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IT Salaries Rise Slightly in 2024 but Fall 20% Short of Expectations, Job Offers Decline by 9%

CAREERSIT Salaries Rise Slightly in 2024 but Fall 20% Short of Expectations, Job Offers Decline by 9%

In 2024, salaries in the IT sector saw a slight increase, yet they were still on average 20% below the expectations of professionals. Simultaneously, the number of job offers decreased by 9%, according to the report “What About Eldorado? Salaries and Expectations in the IT Sector 2024/2025” prepared by justjoin.it and N-iX. JavaScript, Java, and Data continue to dominate the sector, but artificial intelligence is slowly setting new directions in employment. The position of seniors has strengthened, with more than half of the job offers dedicated to them, although their salaries on employment contracts fell by nearly 3%. Conversely, juniors, despite the largest increases, still face challenges—job ads aimed at them constituted only 4.79%.

The “What About Eldorado? Salaries and Expectations in the IT Sector 2024/2025” report is based on two independent data sources: an analysis of over 100,000 job offers published in 2024 on justjoin.it, a leading job portal for the IT industry, and surveys of its users. The main partner of the publication was N-iX—a global provider of programming services. The strategic partner is Reply—a boutique recruitment firm operating in the IT sector, and the project is substantively supported by KRUK S.A.—implementing innovative projects and technologies in the finance world.

Fewer Offers, Higher Demands

Although the number of job advertisements for IT specialists fell by 9% in 2024, the rate of decline was not as dramatic compared to the 26% drop in 2023. Particularly, those new to the industry felt a reduced interest from recruiters. The share of offers for juniors on justjoin.it was only 4.79% of the total number of advertisements, while in 2023 it was 5.38%. This situation has led to intensified competition among juniors and increased demands by companies. Meanwhile, professionals with several years or even decades of senior experience remain at the center of employer interest—the share of advertisements dedicated to them rose to 51.48% (from 49.43% in the previous year).

Among the technologies with the highest recruitment needs in IT in 2024, JavaScript remains the leader, accounting for 11.24% of all job offers on justjoin.it. Java (10.49%) and Data, including analytics, Big Data, and data science (9.01%), followed, highlighting the growing importance of data in company decision-making processes. Specializations such as DevOps (6.95%), Testing (6.84%), and Project Management (6.33%) were also in high demand. This distribution of advertisements reflects companies’ needs related to cloud infrastructure management, quality control, and effective IT project leadership.

Junior, Mid, or Senior? Who Saw the Biggest Salary Increases?

Despite a downward trend in the number of IT job offers in 2024, salaries generally increased. Juniors, although having more difficult employment opportunities, saw the highest raises—earning an average of PLN 7,800 on employment contracts (+4%) and PLN 9,125 on B2B contracts (+7.35%). Smaller salary increases were observed at the mid-level: PLN 14,750 on employment contracts (+1.72%) and PLN 18,000 on B2B contracts (+5.88%). Seniors experienced the largest salary drops, at least on employment contracts, with an average earning of PLN 20,400 (-2.86%), while B2B rates remained almost unchanged at PLN 24,360.

Actual Salaries Inadequate Compared to Offers and Below Expectations

Comparing financial ranges provided in advertisements with actual salaries declared in the community survey reveals significant discrepancies. Juniors earned over 5% more than the offers suggested, both on employment contracts and B2B. However, mid-level specialists earned up to 19% less on employment contracts and 17% less on B2B compared to the offers. Seniors on employment contracts earned 12% less than offered, while their B2B salaries were close to the advertised rates.

Despite IT salaries still being relatively high, the study for another consecutive year showed that they still do not meet specialists’ expectations. In 2024, salaries were on average a staggering 20% lower than the declared expectations. Juniors earned PLN 8,000 (employment contract) and PLN 9,600 (B2B), against expectations of PLN 10,000 and PLN 12,000, respectively. Mids received PLN 12,000 (employment contract) and PLN 15,000 (B2B), though they hoped for PLN 15,000 and PLN 18,000. Seniors averaged PLN 18,000 (employment contract) and PLN 25,000 (B2B), while satisfying amounts for them would be PLN 23,000 and PLN 28,000, respectively.

Where is the IT Industry Heading?

Experts summarize this year’s report with the conclusion that the Polish IT market stands before an opportunity for dynamic development through specialization and integration with technologies. Despite challenges, the industry shows resilience and adaptability, providing hope for a revival in 2025.

Despite difficulties, signs indicate that the Polish IT market may rejuvenate as early as 2025. It is worth paying attention to developing areas such as cloud processing, cybersecurity, data analytics, or AI-based solutions, which continue to attract interest despite budget constraints. Employers are taking concrete actions to improve their strategies—shortening recruitment processes to quickly acquire top talents, ensuring transparency in salary ranges, and offering flexible working conditions that attract globally thinking specialists, says Pavlo Deshchynskyy, COO at N-iX. Looking ahead, key strategies that will allow success in this new reality include continuous upskilling, interdisciplinary approaches, and above all, the ability to handle uncertain situations, adds Paweł Baraniewicz, Head of Engineering at job portals justjoin.it & RocketJobs.pl.

Artificial intelligence significantly changes the IT industry, impacting the nature of many roles. Simple programming tasks may gradually disappear as AI tools become better at automating routine processes. Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for specialists who excel in problem-solving and analytical thinking. Engineers who can effectively collaborate with AI, understanding its capabilities and limitations, will be increasingly sought after. Creating clear instructions for AI systems, known as prompt engineering, is gaining importance and becoming as crucial as traditional programming, says Sergii Netesanyi, Director, Head of Solution Unit at N-iX.

Flexibility and remote work remain valued

Remote work continues to be the standard in the IT industry. In 2024, 60.12% of specialists worked entirely from home, and 32.47% declared a hybrid model. Only 7.4% of offers required full-time office work, confirming that workplace flexibility remains a key sector element. Additionally, among hybrid-working specialists, 41.74% spent four days remotely and only one in the office (up from 41% in 2023). Meanwhile, only 10.39% of hybrid workers visited the office four days a week (down from 12.5%). The 2 days in the office and 3 days remotely arrangement gained popularity (23.93%, up from 20.1%). Interestingly, experiments with a four-day workweek also gained significance—1.3% of specialists combined three remote days with one in the office (up from 0.7%).

In terms of employment forms in 2024, employment contracts (45.78%) and B2B contracts (46.99%) dominated, accounting for 92% of all contracts. The survey was predominantly experienced specialists (mid and senior), while the share of juniors dropped to 12.05% (from 19.4% in 2023), confirming the thesis that the industry is becoming less accessible for beginners.

Research Methodology

The report was prepared based on the analysis of two data sources. The first was a database of over 100,000 job offers published in 2024 on the portal justjoin.it, including a comparison to the same period in 2023 (excluding the Other category). Average salaries were calculated based on the median wages divided by experience level: junior, mid, and senior. The second set of data came from a CAWI survey conducted in November and December 2024 among 1,660 IT specialists, which included questions about actual and expected salaries.

The report combines the results of both analyses, presenting a comprehensive picture of salaries in the IT industry. All amounts marked as UoP are gross, and B2B – net on the invoice (excluding VAT).

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