Top 10 tech contractor roles for 2022

After the repeated disruption and instability of the past 18 months, working life has been altered in many ways, but arguably for the better if you’re an IT contractor, writes James Hallahan, director of Hays Technology, UK & Ireland.

UK technology jobs today: status update

The events of the last two years have completely changed how businesses interact with their customers and each other, with much of the workforce now requiring enhanced digital skills – more so than at the start of 2020.

In the following list of the top ten most in-demand tech contractor roles for 2022, exclusively for ContractorUK, the majority of roles are enablers of that accelerated digital transformation. So that means while employers are of course looking for permanent staff, there’s now a huge, enhanced opportunity for contractors to support organisations across ‘in-demand’ areas.

As the latest labour market report for IT contractors confirms, there is undoubtedly a significant skills shortage in the technology and computing sector, and contractors -- who know their worth, and what the in-demand roles are, will be very well-placed for success in 2022.

Top 10 tech contractor roles: what’s hot in technology in 2022

Project Managers (1) are responsible for the delivery of transformational change, as well as scoping out what that change might look like!

Contractors who are able to support organisations while working within agile frameworks are in high demand, and typical day rates at a senior level start at £600. Junior project managers can expect £350 upwards.

Next hottest is Business Analysts (2). And employers are looking for analysts with strong stakeholder management skills in 2022. Senior Business Analysts (BAs) can expect a day rate of £550 and above. As a yardstick BA candidates with 1-2 years’ experience can expect a day rate of £352+.

Java Developers (3) continue to be in demand across the technology space, so much so that organisations of all sizes are competing for talented developers, not just in the UK but internationally. The same can be said for contract .Net Developers (4) who can expect plenty of choice in their next .Net contract. Senior developers can expect day rates of £550 upwards.

The other five tech skills not to sniff at...

Meanwhile, given the analytics space has seen exponential growth over the last few years, it’s no surprise that Data Analysts (5) deserve a place on this list of top ten tech roles for 2022.

To stand out to hiring decision-makers, Data Analysts need to demonstrate a robust understanding of programming languages like SQL, as well as proficiency with business intelligence software such as PowerBI, Tableau and Qlik. Analysts can expect typical day rates of £400 and above across the UK. Similarly, Data Engineers (6) are sought-after nationwide and our database shows, can expect typical day rates of £500+.

At the same time, we’re seeing that the DevOps methodology is well and truly established in organisations now. There’s been significant investment in this since the start of the pandemic (March 2020), and (7) DevOps Engineers who can support full DevOps teams can expect day rates of £550+.

Alongside data analysts and engineers – Data Scientists (8) can also expect lots of opportunities for lucrative contracts in 2022. There continues to be significant scope across health-tech, ed-tech and med-tech companies, with even more focus on those contractors who are skilled to develop in this space. Those looking to freelance as a data scientist this year can expect day rates of £600+.

But there’s also huge demand across project and programme management, and so Product Owners (9) who can adapt to changes in a fast-paced environment -- and are resilient while showing good communications skills, are especially sought-after. Contractors in this space can expect day rates of £525+.

Lastly, for many companies, ease of access to digital assets has never been greater as a result of widespread remote working accelerated by the pandemic, and so cybercrime continues to be a key concern for many ventures. As such, Cyber Security Engineers (10) who can show they are extremely logical in their approach while being able to effectively assess risk will be far from short of opportunities this year. Contractors who can demonstrate this distinct blend of strong technical and soft skills can expect rates of at least £525 a day.

Final thought

Very finally, a top tip or two for IT contractors. If you are looking for a new opportunity over the next few months, while you are in the driving seat when it comes to your worth, consider not only how your skillset can meet the current demand, but think about what really matters to you in your career as a freelance professional. Whether that’s work-life balance, people, organisational purpose, client-portfolio diversity, or training and professional development  -- making smart choices for the long-term will be critical if you want to thrive in a rapidly evolving labour market.