Most software developers have considered quitting this year. Here’s why

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According to a new industry report, nearly nine in 10 software and DevOps professionals have either quit their job or considered doing so in the last 12 months.

Uniting Cloud’s results Software Developers and DevOps Industry Report 2022 found that 50% of developers and DevOps professionals have switched roles in the last year. Of the 50% who did not switch roles, 71% had considered doing so.

Of the 400 UK software developers and DevOps professionals surveyed by Uniting Cloud, just 13% had not considered quitting their job for a new role – meaning 87% of tech professionals left either the Changed jobs or thought about it.

The survey once again underscores the challenges employers face when it comes to retaining technology staff as hiring competition escalates.

Reasons given by respondents for quitting included taking advantage of high salaries and benefit packages offered by employers in return for in-demand technical skills, and reluctance to return to the office.

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Respondents to the survey said they would expect a 21.5% pay rise as a result of moving to a new position. According to Uniting Cloud data, software developers with 3-5 years of experience can expect an average salary of up to £64,000, while professionals with experience in both software development and DevOps can earn up to £84,000.

“Skilled” professionals with 6-10 years of experience and skills in both software engineering and DevOps see an average base salary of £97,000 – while professionals with the same years of software development experience alone can expect £82,000.

Uniting Cloud said that the programming languages ​​Python and Go are “on a huge uptrend” in terms of demand, but added that “legacy skills like HTML and CSS aren’t going away anytime soon.”

Tom Sillitto, Head of DevOps at Uniting Cloud, warned employers that they need to think beyond pay if they want to attract and retain talent in a squeezed tech hiring market.

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“The demand for professionals with development and DevOps skills is not only increasing, the number of roles available far outstrips the number of professionals in this field, and competition is at its peak,” said Sillitto.

“To win premium experience is not just about paying a higher salary, but about considering a whole package where career aspirations can be met along with a rewarding benefits package.”

Pay aside, flexibility was high on the list of software professionals’ job must-haves.

Just over half (51%) of respondents said the ability to work from home was the top job benefit, followed by career advancement (14%), flexible hours (10%), a four-day work week ( 6%), and health insurance (5%).

Overall, 85% of respondents said remote work was important to them. Almost two-thirds (64%) said they currently work remotely five days a week, with the second most popular arrangement being three days (15%).

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