Locations
Technology recruitment in London, New York and San Francisco
In short: we hire engineering, AI, data, product, go-to-market, cybersecurity and leadership people for technology teams in London, New York and San Francisco. We are headquartered in London, and the same fee applies in every city: 20% of base salary, which you can pay monthly through Pay While They Stay.
Our home marketsThree cities, one standard
Each city has its own page with the roles we fill there, a local salary snapshot and the detail that matters when you hire.
London
Where most of our years since 2013 sit. Engineering, AI and product hiring for venture-backed and scaling teams, and the enterprise names that keep coming back. Permanent, contract and executive.
£85,000median base, senior software engineer
Technology recruitment in LondonNew York
Fintech, AI and enterprise SaaS. The easiest market to run alongside a London hire, because the working day overlaps for most of the afternoon. Permanent and executive.
$177,000median base, senior software engineer
Technology recruitment in New YorkSan Francisco
AI and machine learning, infrastructure and founding engineers. The most competitive market we work in. Permanent and executive.
$200,000median base, senior software engineer
Technology recruitment in San FranciscoSalary figures from our tech salary benchmarks, as of 28 September 2026.
Side by sideHow hiring differs by city
The fee and the standard stay the same. What changes is the salary, the hiring terms and how the local market behaves.
| What you are comparing | London | New York | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| What we hire for | Engineering, AI and ML, data, product, go-to-market, cybersecurity and leadership | Engineering, AI and ML, data, product, go-to-market and leadership | Engineering, AI and ML, infrastructure, product, go-to-market and leadership |
| Ways to hire | Permanent, executive search and contract | Permanent and executive search | Permanent and executive search |
| Permanent fee | 20% of base salary, plus VAT | 20% of base salary, no VAT | 20% of base salary, no VAT |
| Pay monthly | Yes, through Pay While They Stay | Yes, through Pay While They Stay | Yes, through Pay While They Stay |
| Senior software engineer, median base | £85,000 | $177,000 | $200,000 |
| Market note | Lower headline base than the US, but EMI share options can make UK equity tax-efficient | Among the best paid US markets, with fintech and financial services a large share of hiring | The highest technology pay in the US, especially for AI and ML roles |
Contract hiring is available in the UK only. Salary figures as of 28 September 2026.
Hiring across more than oneThe part most agencies handle badly
It is the main reason clients come to us for a second market rather than starting again with someone local.
Opening a UK office
US companies planting a flag in London, usually starting with a first engineering hire or a country lead. You get people who have done it before.
Crossing the Atlantic
UK companies hiring their first person in New York or San Francisco. Salary expectations, equity norms and notice periods all work differently, and getting that wrong on hire number one is expensive.
One team, one standard
The same people run both sides, so you get one shortlist standard and one set of commercial terms rather than two agencies to manage.
Roles keep moving overnight
Our search and client work runs out of London. Our delivery hubs mean sourcing carries on well outside UK hours, so a role in another time zone does not sit still while London sleeps.
That is how a 23 day average time to fill holds up across a five to eight hour time difference.
Beyond the three citiesWe follow the people, not the postcode
We build relationships with individuals, and individuals move: to a new company, a new country, a new market. When they do, we tend to go with them. In recent years that has meant working on roles in Singapore and Denmark in the same week.
Through our employer of record partners we can put someone on a compliant contract in more than 140 countries, so you do not need your own entity in a country to hire someone there. Outside the UK we recruit on permanent terms only.
If your hire sits somewhere else, ask us. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right firm for it.
The commercial terms travel with us
- 20% of base salary for permanent hires below executive level, in every city
- Pay While They Stay: 12 monthly instalments of 1.67% of base salary, stopping if your hire leaves
- Single invoice: the same 12 months of protection, as a refund for the months after you let us know
- Executive search: 25% of base salary, one third at engagement and the balance on start or monthly
- UK clients: fees are plus VAT. US clients: no VAT
Hiring in a city we have not mentioned?
Tell us where and what, and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right firm for it.
Location questions
Where does Hurren & Hope recruit?
London, New York and San Francisco are our home markets and where our networks run deepest, with London as our base. Through employer of record partners we can also employ people in more than 140 countries.
Do you have offices in New York or San Francisco?
No. We are headquartered in London, with delivery hubs in London, Manila and Cape Town, and we recruit into New York and San Francisco from there. We would rather be straight about that than claim a local office we do not have.
Can you help a US company hire its first people in London?
Yes. It is one of the most common reasons clients come to us. We usually start with a first engineering hire or a country lead, and the same team handles both sides of the Atlantic.
Can you help a UK company hire in New York or San Francisco?
Yes, on permanent and executive terms. We will walk you through US salary expectations, equity norms and notice periods before you make hire number one.
Are your fees the same in every city?
Yes. Permanent hires are 20% of base salary in London, New York and San Francisco, or 18% on every hire when you give us three or more roles to fill, and you can pay monthly through Pay While They Stay. UK clients pay VAT on top; US clients do not.
Do you supply contractors outside the UK?
No. Contract recruitment is UK only. Outside the UK we recruit on permanent and executive search terms.
How do you work across time zones?
Our delivery hubs in Manila and Cape Town mean sourcing continues well outside UK working hours, so a role in another time zone keeps moving overnight.
What roles do you recruit for?
Engineering, AI and machine learning, data and analytics, product, go-to-market, cybersecurity, and leadership up to C-suite. Each city page sets out where we are strongest in that market.
Hiring in London, New York or San Francisco? Talk to a hiring expert.
Why clients stay with us