UK FinTech Hiring Surges As Compliance And Cybersecurity Drive Risk Expansion

• UK fintech hiring forecast to increase by 32% in 2025
• Risk and compliance hiring continues to expand, led by fraud and financial crime functions
• Cybersecurity reform and infrastructure roles driving 39% growth in hiring

UK fintechs are set to increase professional hiring by 32% in 2025 despite challenging economic headwinds, according to Morgan McKinley and Vacancysoft’s latest fintech report. Interest rates have begun to ease, but volatility, as measured by the VIX, remains elevated, tempering investor confidence. Venture funding continues to underperform historical norms, particularly at early-stage levels. Nevertheless, fintech employers are proceeding with strategic hires. Growth is being led by product expansion, operational scaling and the maturing of several firms from start-up to post-revenue stages driven by regulatory shifts, cyber reforms and a potential renewal of UK–EU financial services.

Compliance demand grows with rising regulatory scrutiny

Risk and compliance hiring is projected to rise by 29% in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of growth. Within that, demand for financial crime professionals is set to jump by 50%, while fraud-related roles are expected to double. The uptick reflects heightened regulatory scrutiny and increasing operational complexity, particularly for firms with cross-border exposure. As regulatory expectations shift from minimum standards to active governance, fintechs are investing accordingly, seeking experienced professionals to strengthen internal control frameworks and support future authorisations or licensing requirements.

Cybersecurity and IT roles lead technology hiring

Technology-related hiring is forecast to grow by 39%, with the most demand in engineering, IT management and development and cyber security.  London continues to dominate hiring in this space buoyed by the upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. As fintechs replace legacy systems and meet rising compliance expectations, system resilience and threat mitigation skills are in high demand.

Divergent hiring strategies across the sector

Hiring activity is varied across the sector. Several firms including FNZ, Wise, Deel, and Ebury Partners are expanding rapidly with headcount growth ranging between 40% and 120%. These firms are capitalising on product momentum and international expansion. In contrast, some fintechs are adopting a more cautious stance, reducing hiring in response to cost pressures and a less favourable fundraising climate. However, fintechs are prioritising strategic hiring: investment is being channelled primarily into high-impact roles in compliance, product engineering, and IT security, whilst generalist functions remain stable or are subject to cost review.

Mark Astbury, Director, Morgan McKinley UK commented: “Despite investor caution and geopolitical uncertainty, the UK’s fintech sector is powering ahead with one of its strongest hiring outlooks in recent years. A projected 32% rise in professional vacancies, led by London but echoed nationwide, signals a market shifting from rapid-fire scaling to more deliberate, strategic expansion, particularly across compliance, cybersecurity, and engineering.”

Astbury continued: “The data tells a clear story: despite subdued venture capital flows, demand for specialist talent remains robust. This isn’t a hype-driven rebound, it’s a grounded response to real-world pressures. Fintech firms are hiring to meet rising regulatory expectations as they grow, to counter increasingly sophisticated financial threats, and to build more resilient digital infrastructure. The surge in fraud risk and compliance roles, alongside double-digit growth in IT security and engineering, reflects an industry maturing in response to both opportunity and obligation. Looking ahead at the rest of 2025, the message is clear: fintech hiring is purposeful and focused. The shift from reactive to proactive talent acquisition is redefining how firms invest, not just in products, but in people.”

 Top 10 Companies, All Professional Vacancies, Fintech, UK, 2023-2025 (Jan/Apr)  + *Est