The IT recruitment agency Next Technology Professionals has prepared the 5th edition of its report on the Polish IT labor market, titled “The IT Job Market in Poland in 2026: Salaries and Recruitment Trends.” Based on opinions and salary data collected from 1650 IT specialists via an online survey, the report reveals actual earnings and key shifts in employee expectations.
From the Next Technology Professionals 2026 IT Report, you will learn:
- What the current IT salary rates in 2026 in Poland are for 15 key positions, including experts in AI, DevOps, Cybersecurity, and Software Architecture.
- The real salaries of specialists in 2026, broken down by B2B (net) and Employment Contracts (gross).
- Remote work vs. Return to Office: Why 77% of programmers would consider leaving their company if their employer restricted flexibility.
- The 2026 Benefit Ranking
- Changes in recruitment processes: Why they now take over a month and why the popularity of live coding has declined.
- Poland as a global leader: How 1650 surveyed IT specialists rate the competitiveness of the local tech sector.
To standardize the data, this edition uses the following experience levels:
- Trainee: Currently an intern.
- Junior: 1 year of experience.
- Mid: 2–3 years of experience.
- Senior: 4–8 years of experience.
- Expert: Over 9 years of experience.
79% of IT specialists are open to changing jobs
In 2025, specialists’ readiness to change employers increased significantly: 79% of respondents now declare openness to new offers. Furthermore, there has been a drastic drop in loyalty toward current firms: only 54% of respondents did not change employers in the past year, compared to 73% in 2024.
The main reasons for rotation remain:
- Inadequate salary (40%).
- Lack of development opportunities (32%).
- Lack of promotion opportunities (30%).
Preferred salary currency among IT Specialists in Poland
75% of respondents declared a desire to earn in PLN (an increase from 60% last year). Interest in the US Dollar (USD) dropped drastically, from 12% to just 4%. Currently, 91% of respondents are actually paid in PLN.
Remote work increases productivity for 60% of IT Specialists
60% of IT specialists believe working from home increases their productivity (a significant jump from 38% in the previous edition). Only 3% claim this mode lowers their efficiency. The 100% remote model is preferred by 48%, while 50% favor a hybrid model.
Job stability is more important than brand prestige
In the face of market uncertainty and layoffs, IT specialists’ priorities have shifted. Job stability and security (24%) are now the most important factors when choosing a new employer, followed by flexibility (23%) and salary level (20%). So-called “soft benefits” and brand prestige have taken a back seat to financial and professional stability.
Massive growth in the role of recruitment agencies
While job boards remain the primary source of employment (33%), the role of recruitment agencies has grown noticeably, jumping 11 percentage points to 30%. From the Senior level upward, direct contact from agency recruiters is becoming the most effective method for changing jobs
Turnover risks with mandatory return to office
In 2025, the percentage of people whose employers increased the number of mandatory office days jumped from 15% to 35%. This is a risky trend for companies, as 77% of specialists will consider leaving if they lose flexibility and the ability to work remotely.
IT Rates 2026: average salaries for senior IT job positions in Poland
The table below shows the average salaries received for selected Senior level positions:
| Role / Area | Average B2B salary (Net) | Average employment contract (Gross) |
| AI engineer | 37 600 zł | 28 223 zł |
| DevOps engineer | 34 120 zł | 26 545 zł |
| Machine learning engineer | 30 403 zł | 26 385 zł |
| Python developer | 26 181 zł | 23 395 zł |
| Java developer | 27 488 zł | 25 173 zł |
To check detailed salary ranges for all experience levels and other roles (QA, Frontend, .NET, Node.js, C++, Data Engineer, Security, Architect), please download the full report.
Salary satisfaction and the question of raises
Although 68% of specialists are satisfied with their earnings, the market has become more difficult: 52.7% of respondents stated that their salary did not increase at all in the past year. The situation is worst for Juniors, where 63.6% did not receive a raise.
Recruitment processes are slowing down and growing more complex
Candidates must be patient. Recruitment processes now typically take between 3 weeks and over a month. Employers are adding more selection stages: 42% of processes now consist of 3 or more steps. The most preferred form of verification remains the technical interview (74%), while the popularity of stressful live coding has plummeted (from 18% to 9%).
About Next Technology Professionals
As an IT recruitment agency, we provide comprehensive support in specialist recruitment and IT outsourcing. Our offer includes permanent recruitment, Executive Search for C-level positions (CTO, CIO, CFO), and a flexible RPO model. We specialize in sourcing experts in high-demand fields like AI, Machine Learning, Data Engineering, and Cybersecurity. Contact us to find out how our solutions can support your IT recruitment needs.
Benefits: Shifting from lifestyle to financial security
The leading benefits remain remote work (81%) and flexible hours (40%). However, there is a clear trend away from traditional perks like gym cards (dropping from 19% to 12%). IT specialists increasingly value:
- Employee pension plans (increased from 5% to 14%).
- Company shares (increased to 16%).
Poland as a global IT leader
The 5th edition of the report assessed the competitiveness of the Polish sector. 69.8% of specialists consider Polish IT to be world-class or top-tier, with an average rating of 4.08/5
Why download the 2026 IT salary report?
Since 2021, this annual study has built the standards of knowledge for the Polish IT market. This edition was created under the official patronage of PAIH, confirming its high substantive quality. We combine hard salary data with the insights of recruitment leaders and experts from IT recruitment & outsourcing agency Next Technology Professionals.