Poland IT job market surges as Romania R&D salaries climb

Poland's IT labour market showed a strong rebound in the first half of 2026, with the number of job postings rising about 70 % compared with the same period in 2025. At the same time, competition eased – applications per posting fell from 44 in 2024 to 21 in 2026. The most requested skills remained Python, SQL and Java, although Java’s share dropped to 16.1 %. Salary brackets varied by role: junior backend positions paid 7‑10 k zł (employment) or 8‑10 k zł (B2B), mid‑level 14‑18.25 k zł (employment) or 18.48‑22.68 k zł (B2B), and senior 20‑26.7 k zł (employment) or 23.52‑28.56 k zł (B2B).

In Romania, salaries in industrial research and development (R&D) also rose. Directors of R&D earn 30‑57 k zł gross per month, while team leaders in embedded software receive 19‑28 k zł. Programmers in embedded C/C++ earn 14‑24 k zł, and testers 13‑19 k zł. The report highlighted growing demand for expertise in automation, artificial intelligence, cyber‑security, data analysis and critical‑infrastructure resilience, driven partly by the defence sector. Overall, both markets indicate expanding demand for high‑skill technical talent and higher remuneration across Central‑Eastern Europe.