Many cities in Europe are competing for being the best place for software developers. Among them, London, Amsterdam, and Berlin are taking the leading spots in terms of the tech revolution. But there are others that strive to build the infrastructure to welcome software developers and grow their reputation as tech hotspots.
One of these is Vienna – growing steadily as a tech hub recently and attracting IT professionals with its tech environment and thriving scene. If you are a software developer looking for new opportunities, Vienna is definitely a destination to consider – read on to find out more about the most promising tech hub in Europe.
Great quality of life and startup scene
One of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Vienna is offering rich cultural history, a great transportation system, and of course, a growing tech scene.
Many startups and tech companies choose Vienna as their home base mainly because of the support and subsidies they receive. The government provides a stable and favorable environment for startups to develop and grow while being able to focus on creating products and solutions using the latest in tech.
Some of the success stories include the fitness app Runtastic, acquired by Adidas for $240 million in 2015. There are other examples as well that show the diversified startup scene – like the children-programmed cude Robo Wunderkind, and the diabetes app created by MySugr, or the Lithoz 3D ceramic printers and app for skin diseases developed by Scarletred.
Strong support for expats
In the past ten years, the startup ecosystem in Vienna has been growing significantly and attracted software developers from all over the world. One of the reasons for this trend is the favorable position of the city situated conveniently between the east and the west. But also, the government incentives that have been implemented and the understanding that a successful and well-developed startup ecosystem needs more than funding, infrastructure, office space, and know-how.
This approach ensured that tech startups and companies are being able to attract top talent – actually the number of software developers in Austria increased from 103,500 to over 109,700 in just one year (2018-2019). And even though Austrian developers are highly trained and well-educated, there is still a shortage to fill in all the tech positions – in 2019, there were 8,000 unfilled positions in the tech industry in Vienna.
If you are considering a software developer career in Vienna, you probably are wondering about the range of salaries. An average salary for a junior developer is around €35,000, and for mid-level developers, the number is €49,000. Senior software developers can expect to earn a salary ranging from €50,000 to €76,000, or even up to €80,000+ for highly-skilled professionals.
There are many agencies and international expat communities that can provide support in case you are looking into relocating to Vienna. And WeAreDevelopers – the largest job marketplace in Europe for software developers, is your go-to place to find out more about the tech ecosystem in Vienna.