Deerfoot is an IT recruitment agency placing permanent and contract technology staff across Bristol, Bath and the South West, and along the M4 to Swindon and South Wales, since 1997.
The consultant who takes your brief runs the whole search, with no hand-off to a researcher.
The Bristol technology market
Bristol is the South West's largest technology job market, and it looks unlike most others: engineering and hardware sit alongside software and digital.
Finance is cited in 12% of Bristol's permanent technology vacancies in the six months to September 2026, according to IT Jobs Watch, but the city's distinctive strengths are aerospace and defence around Filton and the Ministry of Defence's procurement base at Abbey Wood, a silicon and embedded systems cluster, and a growing public sector presence, cited in 5.5% of vacancies with its median salary up 32% on last year.
The practical consequence for employers: salaries sit below London, with a software engineer median of £65,000 against £100,000 in the capital, but specialist engineering skills are in short supply. Embedded software engineer vacancies rose from 2 to 102 on the same period last year and the median rose 37%, while AI featured in around one in fourteen permanent tech vacancies. Strong candidates are usually weighing several approaches at once, and good people are more often approached than found applying.
7.9%
of Bristol permanent tech vacancies asked for security clearance in the six months to September 2026, with SC-cleared roles paying a £75,000 median, up 25% on last year
94%
of our permanent placements still in post twelve months later, in our most recent audited period
272
Software Engineer vacancies advertised in Bristol in the six months to September 2026, Bristol's most in-demand technology role
The roles we fill in Bristol
Our work in Bristol and Bath reflects a market that is as much engineering as software:
In Bath, we have worked with Quanta Group / Wealthtime for several years, placing business analysts on permanent and contract terms, a Salesforce administrator, risk and project managers, and a head of product governance.
We also recruit across artificial intelligence, cloud and DevOps, cyber security and infrastructure.
How we work
Our process is documented, externally audited and the same every time. See how we recruit.
INDEPENDENTLY ACCREDITED SINCE 1997
Bristol builds hardware as well as software.
Aerospace, defence and silicon design sit alongside digital businesses here, and we have been recruiting technology people since 1997.
What Bristol employers are paying
Bristol's aerospace and semiconductor employers keep embedded and systems engineering pay high, with embedded salaries up 37% on last year. These medians come from advertised Bristol vacancies, not our own placements, so they show the market you are hiring into.
Bristol IT salaries and day rates
The six most-advertised technology job titles in Bristol, medians from advertised vacancies, six months to September 2026
- Software Engineer
£65,000
Contract: £525/day (26 rates)
Salary up 8.3% · 227 salaries - Systems Engineer
£65,625
Contract: £550/day (22 rates)
Salary up 19.3% · 92 salaries - Embedded Software Engineer
£65,000
Contract: rate on request
Salary up 36.8% · 102 salaries - Solutions Architect
£70,000
Contract: £644/day (20 rates)
Salary down 12.5% · 80 salaries - Data Engineer
£60,000
Contract: £550/day (34 rates)
Salary down 14.3% · 41 salaries - IT Manager
£65,000
Contract: rate on request
Salary up 18.2% · 43 salaries
Source: IT Jobs Watch, Bristol medians from advertised vacancies. Day rates shown only where at least 10 contract rates were advertised. Updated quarterly.
Who you will be dealing with
Mandy Chow · Senior IT Recruitment Partner · LinkedIn
Mandy has more than 21 years of experience in technology recruitment, the last six of them at Deerfoot, where she works with employers across Bristol and the South West.
Away from work she loves her garden and growing seasonal vegetables. She is a sushi enthusiast, and plays tennis with her family.
To talk to Mandy, call us on 0117 403 7395 and ask for her, or email hello@deerfoot.co.uk and it will reach her.
Common questions about hiring in Bristol
Do you have an office in Bristol?
Not in the city itself. We are a remote-first business. Most clients ask for a video call or Teams meeting, but our team is happy to come to you at your offices, in Bath, on the harbourside or wherever is easiest.
What do you charge to fill a Bristol role?
We charge a percentage of first-year salary, based on the role’s difficulty and agreed in writing before we start. Our standard permanent terms include a six-month, 100% refund if the hire does not work out, and we make one fee-free placement each month for a registered charity or non-profit.
How long does it take to fill a technology role in Bristol?
For most mid-level roles, a shortlist within a week to ten days and an offer within four to six weeks. Embedded, systems and security-cleared roles take longer, because the pool is small and clearance adds time.
Can you find security-cleared engineers in Bristol?
Yes. Around 8% of Bristol tech vacancies ask for security clearance, much of it linked to aerospace, defence and the Ministry of Defence’s Abbey Wood base. We recruit for cleared and clearable roles and can advise on how clearance affects timescales and salary.
Do you place contractors as well as permanent staff?
Yes, both. We are an FCSA Recruiter Partner, so contractors are engaged compliantly and IR35 is settled before anyone starts. Several of our Bath placements have been contract business analysts.
Which areas around Bristol do you cover?
Bristol and Bath, across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset, and along the M4 corridor to Swindon and South Wales. Our work extends UK-wide, including IT recruitment in London, Manchester, the Thames Valley, Surrey and across Hampshire and the South Coast. We also cover Cambridge, Hertfordshire, Leeds and Nottingham.
What salary should I offer in Bristol?
Use the medians on this page as a guide, but specialist engineering pay in Bristol is rising fast, embedded software especially. Ask us for a free benchmark for your exact role and location.
Does it matter that our recruiter is a B Corp™?
If your organisation is a B Corp, or on the way, your suppliers count towards your score, and a certified recruiter is a straightforward, evidenced win. Even if not, certification means B Lab has independently checked how we treat people and the environment. In practice: a fee-free placement each month for registered charities, Living Wage Employer status and carbon offsetting on every placement.
Talk to us about a Bristol role
Use the form or call our Bristol number and you will go straight to the consultant who handles the role.
