Cities in The Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and other countries have emerged as the top places with companies attracting talent globally.
This can be attributed to the number of tech hubs, attractive salaries, lower living costs, and a high quality of life among others.
Tech professionals seeking international opportunities are therefore gravitating toward these countries.
Embarking on an international move can be daunting, but pursuing a new job eases the transition. Utilizing your skills in a foreign land presents a unique chance to immerse yourself in diverse cultures and explore new horizons while improving your professional portfolio.
With the global demand for tech expertise soaring, enterprises are intensifying efforts to attract international tech talent, establishing tech hubs in foreign locales.
An Andela survey reveals that 88% of enterprise companies actively seek top tech talent from other countries.
The following list features the top 10 countries drawing individuals for tech opportunities, including estimated annual salaries for software engineers from PayScale and monthly living costs for single individuals based on Expatistan data.
Here are these 10 countries, their specific cities, tech hubs, the average annual salaries, and living costs.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands hosts a rapidly expanding tech sector, particularly in Amsterdam, featuring innovation hubs like Startup Village and LAB42.
Prominent companies such as Booking.com, TomTom, Google, Canon, IBM, and Cisco have a presence in the city. Amsterdam hosts various tech events like GOTO Amsterdam and Tech Summit Europe, making it a global networking hub. Dutch cities like Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven also thrive as tech centers.
- Average annual salary (Amsterdam): US$62,783
- Estimated monthly living costs (Amsterdam): US$3,376
Germany
Germany is experiencing a surge in the influx of tech talent, notably in Berlin, a favored city for business relocation.
Key companies like Volkswagen, Pfizer, and SAP have established innovation labs there. Berlin is a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) and part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIC), collaborating with organizations like SAP, Siemens, and Deutsche Telekom to foster IT innovation. Other German cities, including Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Stuttgart, also feature dynamic tech scenes.
- Average annual salary (Berlin): US$63,767
- Estimated monthly living costs (Berlin): US$3,085
Canada
Canada is emerging as an attractive destination for expatriate tech professionals, with Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal leading the way.
Ottawa, the capital city, is gaining prominence, reporting a notable increase in tech employees to 94,100 in 2023, up from 81,200 in 2022.
Ottawa hosts Canada’s largest tech park, Kanata North Technology Park, housing over 540 companies and 23,000 employees.
The technology park contributed $13 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2018, featuring prominent companies like QNX Blackberry, Amazon Web Services, Nokia, Cisco, and Mitel.
Ottawa has nurtured the growth of various tech firms, including Nortel, Corel, Cognos, Halogen Software, Shopify, and JDS Uniphase.
Additionally, major corporations like Adobe Systems, 3M, Nokia, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard have established offices in the area.
- Average annual salary (Ottawa): US$60,023
- Estimated monthly living costs (Ottawa): US$2,134
United Kingdom
Ranked fourth on Relocate. me’s list, the United Kingdom hosts tech hubs in cities like Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol.
London, particularly renowned for East London Tech City or the Silicon Roundabout, has evolved into a dynamic tech hub since its boom in 2008.
Noteworthy companies such as Google, Cisco, Facebook, Intel, McKinsey & Co., and Microsoft have established a presence in the city.
London secures the second position for concentrated tech talent, making it advantageous for businesses to recruit top talent, according to Z/Yen Group’s Smart Centres Index.
- Average annual salary (London): US$62,587
- Estimated monthly living costs (London): US$5,028
Switzerland
Switzerland remains a prime hub for tech talent, with key IT centers in Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne.
The capital, Bern, is emerging as a force in MedTech, biotech, fintech, and cleantech, known for its expertise in healthcare, life sciences, and sustainability.
It hosts a burgeoning tech startup scene, ranking closely with Zurich and Geneva. The city provides supportive infrastructure, including co-working spaces like Startup Hub Bern, Impact Hub Bern, and Innovationsdorf Bern, fostering connections, mentorship, and funding opportunities.
- Average annual salary (Bern): US$103,715
- Estimated monthly living costs (Bern): US$3,611
Sweden
Ranked sixth on Relocate. me’s list, Sweden is an attractive destination, chiefly due to Stockholm’s dynamic tech scene, a major European hub, and the country’s financial center.
Located in Kista, a northern suburb, Stockholm’s tech hub stands as Europe’s largest IT cluster, recognized for fostering startups, including Spotify and Klarna.
Those relocating to Stockholm enjoy Sweden’s social benefits, comprising of free education, childcare, and safety nets for citizens.
- Average annual salary (Stockholm): US$51,162
- Estimated monthly living costs (Stockholm): US$2,727.
United States
As a tech hub, the United States is home to prominent centers like Silicon Valley, Seattle, and New York. Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital, not only features a robust government industry but has also witnessed a surge in tech companies establishing a presence.
Topping CompTIA’s Tech Jobs Report for tech job postings, Washington, D.C., benefits from a substantial talent pool with the presence of major universities and colleges.
The city particularly attracts professionals in cybersecurity, software development, and health tech, with companies such as Boeing, ShieldAI, PwC, Salesforce, IBM, and Intuit.
- Average annual salary (Washington): US$99,461
- Estimated monthly living costs (Washington): US$4,583.
Australia
Ranked eighth on Relocate. me’s list, Australia boasts vibrant innovation centers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
Canberra, the capital city, is drawing software vendors like Tower Software and RuleBurst to collaborate with numerous government clients.
Plans for a billion-dollar data hub in Canberra, supporting private and government institutions in space, defense, and education, are underway.
The Canberra Cyber Security Innovation Node, established in 2019, further supports these industries. Known for innovation, Canberra receives robust backing from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), with upcoming plans for a Cyber, Space, and Advanced Technology hub.
- Average annual salary (Canberra): US$50,244
- Estimated monthly living costs (Canberra): US$2,474
Denmark
Securing the second position on the 2023 World Happiness Report, Denmark is a haven for digital workers, boasting high satisfaction with workplace culture and financial support, as indicated by a study from Boston Consulting Group and Digital Hub Denmark.
With one of the highest employment rates and a mere 1.1% reporting long working hours according to the OECD Better Life Index, Denmark fosters a healthy work-life balance.
Major companies like IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Zendesk, and SAP have established innovation and development hubs in the country.
While Aalborg stands out as a leading tech center, Copenhagen serves as the primary hub for Denmark’s IT activities.
- Average annual salary (Copenhagen): US$48,650
- Estimated monthly living costs (Copenhagen): US$2,250.
Belgium
Belgium, securing the tenth spot, features Antwerp as a growing tech hub, but Brussels takes the spotlight as the primary destination for tech talent.
The capital city hosts several STEM universities and research institutes, including the National Fund for Scientific Research (NFSR), the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium (RASAB), and the Belgium Academy Council of Applied Sciences (BACAS).
The European Digital Expertise Hub (EDIH), established in 2021 as part of SussAIn Brussels, promotes AI and emerging technologies, offering free guidance for businesses embarking on digital transformation.
With a co-financed €4 million budget from the European Commission and the Brussels Region, Brussels fosters a burgeoning startup scene, with companies like FiscalNote, Izix, CentralApp, Drawbotics, and AppTweak establishing their presence.
- Average annual salary (Brussels): US$47,422
- Estimated monthly living costs (Brussels): US$2,400.
