Manchester is the second-largest urban area in the UK, with half a million people living in the city itself and more than 7 million within one hour drive of its downtown. It’s also a developed IT market with an abundance of tech startups and established companies.
IT salaries
The average IT salary in Manchester is £47,350 per year (£3,945 per month).
Average IT salaries in Manchester depending on the specialization (£, before taxes, per year / per month):
- Software developer: 34,710 / 2,890
- Back-end developer: 31,140 / 2,595
- Front-end developer: 36,330 / 3,030
- Full-stack developer: 27,330 / 2,280
- DevOps engineer: 42,160 / 3,510
- Database administrator: 29,370 / 2,450
- Web designer: 26,730 / 2,230
- System administrator: 29,460 / 2,455
- IT project manager: 48,780 / 4,065
- QA engineer: 31,470 / 2,620
- Technical writer: 35,950 / 2,995
Economy
Manchester is a city with a strong economy (one of the largest in the UK), developed infrastructure, and a large job market. The unemployment rate in Manchester is 4.5% — a little higher than the national average of 3.8%.
Important economic sectors in Manchester include:
- BioTech
- Construction
- Cybersecurity
- Data analytics
- eCommerce
- Finance
- Internet of Things
- IT services
- Logistics
- Media
- Retail
- Tourism
According to the Tech Nation Report 2020, Manchester is the fastest-growing tech city within Europe. Between 2018 and 2019, investment grew by 277% (from £48m to £181m).
There are more than 62,650 digital jobs and almost 900 startups in Manchester. The city is home to MediaCity that houses media production, animation and gaming tech companies. Additionally, Manchester Science Partnerships’ Central Campus is home to more than 170 companies in the life science, HealthTech, BioTech, information and communications technologies (ICT), digital and creative sectors.
The largest technology companies present in the city include:
- AccessPay
- Amazon
- ANS Group
- Cisco
- Dell EMC
- Godel Technologies
- Google
- The Hut
- IBM
- Oracle
- Outsourcery
Cost of living
Consumer prices in Manchester are 16% lower and rent prices are 55% lower than in London.
The average monthly costs without rent in Manchester are £650 for a single person and £2,280 for a four-person family.
The average prices in Manchester (GDP):
- Meal at McDonald’s: 5–8
- Meal at another inexpensive restaurant: 7–25
- Average food basket (milk, bread, eggs, cheese, chicken, apples, potatoes, water, beer): 23
- Monthly fee at a fitness club: 15–40
- Monthly pass: 50–110
- Monthly rent (1 bedroom): 500 – 1,000
- Monthly rent (3 bedrooms): 700 – 2,000
- Property prices per square meter: 2,300 – 5,920
- Utilities: 80–250 per month
Travel
Manchester Airport is the busiest airport in the UK outside London. Services cover many destinations in Europe (Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Vienna, etc.), North America (Atlanta, New York, Orlando, Toronto, Vancouver, etc.), the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (Beijing, Hong Kong, Islamabad, etc.).
Additionally, Manchester is located roughly 4 hours drive (330–350 km) from both Edinburgh and London.
Entertainment
Manchester is the third most visited city in the UK, after London and Edinburgh. Manchester has a great music scene, a thriving theater, opera and dance scene with a number of large performance venues, a great many museums and art galleries, a vibrant nightlife, an abundance of bars and clubs.