Senior Software Engineer salary: London vs Cambridge
Cambridge tech and ML roles sit ~20% below London average — life sciences and academic-spinout senior bands match or exceed London.
Senior Software Engineer median · London
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UK · live Adzuna
Senior Software Engineer median · Cambridge
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UK · live Adzuna
London market
London salaries are the highest in the UK and carry the largest cost-of-living adjustment. The London premium over the national median is roughly 15-30% depending on role. Remote-first employers have applied downward pressure on this premium, but in-office and hybrid roles in London still command a clear uplift; contract day rates run 20-35% above equivalent Manchester or Birmingham figures.
Cambridge market
Cambridge has the densest concentration of deep-tech and biotech in the UK. Median salaries beat Manchester for technical roles, but the talent pool is narrow — the local market trends toward retention bonuses rather than aggressive hiring.
Senior Software Engineer salary in London (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
Senior Software Engineer salary in Cambridge (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
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