like full-stack engineers, DevOps specialists, or cloud architects. There just aren’t enough people to go around.

So what’s happening instead? A lot of companies are nearshoring more of their development work to Eastern Europe, or outsourcing to South Asia, or even other parts of the UK. It’s not about cutting corners—it’s about staying flexible and keeping projects moving.

At the same time, you’re seeing a bigger push to grow talent locally. Coding bootcamps, university partnerships, on-the-job training—companies are doubling down on building strong, sustainable teams close to home.

For a lot of firms that used to lean hard on EU developers, this shift has sparked a more balanced approach. Think hybrid setups with a mix of in-house staff, freelancers, and remote partners. It’s not as frictionless as it once was, but London’s still adapting—and holding its own.