Backend specialists are the most sought after by employers. Compared to the same period in 2023, the median salaries in this specialization have also increased. The highest earnings are in the Architecture specialization, with up to PLN 32,500 net on a B2B contract. This year, IT specializations related to security and mobile technologies have joined the top five highest-paid specializations. However, the industry remains challenging, with job offers down more than 23 percent year-over-year. The Frontend specialization has dropped out of the list of the most sought after by employers, and the average number of applications per job offer has increased by 180 percent year-over-year.
The situation in the IT market remains difficult, with the number of job offers in the past six months falling by 16.35 percent compared to the end of last year. Compared to the first half of 2023, there is a 23.31 percent decline. The downturn in the industry has been evident for about a year, with the number of applications per job posting significantly increasing.
Backend specialists are the most sought after, while Frontend is no longer in the top five most desired specializations
Despite many challenges currently faced by the IT market, the situation for Backend specialization remains stable, according to the latest data from No Fluff Jobs, a Polish job portal where anyone can check if a job offer meets their financial expectations. In the first half of 2024, just as in the same period in 2023, Backend specialists were the most sought after on No Fluff Jobs. The median offered salaries have seen one of the largest year-over-year increases in the industry. In the first half of 2023, B2B contract salaries ranged from PLN 18,500 to 26,000 net (+ VAT), and now they range from PLN 20,000 to 26,000 net (+ VAT). On an employment contract, last year’s salaries ranged from PLN 14,000 to 20,000 gross, now they are from PLN 16,000 to 22,000 gross.
In the past six months, the next most advertised specializations were Fullstack, Data & BI, DevOps, and Testing. Frontend, which was fifth in the first half of 2023, has fallen off the list of most sought-after specializations. According to the No Fluff Jobs report “Unemployment in IT: Is it a Real Prospect?” the average number of CVs sent in response to a single job offer in this category has increased by 180 percent year-over-year.
The IT industry’s situation has been a rollercoaster for over a year, with the Backend specialization as a prime example. In the last quarter of last year, we observed the largest decline in job offers and salaries. However, after the first half of 2024, we see a rebound in these two areas. The only strong trend that persists is the decline in the popularity of remote work in favor of hybrid work. As for other aspects of the market situation – constant observation and quick adaptation remain key, comments Tomasz Bujok, CEO of No Fluff Jobs.
Security and Mobile specializations are increasingly well-paid
The highest salaries, as last year, are in the Architecture specialization – PLN 25,200 to 32,500 net (+ VAT) on a B2B contract and PLN 20,000 to 25,000 gross on an employment contract. The second place is occupied by the Data & BI specialization (PLN 21,000 to 26,900 net + VAT on B2B and PLN 15,000 to 22,000 gross on an employment contract). Further places in terms of salaries are occupied by Security (PLN 20,600 to 26,900 net + VAT on B2B and PLN 18,000 to 24,000 gross on an employment contract), DevOps (PLN 21,000 to 28,100 net + VAT on B2B and PLN 16,000 to 22,000 gross on an employment contract), and Mobile (PLN 18,500 to 25,600 net + VAT on B2B and PLN 17,000 to 22,200 gross on an employment contract).
Compared to the same period in 2023, there is a positive change for specializations related to security and mobile technologies, which were outside the top five at that time. The increase in offered salaries mainly concerns the median of the lower salary range for employment contracts – a 20 percent increase in the Security category and a 41.67 percent increase in the Mobile category.
Hybrid work is becoming more popular
It is also worth noting the decreasing number of job offers that offer the possibility of remote work, which is highly popular in the IT industry. Compared to the first half of 2023, the percentage of remote job offers has fallen by almost 9 percentage points, although they still constitute nearly half of all offers. At the same time, the popularity of hybrid work has increased by 8.5 percentage points, approaching 25 percent of all offers. The percentage of job offers requiring office work remains constant at around 25 percent.
