What is the Average Salary in Portugal, in the Tech Industry?

How much do IT professionals earn in Portugal? From DevOps Engineers to Full-Stack Developers, this is what you need to know when hiring.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

The Portuguese startup scene is booming, and it shows. Tech roles are in high demand, meaning salaries are expected to grow, especially for more senior positions. Still, salaries in Portugal for key IT workers are significantly lower than their European and US counterparts – but that is far from the only reason so many companies are staffing up in Portugal. This is how much the most in-demand roles earn, what they do, and what to consider when hiring.

FULL-STACK DEVELOPER

A full-stack developer is a web developer or engineer who works with both the front and back ends of a website or application. In this sense, they provide end-to-end service and can be involved in projects that involve databases and building user-facing websites. 

Besides mastering HTML and CSS, Full-Stack Developers can program a browser, a server, or a database. This is a hybrid of what were typically two separate roles: front-end development (the visible parts of a website or application) and back-end development (the “under the hood” databases and infrastructure)

Such a versatile player is invaluable to any IT team. According to Robert Walkers, the HR consultancy, Full-Stack professionals with 5-10 years of experience earn 50 - 70k euros per year. In the US, the total pay is about $87 k per year. 

DEVOPS ENGINEER 

The role of a DevOps engineer is to tear down walls between Development (Dev) and Operations (Ops). To do that, a wide-ranging skillset is necessary, spanning both development and operations. But hard skills alone won’t do: it is also fundamental to have the interpersonal skills to bridge divides between siloed teams. 

For example, one of the most valuable returns on a DevOps investment is the ability to deliver faster feedback to developers. A DevOps engineer will often have to work with QA (whether manual testers or developers who write test automation) to improve the speed, efficacy, and output of testing methodologies.

A DevOps engineer introduces processes, tools, and methodologies to balance needs throughout the software development life cycle, from coding and deployment to maintenance and updates. Tasks like data management and library updates for new product releases.

So, how much do such skilled individuals earn in the Portuguese labor market? With 5 to 10 years of experience, DevOps engineers make anywhere from € 60 – 90K a year. In the US, average pay is almost twice that, at a cool $ 140 k per year.

DATA SCIENTIST

There were 79 zettabytes of data generated worldwide in 2021. Data analysts play a vital role in a modern company, making sense of vast amounts of data and helping to reflect on its work and customer base. They determine how these factors affect the bottom line and advise leadership on ways to move forward to grow the business.

In short, Data Scientists communicate patterns and trends to the proper channels in order to allow them to make more informed decisions about their target audience. They also collect data from multiple sources and maintain databases making sure that the data is clear and easy to read, by humans or machines.

Careers in data science un have strong earning potential in Portugal and worldwide. In the US, average base pay is around $ 96 k per year – with managers earning up to $ 130 k/yr. In Portugal, a Data Scientist with 5-10 years of experience will earn between € 60 - 80 k per year.

BLOCKCHAIN ENGINEER

Blockchain Engineers are in high demand. They are the expert minds behind the development of computer networking, cryptography, data structures, and algorithms. They also have experience in particular blockchains like Bitcoin or Ethereum technology.

They are also required to analyze the company’s needs and work on existing open-source technologies or build new ones. Moreover, Blockchain Engineers have to develop and implement assets and infrastructure processes. Also, they need to make sure all the applications are secure. 

Total pay in the US for such a specialized professional? Around $ 101 k per year In Portugal, Mid Blockchain Engineers earn between €60-80 k/yr.

BIG DATA SPECIALIST

A Big Data Specialist is a professional who helps organizations store, manage, and analyze large data sets. They typically have experience with a variety of data mining and statistical analysis techniques, and may also develop custom algorithms to optimize data processing. 

A Big Data Specialist may work with the company’s IT department to ensure that the data warehouse is able to handle the company’s data. Also, Big Data Specialists can work with analysts to design custom algorithms that would help the company better understand its data.

In Portugal, pay for such roles is increasing: for a professional with around 5 years of experience, the salary rose from an average of € 50 k per year in 2019 to around € 45 - 70 k per year in 2022. In the US, however, the average annual pay for a Big Data Specialist in the United States is $82 k/yr.

Estimates pin IT salaries to increase between 6% and 9% in Portugal, the appetite of foreign companies for Portuguese professionals being the main driver of the rise in the salaries. Still, compared to many salaries in the US and other European countries, those in Portugal continue to be low.

But wages are not the only reason so many tech giants and startups alike are moving to Portugal: in fact, the Country has been ranked the best place in the world to travel and work remotely in 2022, according to Momondo's Travel and Work index. Great weather, intense social life, low crime rates and affordable cost of living make it an extraordinary place.

The Portuguese Government invested heavily in attracting foreign workers, either by provisioning digital and tech visas or simplifying tax legislation. A new 10-year tax break on most foreign-sourced income includes dividend, interest, rental and pension income, as well as real estate capital gains, under the so-called Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax status, which is granted to new residents.

Top-notch technology and infrastructures, a business-friendly environment and a cost-competitive & highly skilled workforce are some reasons Portugal is one of the best countries to set up a business. Are thinking of hiring engineers in Portugal? Download our detailed guide on the Real Cost of Employment. .