The Complete Guide to Tech Jobs & Startup Opportunities in Portugal 2025

Portugal’s tech sector is experiencing an unprecedented hiring boom with 15,000-20,000 unfilled positions, 34 international tech giants establishing operations in 2024 alone, and salaries reaching €170,000 for senior roles according to our salary overview. This comprehensive guide provides everything you need to land your dream tech job in Portugal’s €20 billion tech ecosystem.

Critical Tech Shortage = Your Opportunity

The Numbers That Matter:

• 82% of Portuguese tech companies can’t find qualified candidates
• 15% annual growth in tech employment through 2027
• 46% of positions offer full remote work
• Average tech salary: €44,449 (double the national average)
• 500+ million euros invested in startups in 2024 alone

Portugal ranked 3rd globally for tech job creation prospects in 2024, with 82% of companies struggling to find qualified candidates according to official INE statistics. At The Portugal Tech Hub, we’ve helped over 500 international tech professionals secure positions through our tech recruitment services.

The 25 Highest-Paying Tech Jobs in Portugal (With Real Salary Data)

C-Level & Executive Positions

1. Chief Information Officer (CIO)

• Salary Range: €110,000 – €170,000
• Top Payers: Millennium BCP, EDP, Jerónimo Martins
• Requirements: 15+ years, enterprise architecture, digital transformation

2. Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

• Salary Range: €95,000 – €150,000
• Top Payers: OutSystems, Farfetch, Talkdesk, Feedzai
• Requirements: 12+ years, scaling teams, product development

3. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

• Salary Range: €90,000 – €150,000
• Top Payers: Banks, Fintech, Government contractors
• Requirements: Security certifications, compliance expertise

4. VP of Engineering

• Salary Range: €85,000 – €130,000
• Top Payers: Revolut, Remote, Sword Health
• Requirements: 100+ team management, OKR experience

5. Chief Data Officer

• Salary Range: €85,000 – €125,000
• Top Payers: Vodafone, NOS, Navigator
• Requirements: Data strategy, ML/AI implementation

Senior Technical Positions

6. Principal Engineer

• Salary Range: €75,000 – €110,000
• Top Payers: Microsoft, Google, Amazon
• Requirements: System design, architecture reviews

7. Engineering Manager

• Salary Range: €70,000 – €100,000
• Top Payers: Mercedes-Benz.io, BMW/Critical TechWorks
• Requirements: 5+ years management, agile expertise

8. Solutions Architect

• Salary Range: €65,000 – €90,000
• Top Payers: OutSystems (€100k+ for platform experts)
• Requirements: Cloud certifications, microservices

9. Staff Software Engineer

• Salary Range: €65,000 – €85,000
• Top Payers: Datadog, Cloudflare, GitLab (remote)
• Requirements: 10+ years, technical leadership

10. DevOps Lead

• Salary Range: €60,000 – €85,000
• Top Payers: Unbabel, Feedzai, Codacy
• Requirements: K8s, Terraform, CI/CD pipelines

Specialized High-Demand Roles

11. Machine Learning Engineer

• Salary Range: €55,000 – €85,000
• Top Payers: Feedzai, Unbabel, Sword Health
• Requirements: PyTorch/TensorFlow, MLOps, Python

12. Blockchain Developer

• Salary Range: €55,000 – €80,000
• Top Payers: Anchorage Digital, Fireblocks
• Requirements: Solidity, Web3, DeFi protocols

13. Data Engineer

• Salary Range: €50,000 – €75,000
• Top Payers: Farfetch, Blip, Critical Software
• Requirements: Spark, Airflow, cloud platforms

14. iOS Developer

• Salary Range: €45,000 – €70,000
• Top Payers: Glovo, Talkdesk, PaddyPower
• Requirements: Swift, SwiftUI, 3+ years

15. Site Reliability Engineer

• Salary Range: €50,000 – €70,000
• Top Payers: OutSystems, Pipedrive, Kitch
• Requirements: Infrastructure as code, monitoring

Senior Developer Positions

16. Senior Backend Engineer

• Salary Range: €45,000 – €65,000
• Languages: Java (€55k avg), Go (€60k avg), Python (€52k avg)
• Top Payers: Volkswagen Digital, Siemens

17. Senior Frontend Engineer

• Salary Range: €40,000 – €60,000
• Frameworks: React (€48k avg), Vue (€45k avg), Angular (€43k avg)
• Top Payers: Sky Technology Centre, Zalando

18. Senior Full-Stack Developer

• Salary Range: €45,000 – €65,000
• Stack: MERN/MEAN highest paid
• Top Payers: Accenture, Deloitte Digital

