When thinking of perfect software nearshoring or offshoring locations, it’s impossible to omit Poland on the map of the IT industry. Being the second largest software development services provider in Central-Eastern Europe (right behind Russia), it’s a promising destination when shopping for skilled and budget-friendly tech teams for any digital product. If you’re considering hiring programmers outside of your local job market, this article will show you why so many companies have had successful collaborations with Polish IT firms and what cities lead on the Polish software development landscape.
Why global IT business endorses Polish programmers?
Poland offers the perfect combination of assets you might look for in a software development partner:
- Close proximity. After joining the EU in 2004, Poland has become a popular destination for professionals and tourists. You can easily reach all the main cities by plane and get in touch with your team face to face, not just online.
- Outstanding talent. According to the IT industry report by Bulldog Job, the Polish developer community has almost equal representation of three experience levels: junior (37%), mid / regular (30%), and senior (33%), which indicates constant development and ambition to evolve as professionals. The majority of developers on the Polish market offer three or more years of experience.
- High level of English language. It has been noted by many foreign companies that Polish IT specialists draw close attention to their English skills and make sure it lets them cooperate well in multinational environments and remote teams. Foreign languages are a standard subject at all levels of education.
- Competitive rates. If your main requirement is compelling price, then Polish software developers won’t be your cup of tea as Asian companies have no competition in this area. However, if you’re focused on the “value for money” factor – you’re in a good place. The rates in Polish companies, in general, are a couple of times lower than in their Western European and American counterparts.
Most popular Polish tech hubs
Warsaw
The city of opportunities and center of international business in Poland, Warsaw is recognised as the largest tech hub in the country. The software development community welcomes about 30% of Polish IT professionals, representing a vast array of programming languages, frameworks and technologies.
Warsaw also enjoys the highest salaries among Polish cities, which results in a competitive and dynamic job market. Big technological players, such as IBM and Microsoft, have had their offices located in the Polish capital for many years, which attracts ambitious specialists looking for career opportunities and developing their experience among the best. Small and young companies also benefit – if the city attracts top talent, they can hire developers at a similar level as industry leaders.
Krakow
Krakow is the most saturated IT job market in the country. The city is known not only for its thriving tech environment and startup community, but also for their status as the heart of Polish tech academia. Because of its proximity to six technology universities, Krakow has become a home to many new R&D centres. The salaries of IT professionals closely follow the rates in Warsaw, which might be due to a steady inflow of highly educated talent.
Wroclaw
The Silesia region also prides in a highly developed IT sector and has become a desirable location for tech-oriented businesses. According to an ARAW (Wroclaw Area Development Agency) report conducted in 2019, up to 66% of IT clientele are foreign companies, including medium and large businesses.
What’s more, software development companies in Wroclaw are aware of the need to evolve – more than 75% think that their technology stack will change in the following three years. Significant trends, such as the popularity of selected languages and fields (e.g. artificial intelligence), should affect the direction of the industry, the education programs in universities and other higher education facilities.
Top technologies = highest salaries?
The rankings of most wanted and best paid programming languages vary from researcher to researcher, mainly due to participant samples from different environments. Similarities disappear once you take a look below the top three (JavaScript, Java, Python), you’ll notice significant discrepancies. Apart from that, the average salaries do not correspond with the popularity of technologies.
As experts observe in the InHire.io industry report, the disparities may be caused by the demand for selected technologies in different types of businesses. It seems that the only programming language which is equally popular and well-paid is Java, while the rest in the most-wanted club drifts in the middle range. The highest offers are often published by industry moguls, who are less keen on switching to newer languages and frameworks, while medium-level salaries can be found in offers from startups and software houses building new software from scratch, which gives more options when it comes to the selection of technology stack.
Developers choosing to work in less popular technologies often have a clear picture of the type of company they wish to work for, or the kind of software they aim to create. For example, the growing popularity of Python is correlated with the boom for artificial intelligence software. Conclusion? Finding highly focused, dedicated developers is not all about the money, but rather the potential for professional development while working on a product.
Wrapping up
Offshoring and nearshoring leaves businesses overwhelmed with the number choices in terms of team location, budget, collaboration models and other factors. However, every region has its market leaders, and Poland holds this position proudly among the CEE countries. With its top cities thriving with talent, client-focused business culture and easy geographical access, taking a closer look at the software development companies in Poland is definitely worthwhile.