(based on DEV.BG’s job board and insights)
The world of technology is constantly and rapidly changing. 5G and 6G, AR/VR/XR, the metaverse and Web 3.0, mobile apps, cloud services, artificial intelligence — each year, a different concept takes the spotlight.
This makes the IT industry the most dynamic sector of the global economy — and Bulgaria’s as well.
That dynamism is reflected in how people are paid. According to DEV.BG’s Job Board, in 2023 the highest-paid roles in Bulgaria were Senior DevOps specialists, with a maximum median net salary of €6,644.
A year later, they’ve ceded the crown to professionals with more than five years of experience in ML/AI/Data Modelling, who now lead with a maximum median net salary of €7,659. At the same time, the upper median for DevOps dropped to €6,133.
However, the conditions change across roles, there’s a commonly held belief about IT compensation — that it’s high and will keep growing regardless of circumstances. But is that really the case?
IT Salaries Until Yesterday
According to Kamen Bochev, Managing Partner at the software studio Skillwork, since 2018 there have been four main cycles that have shaped Bulgaria’s IT job market:
The first, in 2018–2019, was marked by a boom in projects and a shortage of specialists. This led to a battle for talent and higher salaries and benefits.
“Then the pandemic came, and many companies had to go digital, to go online. At that point, many specialists realized they didn’t need to be part of a company — they could work 100% remotely for whoever they wanted. As a result, many Bulgarian companies had to quickly raise their offers to secure the necessary talent, which now had access to the global market,” Bochev explains.
Then came the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At that time, the country had hundreds of thousands of IT professionals, many of whom fled and sought work in neighboring countries — Bulgaria among them. For local companies, this meant an influx of new talent — but also an impact on wages.
“Next came the inflation cycle, which slowed demand and limited investment in startups. At the same time, we saw some large company acquisitions, while others exited Bulgaria. That put many highly skilled professionals back on the job market, adding further pressure on wage growth,” Bochev notes.
Yana Papardova, HR Manager at Schwarz IT — which develops solutions for the Schwarz Group’s retail divisions — also observed a cooling of the market and fewer opportunities for IT professionals.
“We used to have around 40 open positions; in the last two years, it’s been 10 to 15 at most. That’s not because there’s no work — the headquarters have simply become more cautious. They want to find the best possible candidate. They prefer to put a project on hold rather than hire someone who’s not a perfect fit.”
Another factor limiting salary growth in Bulgaria’s IT sector is a shift in global policies by leaders like Amazon and Google. Over the past year, they’ve made bold moves — such as calling employees back to the office — giving other companies the confidence to rebalance power away from workers.
“There’s now more discussion about working conditions. Every company is emphasizing its strengths. For example, we know we’re a stable employer — we serve internal clients, we’re not dependent on stock or external factors. That increasingly works in our favor, so we don’t need to make major concessions,” Papardova adds.
Ventsislav Topuzov, Co-founder and CEO of ROITI, shares similar observations — with a caveat: wage stagnation is affecting only certain specialists, while others are seeing significant pay increases in newer, high-demand areas.
“In other words, there was a slowdown in wage growth, but it wasn’t evenly distributed. For more traditional roles like Application Developer, the increase was moderate — around 5–6% across all levels. Meanwhile, for Data Engineers, there was a significant jump, since it’s a relatively new skillset and demand is high,” says Topuzov.
His company, focused on consulting for energy markets, was acquired last year by German group Dataciders. He also cites corporate exits and acquisitions as reasons why more talent is now on the market, which restrains salary growth.
AI: A Job Killer or a Boost for Specialists?
According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, by 2030 artificial intelligence will create 170 million new jobs and eliminate 92 million existing ones — a sign of the tectonic shifts AI will bring to the labor market.
The IT industry certainly won’t be immune. But the real question is how AI will change job requirements — and thus, compensation.
“We see great potential in the technology, but at this stage, it’s absolutely inapplicable when it comes to reducing or replacing human work,” says Papardova of Schwarz IT. “To say that AI has helped you cut 5% of your workforce, you’d have to make huge investments first.”
She believes the moment when AI begins to massively replace human functions is still far off. Many companies remain cautious about data security when using AI — and that’s not the only challenge.
“We’re still navigating between the available trainings, opportunities, and resources. So I don’t expect a major shift in the labor market due to AI over the next five years, but I do expect a lot of training in that direction,” she concludes.
AI isn’t yet a major factor for ROITI either. The energy sector remains conservative due to its role as critical infrastructure and the strict regulations around data handling and cybersecurity.
“Yes, the sector is investing in AI. But there are still questions about whether a company’s data really remains theirs when using these technologies,” says Topuzov, echoing Papardova’s concerns.
Kamen Bochev from Skillwork takes a slightly different view. He acknowledges the reliability of AI platforms is still uncertain, but believes the technology has already made junior roles largely obsolete.
“Programming language expertise, for example, no longer matters as much. If you’re good at PHP, with AI you can generate good code in Python. Testing that used to take weeks now takes days. AI boosts productivity multiple times,” he argues. “People who can use AI to assist their work will be in demand. Those with experience implementing and developing AI — even more so.”
What’s Ahead for IT Salaries in Bulgaria?
So what can we expect from Bulgaria’s IT job market in 2025 and beyond? According to the experts, the 2024 trends are likely to hold.
“I expect the trend from last year to continue — moderate growth, unevenly distributed across roles. Interest in niche skillsets will keep rising. Those who add real value will see stronger salary increases, but overall, the market will remain moderate with a slight upward tendency,” predicts Topuzov.
Bochev agrees: IT compensation levels in 2025 will likely remain close to 2024. Companies will continue layoffs on one hand, and reduce hiring on the other — which will keep salaries flat.
“There will be no big dips or spikes. But for Bulgaria, politics remains a key factor — both domestically and globally. The U.S. is becoming more inward-looking. Germany and the UK are in recession — these are our main trade partners,” he points out. “Our country is becoming less attractive as an outsourcing and service destination due to political instability, tax uncertainty, and a shrinking talent pool. That inevitably impacts IT compensation.”
Papardova of Schwarz IT also expects 2024-level salary budgets to hold, but with more individualized policies.
Her forecast: companies will invest more in retaining experienced talent, but mass salary hikes are a thing of the past. This will lead to more frozen compensation packages — and lower offers for junior roles to offset the investments in top performers.
“There will be money invested, but it won’t be distributed evenly. Employees who aren’t committed to their companies will lose out. Employers increasingly want to see dedication, not just technical skills,” she concludes.
Wondering what the current salary levels are in the IT sector? On DEV.BG’s Job Board, you can explore open positions with listed compensation.