19. Cloud Architect

• Salary Range: €55,000 – €75,000
• Platforms: AWS (highest), Azure, GCP
• Certifications: Add 15-20% to base

20. Senior Android Developer

• Salary Range: €40,000 – €60,000
• Requirements: Kotlin, Jetpack Compose
• Top Payers: SportingTech, Miniclip

Emerging & Specialized Roles

21. AI/Prompt Engineer

• Salary Range: €50,000 – €70,000
• NEW ROLE: 200% growth in 2024
• Requirements: LLM experience, Python

22. Cybersecurity Engineer

• Salary Range: €45,000 – €65,000
• Growth: 35% salary increase YoY
• Requirements: CISSP, penetration testing

23. Platform Engineer

• Salary Range: €45,000 – €65,000
• Focus: Developer experience, tooling
• Top Payers: Remote-first companies

24. Data Scientist

• Salary Range: €40,000 – €65,000
• Specializations: NLP (+20%), Computer Vision (+25%)
• Requirements: Masters preferred

25. Technical Product Manager

• Salary Range: €55,000 – €85,000
• Background: Engineering required
• Top Payers: Product companies

Exact Skills & Technologies Companies Are Desperately Hiring For

Programming Languages by Demand & Salary

Highest Paid Languages:

1. Rust: €65,000 average (+40% premium)
2. Go: €60,000 average (+30% premium)
3. Scala: €58,000 average (+25% premium)
4. Elixir: €55,000 average (+20% premium)
5. Kotlin: €52,000 average (mobile)

Most In-Demand Languages:

1. JavaScript/TypeScript: 38% of all jobs
2. Python: 27% of positions
3. Java: 22% of enterprise roles
4. C#/.NET: 18% of positions
5. PHP: 15% (Laravel specialists +25%)

Critical Tech Stack Requirements

Frontend (% of frontend jobs requiring):

• React: 68% (Next.js adds +15% salary)
• Vue.js: 18%
• Angular: 14%
• React Native: 45% of mobile

Backend Frameworks:

• Node.js/Express: 42%
• Spring Boot: 28%
• Django/FastAPI: 22%
• .NET Core: 18%

DevOps & Cloud (with salary premiums):

• Kubernetes: +€8,000 average
• Docker: Required in 73% of roles
• Terraform: +€6,000 average
• AWS Certified: +€10,000
• Azure Certified: +€8,000

Data Stack:

• SQL: 89% of all tech roles
• Apache Spark: €55,000 minimum
• Kafka: +€7,000 premium
• Tableau/PowerBI: €45,000 average

Emerging Technologies (2025 Hot Skills)

AI/ML Tools:

• LangChain: 300% increase in demand
• Vector Databases: New requirement
• MLOps platforms: 150% growth
• OpenAI/Anthropic APIs: Standard

Learn more about AI development opportunities and AI’s impact on Portuguese businesses.

Web3/Blockchain:

• Solidity: €65,000 minimum
• Rust (for Solana): €70,000+
• Smart contract auditing: €80,000+

200+ Companies Actively Hiring (With Open Positions)

Global Tech Giants in Portugal

Microsoft Portugal (Lisbon)

• Open Roles: 127 positions
• Hiring: Cloud Engineers, AI Specialists, Security
• Salary Range: €45,000 – €95,000
• Benefits: Stock awards, unlimited learning

Google Lisbon

• Open Roles: 93 positions
• Teams: Maps, Cloud, Ads
• Salary Range: €50,000 – €110,000
• Perks: 20% time, top-tier benefits

Amazon/AWS (Lisbon)

• Open Roles: 248 positions
• Focus: Solutions Architects, Support Engineers
• Salary Range: €45,000 – €85,000
• Growth: Promoting internally fast

Meta (Remote Portugal)

• Open Roles: 34 remote positions
• Hiring: Production Engineers, Data Scientists
• Salary Range: €60,000 – €120,000
• Full remote: Work from anywhere

Oracle (Lisbon)

• Open Roles: 67 positions
• Focus: Cloud, Database, Java
• Salary Range: €40,000 – €75,000

Portuguese Unicorns & Scale-ups

OutSystems (€9.5B valuation)

• Open Roles: 234 positions globally
• Tech Stack: C#, JavaScript, React
• Salary Range: €40,000 – €120,000
• Special: Platform devs earn €100k+

Farfetch (Fashion Tech)

• Open Roles: 89 positions
• Tech: Microservices, Python, React
• Salary Range: €35,000 – €85,000
• Perks: Fashion allowance

Talkdesk (€10B valuation)

• Open Roles: 156 positions
• Remote First: Global hiring
• Tech: Ruby, React, AWS
• Salary Range: €45,000 – €95,000

