UK fintech hiring is expected to increase by nearly 14% in 2026, following growth of 28% in 2025, with demand increasingly concentrated in payments infrastructure, engineering, and compliance roles, according to a new report from Morgan McKinley and Vacancysoft.
The Fintech UK Finance Labour Market Trends report forecasts that London will account for 71% of all fintech recruitment this year. Vacancy levels in the first quarter were more than 13% higher than the same period in 2025, with hiring in the capital rising 17%.
The report suggests fintech firms are shifting their focus towards operational resilience and infrastructure, with technology roles continuing to drive recruitment growth.
IT vacancies are forecast to rise more than 13% in 2026, led by IT infrastructure roles, which are projected to increase by nearly 31%. IT development and engineering vacancies are expected to climb by almost 19%.
Demand for traditional IT support roles continues to decline. According to the report, support vacancies have fallen from 17% of fintech technology hiring to 9% over the past two years as firms adopt automation and cloud-based systems.
Within compliance, anti-money laundering (AML) roles are projected to grow by 28%, while Credit Analyst vacancies are expected to increase by almost 46%, reflecting heightened focus on risk management and regulatory requirements.
The report also highlights a shift in hiring away from consumer neobanks towards payments and infrastructure providers. Radius is forecast to increase hiring by more than 42%, while SumUp is expected to grow vacancies by nearly 28%.
Crypto exchange operator Kraken is projected to boost hiring by around 91% as the UK develops its cryptoasset regulatory framework. By contrast, digital banks Starling Bank and Monzo are expected to reduce recruitment activity in 2026.
