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 Quantum careers to shape future

Opportunities exist for people with experience in pharma, finance or manufacturing, Jane Hamilton writes

Named as a pillar of the government’s industrial strategy, quantum computing is one of the few areas outpacing artificial intelligence. With plans to invest £2.5 billion in the emerging technology, Professor Sheila Rowan, chair of the Quantum Skills Taskforce, said “we are at a pivot point for the sector”.

While only 8,000 quantum-skilled professionals are employed nationwide, the results so far are promising.

The average productivity of the UK quantum sector is £128,020 per worker, more than twice the national average of £61,900. Oxford Economics says the overall value of the sector could increase to £706 million by 2034, and up to £3.8 billion by 2045, lifting UK productivity by the equivalent of £7,500 per household.

The breakthrough tech uses qubits, allowing quantum computers to explore numerous possibilities simultaneously, rather than sequentially, making them exponentially more powerful.

“Quantum computing is at the stage AI was five years ago, early but accelerating fast,” Liz Durst, vice-president of quantum error correction at Riverlane, a specialist firm, said. “The UK has an opportunity to lead, but only if we grow the talent pool. This is a field where you can build a career that will shape the future of science, technology, and industry.”

With 76 quantum firms operating nationally — the largest number in Europe — the UK is a global hub. One of the key players is Universal Quantum, founded by Professor Sebastian Weidt and which includes Rosemary Leith, wife of the world wide web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, as its senior strategic adviser.

Traditionally, the sector has employed physicists, but as the technology develops from the innovative but errorprone “noisy intermediate-scale quantum” computers to more reliable and powerful next-generation machines, the type of workers needed is changing.

The sector is projected to create about 250,000 jobs worldwide by 2030, rising to 840,000 by 2035. In the UK, the most optimistic outlook suggests growth from 5,000 annual new jobs currently to as many as 148,100 by 2055.

The roles most in demand include software engineers to link quantum machines with conventional computers, hardware engineers developing control systems, application specialists translating capabilities into industry use cases, as well as manufacturing experts scaling production.

“Scaling quantum computers is primarily an engineering challenge rather than a physics one. The field needs people who can work across disciplines,” Weidt said. “Some of the most valuable progress comes from those who combine quantum knowledge with a deep understanding of industry challenges.”

With average salaries ranging from £80,000 to £120,000 for senior staff, the sector is attracting the best, from graduates to career-changers. Staff with experience in pharmaceuticals, finance or manufacturing are particularly valued for identifying quantum applications that pure physicists might miss.

Durst added: “It is a field where persistence matters as much as brilliance, and where diverse perspectives will be essential to making the technology useful and trusted. If you are curious and willing to learn, there is a place for you.”