2025 may see a record exodus from tech as a record number of workers are seeking new roles in the industry amid declining benefits and return-to-office mandates.

In a survey from Dice, the career hub, nearly half (47%) of tech workers said they were actively looking for a new role, a marked rise from just below a third (29%) last year.

This is despite overall pay for tech workers on the rise, with the average tech professional salary hitting $112,521 (£92,802) in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 1.2%. Those with expertise in AI and ML, however, see a bump on this salary of up to a whopping 17.7%.

Manufacturing saw the highest tech salary growth at 15.1%, though consulting, software, and finance maxed out as the highest paying sectors with average salaries for tech workers reaching over $125,000 (£103,000).

Despite professionals with three to five years’ experience seeing salary growth of about 6%, employee satisfaction has plummeted in 2024.

Even with these high and growing salaries, the majority (60%) of tech workers reported feeling underpaid.

This may not be directly related to salaries, but decreasing benefits, ranging from health insurance to flexible working, and a lack of opportunities for professional development

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Remote working options, once a major pull into the tech sector, have decreased by 4% this year, with training opportunities also seeing a drop (6%).

Merit-based raises are also down this year, at 36% compared to 41% in 2023.

Those working on emerging technologies, such as AI and ML, report higher salaries and job satisfaction, likely related to how sought-after their skillset is.

Still, the survey found glimmers of good news, as women in tech with over 20 years of experience said that work place culture was improving about 1.5 times more than their male counterparts. Overall, just shy of half (48%) of all tech workers said that the culture has improved, showing more work is to be done.