Feedzai (AI Risk Management)

• Open Roles: 78 positions
• Tech: Java, Python, ML
• Salary Range: €45,000 – €90,000
• Focus: Real-time ML systems

Sword Health (Fastest Unicorn)

• Open Roles: 92 positions
• Tech: Python, React Native
• Salary Range: €40,000 – €85,000
• Mission: Digital physical therapy

Remote.com (HR Platform)

• Open Roles: 134 positions
• Fully Remote: Work anywhere
• Tech: Elixir, React, PostgreSQL
• Salary Range: €50,000 – €100,000

Unbabel (AI Translation)

• Open Roles: 45 positions
• Tech: Python, NLP, Kubernetes
• Salary Range: €45,000 – €80,000

International Companies with Major PT Operations

Discover why international startups choose Portugal and explore Lisbon’s tech ecosystem.

Revolut Portugal (Porto)

• Open Roles: 67 positions
• Hiring: Backend, Mobile, Data
• Salary Range: €45,000 – €85,000
• Growth: Doubling team in 2025

Mercedes-Benz.io (Lisbon)

• Open Roles: 123 positions
• Focus: Cloud, Mobile, IoT
• Salary Range: €40,000 – €75,000
• Projects: Connected vehicles

Volkswagen Digital (Lisbon)

• Open Roles: 89 positions
• Tech: Java, AWS, Kubernetes
• Salary Range: €38,000 – €70,000

BMW/Critical TechWorks (Porto)

• Open Roles: 156 positions
• Focus: Autonomous driving
• Salary Range: €40,000 – €80,000

Siemens (Multiple locations)

• Open Roles: 98 tech positions
• Focus: IoT, Industrial software
• Salary Range: €35,000 – €70,000

BNP Paribas (Lisbon Tech Hub)

• Open Roles: 234 positions
• Tech: Java, Angular, DevOps
• Salary Range: €35,000 – €65,000

Natixis (Porto)

• Open Roles: 145 positions
• Focus: Fintech, Trading systems
• Salary Range: €40,000 – €75,000

Rising Stars & Well-Funded Startups

Portugal’s startup ecosystem extends beyond Lisbon and Porto – discover the 5 Portuguese cities becoming tech hubs.

Casafari (Real Estate Data)

• Funding: €15M Series A
• Open Roles: 23 positions
• Tech: Python, React, PostgreSQL

Kitch (Cloud Kitchens)

• Funding: €8M seed
• Open Roles: 18 positions
• Tech: Node.js, React Native

Powerdot (EV Charging)

• Funding: €12M Series A
• Open Roles: 34 positions
• Tech: IoT, Python, AWS

Coverflex (Compensation Platform)

• Funding: €15M Series A
• Open Roles: 28 positions
• Tech: Ruby, React, PostgreSQL

Anchorage Digital (Crypto Custody)

• Portugal Office: New in 2024
• Open Roles: 19 positions
• Salary: €60,000 – €100,000

Consulting & Services

Deloitte Digital

• Open Roles: 456 tech positions
• All levels: Junior to Principal
• Tech: Full-stack, Cloud, Data

Accenture Technology

• Open Roles: 678 positions
• Massive hiring: All technologies
• Training: Paid certifications

Critical Software

• Open Roles: 234 positions
• Sectors: Space, Automotive, Finance
• Known for: Engineering excellence

Blip (Paddy Power Betfair)

• Open Roles: 189 positions
• Tech Hub: 800+ engineers
• Stack: Java, React, AWS

Detailed Startup Ecosystem Breakdown

Funding by Sector (2024)

1. Fintech: €147M (29% of total)
2. Healthtech: €89M (18%)
3. Renewable Energy: €76M (15%)
4. Enterprise SaaS: €68M (14%)
5. Tourism Tech: €45M (9%)

Top Incubators & Their Portfolio

Learn more about Portugal’s tech incubators and top VCs and accelerators.

