Located in the West Midlands, Birmingham is England's second-largest city after London, with approximately 1.15 million people living in the city and over 2.7 million in the wider urban area. The city has a perfectly balanced mix of industry and culture, urban amenities and natural surroundings. Birmingham's lower cost of living compared to London, robust labour market and excellent connectivity (less than a two-hour train ride to London) make it increasingly popular among professional expats.
In the early 18th century, Birmingham grew internationally during the Industrial Revolution thanks to its world-leading textile trade.
Today, Birmingham is a major centre for public administration, health, education services and financial services. The city hosts three universities with a significant student population of around 80,000 students, over 10,000 of whom are international.
Why Birmingham is a good place for work
Given that Birmingham is England's second biggest city outside of the capital, it's unsurprising that there are a few reasons why expats consider settling and working here.
Accessibility and connectivity
Birmingham's central location provides easy access to the rest of England. In fact, you can reach virtually any destination in under four hours. This makes Birmingham excellent for commuters and professionals whose work requires travel.
Plus, Birmingham International Airport is just 15 minutes away by train, offering excellent international connectivity for frequent travellers and holidaymakers.
Employment opportunities
The city hosts more than 35,000 companies, ranging from established multinationals to startups seeking new talent. Birmingham is the largest centre in England for employment in public administration, education and health; and after Leeds, the second-largest centre outside London for employment in financial and other business services.
Quality of life
Besides being an excellent workplace for expats, Birmingham boasts over 8,000 acres of parks and open spaces that are great for maintaining mental and physical well-being, especially during summer.
The city also offers exceptional dining options, including six Michelin-starred restaurants, and world-class entertainment venues like the O2 Institute, O2 Academy and Symphony Hall, home to the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Good to know:
“Brummies” is the local term for Birmingham residents, and the city has one of Europe's youngest populations—about 40% are under 25.
Useful links:
Birmingham International Airport
The economy of Birmingham
Birmingham's economy centres on services and industry, with significant investments in infrastructure development. As a result, the city continues to attract billions in infrastructure as it develops its status as a globally important city.
In fact, one of the biggest investment projects that's most well-known (and controversial) is the HS2 project. Short for High Speed 2, the rail project aims to connect London and Birmingham, with completion targeted for the 2030s, and is supporting thousands of jobs across various sectors involved in HS2.
Beyond this transport project, key economic sectors in the city include:
- Public administration, healthcare and education: Birmingham remains the country's largest centre for these services.
- Financial services: home to around 200 law firms, major accountancy firms and one of Europe's largest insurance markets.
- Technology and innovation: growing tech sector with particular strength in gaming and business information services.
- Manufacturing: traditional strengths in automotive, jewellery and specialised manufacturing.
- Property and professional services: over 50 major property services firms.
Birmingham's biggest employers
Birmingham has been an industrial city since the Industrial Revolution began in the early 1700s, before the actual transition from hand production methods to machines.
Today, the city hosts a number of multinational corporations, namely: Jaguar Land Rover (which has a major local presence); Lloyds Banking Group and Deutsche Bank; the BBC, Fujitsu and various other gaming companies; Severn Trent Water, E.ON; and finally, Cadbury.
If you want to work in the higher education sector, consider the University of Birmingham. It's part of the Russell Group and one of the most recognised universities globally. It has a vast international community from more than 150 countries. The university offers various roles, including academic, technical and administrative positions.
Below are other key employment areas in Birmingham:
Colmore Business District, Birmingham's primary business quarter, is home to over 500 companies and 35,000 employees, and is particularly strong in legal services.
Located at Birmingham Science Park, Innovation Birmingham houses over 86+ technology companies that work on cutting-edge developments. There's also Birmingham's renowned Victorian Custard Factory, which is a renowned creative hub in Digbeth that supports startups, freelancers and creative agencies.
Good to know:
The unemployment rate in Birmingham was 7.2% in May 2024, compared with 5.2% for the wider West Midlands Metropolitan area, and 3.7% for the country as a whole.
Useful links:
Finding a job in Birmingham
Regardless, Birmingham can be an excellent choice if you have the skills that match the city's major economic sectors. If you don't belong to any of these sectors, remember that Birmingham is a strong economic power in which finding a job will be a lot easier than in smaller towns in the North or South of England.
Searching online, ringing recruiters, and directly contacting the companies you wish to work for are key to securing a job.
You can carry out your job search before you even arrive in Birmingham. However, having a Birmingham-based address will help you secure a job more quickly.
Useful links:
Reed.co.uk - Jobs in Birmingham
Wages in Birmingham
Birmingham salaries are, as expected, lower than London salaries. However, the cost of living here is lower.
As of 2025, the average salary in Birmingham ranges between £35.9k in Sandwell and £44.9k in Solihull, which are low when you compare them to the country's overall average salary of £45.8k
Everyday life in Birmingham
Birmingham is full of life regardless of the time of day or night. The regenerated canal area is a great place to experience the city's food and pub culture.
Bullring & Grand Central was established in 1166 as a market centre, but nowadays, it is more of a multi-space for shopping, dining (the bottom floor is a vast food hall) and leisure. It has over 160 shops across three levels. Among the city's many recent redevelopments is the New Street Station, which underwent a £600m makeover, and it is now known as the Grand Central.
If you want to escape the city's hustle and bustle, the Lickey Hills Country Park in Rednal is a short drive away. The park has a vantage point of the entire city right at the top of Beacon Hill.
Of course, this is only one of the 571 parks in the city. For more natural beauty, you can spend some peaceful hours at the Botanical Gardens, home to rare and exotic plants, without leaving the city. If all you want after a tough day at work is to run, Edgbaston Reservoir offers an easy and short (2.8 km) route around the reservoir.
Birmingham is not crime-free, so you must be cautious and take preventive measures. In 2025, the crime rate was 136 crimes per 1,000 people.
Good to know:
Bournville, the model village on Birmingham's southwest side, remains home to Cadbury World, which offers factory tours and shopping opportunities.
We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.
