Tech salaries have remained stagnant for the last two decades, with professionals effectively earning little more now than they did in 2005, when taking inflation into account.

That’s according to the latest report from technology careers platform Dice in its Tech Salary Report 2025, which found that, adjusting for twenty-years worth of inflation, tech pros in 2005 earned an average of $114,648 (£87,595), compared to today’s average tech salary which stands at $112,521 (£85,950).

Of the more than 2,800 seasoned tech professionals polled by Dice, predominantly in the US, 59% now feel underpaid compared to their peers, up from 54% in 2023, unsurprising given that less than half (45%) of tech workers received a salary increase last year, despite 55% getting a pay bump in 2023.

Bucking the trend is the AI factor. Dice found that those with AI skills command an 18% premium over other tech roles, while those working in Natural Language Processing had enjoyed the fastest pay increases since 2023, at 21%. 

While gaining expertise in AI could offer a fast route to more pay, it’s far from the only way tech workers can earn more. Dice’s survey revealed that those specialising in areas like cloud computing, C#, cybersecurity, DevOps, and Software-as-a-Service typically made around $10,000 (£7,639) more than their peers.

Overall, however, compared to Dice’s 2023 report, more tech workers said that their income either didn’t change (39%) or decreased (16%) over the last year, with the main reason being a change of employer.   

While the salary shortfall is certainly lowering morale, fears around job security are making it worse.

Dice found that almost a fifth of tech workers (17%) have now personally been laid off, up 7% from 2023, while 20% have seen members of their team let go. Those experiences have led to a spike in anxiety, as 25% say they’re worried about future downsizing at their companies, a fear particularly acute among younger staff, with 34% growing worried about losing their job in the next round of cuts.

After a layoff, the situation can become even more bleak, with it taking longer to find another job. More than a quarter of tech workers (26%) in 2024 said it took them six months or longer to find their next gig, compared to 23% in 2023.

However, despite that, the combination of increased layoffs across the tech industry, coupled with growing anxiety, is leading more people to think about jumping ship, with almost half (47%) actively hunting for new roles, a stark rise from 29% last year.

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While those figures might paint a gloomy picture of the tech industry, experienced professionals were split over whether or not tech’s culture has improved over the last twenty years.

Almost half (48%) said that the culture has improved, while 41% believe it has declined, although interestingly, women were much more likely than men to think tech’s work culture has improved, at 64% compared to 46%. 

In one possible explanation for that gender divide, an anonymous respondent told Dice: “I started in IT over 25 years ago when it was a very male-dominated field, and I remember a specific vendor who would not work with me because I was a woman. It was hard to be taken seriously or get challenging projects.

“Now I see the younger females in the field having an easier time, getting more complex/challenging roles earlier in their career. I am so excited for them.”