Startup Lisboa

• Applications: 1,200/year
• Acceptance: 8%
• Success Stories: Uniplaces, Landing.jobs
• Perks: €150k investment, free office

Beta-i

• Programs: Lisbon Challenge, Scale-up
• Network: 3,000+ mentors
• Funding: Up to €200k

UPTEC (Porto)

• Focus: DeepTech, Biotech
• Companies: 140 active
• Funding: €2M seed available

Fábrica de Startups

• Model: Venture builder
• Success Rate: 73% funded
• Sectors: B2B SaaS, Fintech

Venture Capital Landscape

Active Funds & Check Sizes:

• Portugal Ventures: €200k – €1.5M
• Armilar Venture Partners: €500k – €3M
• Indico Capital Partners: €1M – €10M
• Shilling Capital: €100k – €1M
• Faber Ventures: €250k – €2M

International VCs Active in Portugal:

• Atomico, Index Ventures, Accel
• Point Nine Capital, Seedcamp
• LocalGlobe, Balderton Capital

How to Actually Get Hired: The Insider Playbook

Where Companies Post Jobs

Tech-Specific Boards:

• ITJobs.pt: 1,000+ active positions
• Landing.jobs: Curated, salaries shown
• GeekJobs.pt: Developer focused
• StartupJobs.pt: Early-stage companies

Company Career Pages (bookmark these):

• careers.outsystems.com
• farfetch.com/careers
• talkdesk.com/careers
• feedzai.com/careers

Hidden Job Market: 70% of the best positions never make it to job boards. The Portugal Tech Hub has exclusive access through direct partnerships with 200+ companies.

Salary Negotiation Tactics That Work

Portuguese companies typically offer:

• Base salary (negotiate this hard)
• Meal card: €160-230/month (tax-free)
• Health insurance (family included)
• Annual bonus: 10-20% (negotiate %)
• Stock options (startups only)

Negotiation multipliers:

• Remote work: +10-15%
• Competing offers: +20-25%
• Specific tech skills: +15-30%
• International experience: +10-20%

Technical Interview Process

Typical stages:

1. HR Screen (30 min): Culture fit
2. Technical Screen (60 min): Coding challenge
3. System Design (90 min): Architecture
4. Team Fit (45 min): Behavioral
5. Final Round: Meet CTO/VP

What they test:

• Algorithms: LeetCode medium level
• System Design: Distributed systems
• Coding: Real-world problems
• Culture: Team collaboration

Visa Fast-Track Options

Tech Visa (Fastest – 30 days)

• Minimum Salary: €1,306/month
• Requirements: Degree OR 5 years experience
• Companies: Must be IAPMEI certified
• Success Rate: 95% with proper docs

EU Blue Card (For high earners)

• Minimum Salary: €28,040/year (2025)
• Benefits: Work anywhere in EU
• Processing: 60 days
• Path to PR: 2 years

D7 Visa (Remote workers)

• Income Required: €10,440/year
• Perfect for: Freelancers, remote employees
• Processing: 60-90 days
• Can work: For any company globally

Startup Visa (Entrepreneurs)

• Investment: No minimum
• Requirement: Incubator acceptance
• Processing: 60 days
• Success Rate: 89.4%

The Portugal Tech Hub provides complete visa support with 98% approval rate.

Your 30-Day Action Plan

Week 1: Preparation

• Update LinkedIn with Portuguese keywords
• Get NIF number (can do remotely)
• Join Portugal Tech Slack (3,000+ members)
• Research target companies from our list

Week 2: Applications

• Apply to 5-10 positions daily
• Contact recruiters directly on LinkedIn
• Attend online Portuguese tech meetups
• Start interview preparation

Week 3: Interviews

• Schedule technical screens
• Practice system design
• Negotiate competing offers
• Prepare visa documents

Week 4: Closing

• Final interviews
• Salary negotiations
• Accept offer
• Begin visa application

Our Placement Services Include:

• Skills Assessment: Free technical evaluation – see in-demand skills
• CV Optimization: Portuguese market-specific formatting – career building guide
• Salary Negotiation: 15-30% above initial offers – salary overview
• Interview Preparation: Mock interviews with tech leaders
• Visa Support: Complete assistance – startup visa guide
• Relocation Package: Housing and integration – remote work guide

Why Choose The Portugal Tech Hub:

✅ Exclusive Access: 70% of our positions aren’t publicly advertised ✅ Higher Salaries: Average 25% above direct applications ✅ Faster Placement: 85% of candidates receive offers within 3 weeks ✅ End-to-End Support: From first contact to first day at work ✅ Zero Risk: No placement, no fee – we only succeed when you do

Contact The Portugal Tech Hub:

• Schedule a consultation
• Learn about building your tech career
• Check our salary overview guide

The Bottom Line

Portugal needs 20,000 tech professionals NOW. Companies are desperate, salaries are climbing, and the opportunities are real. Whether you’re a junior developer or a seasoned CTO, the Portuguese tech market has never been more accessible or lucrative.

With The Portugal Tech Hub, you’re not just applying for jobs – you’re accessing the 70% of positions that never reach public job boards, getting insider salary data from our comprehensive overview, and leveraging our relationships with 200+ hiring managers.

Your next career move starts here. Book your free consultation today and let’s get you hired in Portugal’s booming tech scene.