The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has significantly increased its staff numbers and is seeing a resulting hike in payroll costs, according to its monthly headcount and payroll data.
DSIT employed 3,449 full-time equivalent staff in July, up 1,226 or 55% on 2,223 FTE staff in July 2024. Most of the increase took place between May, when the department had 2,434 FTE staff, and June when the figure jumped to 3,368.
“These figures reflect the transfer of the Government Digital Service from Cabinet Office into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology,” a spokesperson said.
The government announced GDS’s move from the Cabinet Office to DSIT in July 2024 but the transfer was only legally formalised on 13 May this year.
The headcount figures indicate that most GDS staff moving across to DSIT are employed at civil service grades 6 and 7. Comparing the figures for July 2025 to those of a year ago, DSIT now employs 43 more FTE staff at senior civil service bands, 804 more at grades 6 and 7, 226 more at higher and senior executive officer grades and 37 more at executive officer grades. The FTE number of administrative officers and assistants employed by the department is unchanged on a year ago.
DSIT’s total payroll staff cost in June was £23.2m, up 70% on £13.6m in June 2024, with the average annualised cost per FTE staff member up 9.7% from £73,500 a year ago to £80,700. As well as salary these figures include employer pension and national insurance contributions, performance payments and overtime.
The data also shows DSIT spent much more on contingent and consultancy staff in June 2025 than a year earlier, although these figures have varied significantly from month to month recently.
In June 2025 it spent £4.17m on contingent labour and £2.97m on consultancy staff costs compared with £494,000 and £367,000 respectively in June 2024. As a result the department’s total spending on payroll and non-payroll staff in June 2025 reached £30.3m, more than double the £14.5m from the year before.
The spokesperson said that the government is “doubling the number of digital and data experts across government which will save the taxpayer from wasting money on pricey contractors”.
DSIT’s annual report and accounts for 2024-25, published in July, said that annual spending on GDS will rise to £418.5m in 2025-26, an annual increase of 53%. The government is expanding the unit to incorporate the Central Digital and Data Office, the Geospatial Commission and government-wide cyber operations.