Day rate
The average day rate across the Data discipline was £469 per day (£59 per hour), a slight decrease of -1% year-on-year. Top 10% contracts experienced a +8% decrease with an average rate of £670 (£84 per hour).
Experience
Lead and Senior roles saw decreases at -7% and -5%, respectively, year-on-year. Whilst Director and Midweight roles saw a +2% and +5% year-on-year increase.
I think AI is going to have a massive impact in the data industry. We are already seeing it being used, even at a simple level, to help non-data scientists build out SQL scripts. But I think people will understand that AI is only as good as the data it’s working with as well as the people using it. And that will help highlight the skills and qualities of data analysts/scientists.
I think AI is going to have a massive impact in the data industry. We are already seeing it being used, even at a simple level, to help non-data scientists build out SQL scripts. But I think people will understand that AI is only as good as the data it’s working with as well as the people using it. And that will help highlight the skills and qualities of data analysts/scientists.
Contract Length and Bookings
In 2024, the average contract length was 54 working days (just under 11 weeks), a year-on-year increase of +38%, the biggest growth across all of the 15 analysed disciplines. Top 10% contracts averaged 94 working days (just under 19 weeks), reflecting a year-on-year increase of +1%.
All role levels experienced an average year-on-year increase of +29%, with Lead roles seeing a remarkable growth of +64%.
Data bookings experienced a slight decrease of -2% in bookings year-on-year. Bookings in the Data discipline fluctuated significantly throughout the year, with sharp peaks in July and December, and notable dips in April and June.
Roles
Data Engineers saw the highest average rate across the Data discipline earning on average £571 per day (£71 per hour).
Skills
Data specialists remain in high demand, with Microsoft Excel, Data science, and Machine learning emerging as the highest-paid skills, reflecting their critical role in driving data-driven decision-making and innovation across industries.
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