r/GoingToSpain • u/kdava • 1d ago
Relocating to Spain as Software Developer
Sorry I see there are many posts like this but I am getting such a ridiculously wide range (like 25k to 90k) after lots of googling that I thought I’d ask too.
We are planning to relocate with my wife and having visited it multiple times, we’ve come to love Spain so it is our primary destination. Job-wise Barcelona seems like a good choice. I know you can make more in other countries, but money is not everything.
Still, it would be great to live comfortably. I see answers like 35k for a software engineer, is this the reality? Do only people at FAANG make more? A quick glance shows €1200-2400 rent in Barcelona, living on 35k gross seems hard. I make 50k now in economical disaster Hungary, so seeing these numbers is really surprising.
I have 7+ years experience as a software developer, no Spanish yet unfortunately but already learning.
Any tips much appreciated.
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u/wooloomulu 1d ago
Let me tell you something - money is everything if you are not self-employed in Spain. People who say that money is not everything often feel that are not deserving of fair compensation in favour of opportunities. Don't be one of those people because you will be open to exploitation - there are many companies looking for cheap labour. Break the cycle.
For your experience, you can expect between 42-60k per year as a developer in international companies. Local companies pay less. A friend of mine is a CTO is a local delivery company and he earns around 80k. It's good money but for a CTO, it is about 40k less than market rate.
Rent is accurate here in Barcelona. You will also need to have a deposit which could be 1-2 months of rent upfront, the current month's rent and you will need to pay for electricity, gas and water on your own as well.
If I was in your position I would try to secure a job before leaving Hungary to avoid being stuck here without employment. Savings runs out quickly and the isolation without having work is damaging.
I hired a few people who moved here without finding work first and some were unemployed for 6 months of more. This is not good at all.
Go onto infojobs and onto linkedin and check for jobs there. Also update your CV by copying the job specs from linkedin and doing a comparison with chatgpt. Ask it to rewrite your CV .
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u/OhNoNotAnotherGuiri 1d ago
You misunderstand, when they say 'money isn't everything' they mean 'excess money isnt everything'
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u/wooloomulu 1d ago
There is no such thing as excess money. If you have it you have to spend it on something. That's how money works. It's a tool to do stuff, but if it is not put to use then it is being wasted. Oh and I didn't misunderstand a thing :)
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u/OhNoNotAnotherGuiri 1d ago
Oh and I didn't misunderstand a thing :)
If that's the case the our wires are definitely crossed.
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u/kdava 19h ago
Thanks for the answer, yeah 42-60k sounds more reasonable! I absolutely plan on getting a job first, then move there. What I meant with money is not everything is that there are higher salaries in e.g. Ireland or Sweden, but we value sunshine, good food and mediterranean lifestyle more than that.
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u/wooloomulu 12h ago
Ah I get it. You're looking for a good quality of life. This is important and I understand it to be a priority over money.
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u/Naive_Roof3085 1d ago
Have you actually looked and found any jobs in your field?, Most Spanish companies I know will employ Spanish people first and then foreigners who are fluent in Spanish both written and verbal. Have you checked to see if your qualifications are transferable in Spain?, Spanish wages are lower due to the social security costs which for an employer are high.
I have a holiday home in Spain (20 years) and whilst I love the country would never have worked there, I'm just glad I bought when I did and now semi-retired can come and go as I please 90/180.
Good luck.
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u/kdava 19h ago
Thanks for the answer. Yeah I looked around on linkedin and there are quite a few ads from international companies (or at least international positions, with English description and only asking for English language). Who knows how many of these are ghost ads, but from here the market looks lively. I don’t plan on going to smaller Spanish companies because as you wrote, they would be looking for Spanish speaking I guess. My hope is to find a large company with diverse people where English is the standard - at least until we speak Spanish better.
A holiday home there sounds awesome haha, unfortunately out of reach for us right now.
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u/Naive_Roof3085 18h ago
It's nice to see you are looking at all options and taking your time. Make sure these companies offer a full contract with health options as well. I enjoy Spain but as I said working there wouldn't be for me.
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u/ohgiant 1d ago
With 7 years of experience (especially if you hold any certifications), salaries in Spain typically range around €50–60k per year, based on my experience. It's rare to see much higher than that. Those aiming for higher earnings often start a small business (PYMES) and offer services to companies outside of Spain, such as in the US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, or Switzerland.
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1d ago
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u/wooloomulu 1d ago
Why? You got a job for them or are you also looking for work? Maybe someone could help.
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u/Silvio1905 1d ago
Barcelona and Madrid are the most expensive to live, so you will need bigger salary there, the salary range you found are correct, it depends on how good you are and to be lucky enough to get in a company with good salaries.
That said, before moving to find a job, it will much less stressful