Agency Partners

UX / UI Developer Hiring Trends in United Kingdom

This report was last updated on Jul 13, 2025

Bence Gedai / Founder

Bence Gedai

Founder

I analyze live hiring data and tech job trends across Europe to give CTOs and Product Leaders a strategic edge. By tracking tens of thousands of open roles each week, I uncover which skills, roles, and locations are in highest demand — potential competitors, typical time to hire, talent pool sizes, and more to help you prioritize hiring, benchmark and stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

Key learnings from this report

  • The UX / UI job market in the United Kingdom has seen significant fluctuations over the past three months, with a peak of 111 new roles posted in week 21, demonstrating a strong demand for UX / UI Engineers.
  • In the UK, there are currently 500 job openings for UX / UI Engineers, with a competitive talent pool of 2,000 candidates, indicating a talent pool-to-job openings ratio that suggests a challenging hiring landscape.
  • The majority of available UX / UI roles are concentrated at the Mid-Senior level, accounting for 54% of the market, signifying a need for recruitment strategies that target experienced talent in this domain.
  • London remains the leading city for hiring UX / UI Engineers, with 91% of total job openings situated there, followed by Manchester and Leeds, highlighting the importance of these urban areas in tapping into the UX / UI talent pool.
  • The median time to hire for UX / UI Engineers in the United Kingdom stands at 29 days, underscoring the necessity for hiring managers to implement timely and effective recruitment processes to secure the right talent.
Number of roles opened and closed for UX / UI Engineers in United Kingdom in the last 3 months

Number of roles opened and closed for UX / UI Engineers in United Kingdom in the last 3 months

Over the past 12 weeks, the UX / UI job market in the United Kingdom has experienced fluctuations with a peak of 111 new roles posted in week 21, indicating a strong demand for UX / UI Engineers. However, it's noteworthy that job closures have also been significant, particularly with 62 positions closed in week 23, highlighting the competitive nature of the market. Compared to other technology roles in the UK, the divergence between newly posted and closed jobs suggests a need for hiring managers to adapt their recruitment strategies to attract and retain talent. Furthermore, while the UK shows a substantial weekly average of job openings, similar roles across Europe also reflect growing recruitment activity, necessitating innovative approaches in the hiring of Senior UX / UI Developers.

Who else is hiring for design Engineers in United Kingdom:

Company name Country Industry Founded # Job openings
Bending Spoons logo Bending Spoons Italy Information Technology & Services 2013 16
Steer logo Steer United Kingdom Management Consulting 1978 5
DoiT logo DoiT United States Information Technology & Services 2011 3
Meta logo Meta United States Information Technology & Services 2004 3
Ffern logo Ffern United Kingdom Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering null 3
hackajob logo hackajob United Kingdom Information Technology & Services 2014 2
Revolut logo Revolut United Kingdom Financial Services 2015 2
Canonical logo Canonical United Kingdom Information Technology & Services 2004 2
FDH Minsk logo FDH Minsk null null null 2
GDS Group logo GDS Group United Kingdom Events Services 1993 2

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Talent pool vs job openings for UX / UI Engineers in United Kingdom

How competitive it is to hire UX / UI Engineers in United Kingdom

The UX / UI Engineers job market trends in the United Kingdom indicate a challenging hiring landscape, with a talent pool-to-job openings ratio that suggests significant competition for skilled candidates. For instance, while the UK currently has 500 job openings against a talent pool of 2,000, countries like Germany and France exhibit more favorable conditions, featuring 1,000 openings matched with a talent pool of 3,500. Meanwhile, Poland presents an even more advantageous scenario with 600 openings and a talent pool of 2,800. This comparative analysis aligns with recruitment strategies for CTOs in the United Kingdom's tech sector, indicating that hiring Senior UX / UI Developers may require heightened efforts to attract top talent amid growing demand for UX / UI Developer opportunities across Europe.

Seniority distribution of UX / UI Engineer job openings in United Kingdom

Seniority Distribution of UX / UI Engineering Jobs in United Kingdom

In the UX / UI job market in the United Kingdom, the majority of roles are positioned at the Mid-Senior level, comprising 54% of available jobs. Entry-level positions represent 23% of the market, while Associate roles account for 9%. This distribution indicates a strong demand for experienced UX / UI Engineers, suggesting that recruitment strategies for CTOs within the UK's tech sector should focus on attracting mid-level talent to meet the ongoing demand.

Chart about preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom's software development job market, the employment type distribution reveals a strong preference for full-time positions, which hold a commanding 91% share of the total roles available. Contract roles follow at 8%, making them the second most common type of employment, while part-time positions account for just 2% of the market. This data underscores the prevailing trend towards stable, long-term employment in the UX / UI Engineers job market in the United Kingdom.

Time to Hire Distribution for UX / UI in United Kingdom

How long does it take to hire UX / UI Engineers

The time to hire distribution for UX / UI Engineers in the United Kingdom reveals key insights for hiring managers in the tech industry. A significant majority of candidates, approximately 177, are hired within 30 days, indicating a robust supply of talent ready to fill roles efficiently. Additionally, 121 candidates are secured within the 10-day mark, highlighting the urgency of recruitment strategies for CTOs looking to fill such positions. However, a notable shift occurs after 30 days, where the number of candidates diminishes significantly, suggesting an increase in challenges and competition for talent. For hiring leads navigating the UX / UI job market in the United Kingdom, these trends emphasize the importance of timely and effective recruitment processes to capitalize on available engineering talent.

Expolore reports from other European Developer talent pools

Most popular cities in United Kingdom to hire UX / UI Engineers

Top 5 cities in United Kingdom to hire UX / UI Engineers

In the United Kingdom, the distribution of UX / UI Engineer job openings is heavily concentrated in key urban areas. London leads the market with 91% of the total job openings, followed by Manchester at 9% and Leeds with 6%. These figures underscore the significance of London as a primary hub for UX / UI talent, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in United Kingdom for UX / UI

Key technologies for UX / UI Engineers

In the competitive UX / UI job market in the United Kingdom, several technologies stand out due to their frequent usage among professionals. Notably, 'UX design' leads with a significant frequency of 2,498 mentions, showcasing its essential role in user-centric projects. Following closely, 'Figma' has emerged as a top tool with 3,439 occurrences, highlighting the demand for collaborative design solutions. Other important technologies include 'UI Design' at 1,618 and 'Prototyping' at 2,960, indicating a trend towards rapid iteration in the design process. These insights are crucial for hiring managers looking to align their recruitment strategies with the skills that are most sought after in the market, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

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