Poland has been widely known as a proven destination for tech talent outsourcing. Mainly, it’s explained by many factors, such as a strong educational background, powerful tech solutions, advanced innovations, as well as an affordable cost of living. Such favorable conditions have become extremely attractive for IT companies in the recent decade. As of 2022, according to Statista, Poland’s largest IT companies have solely generated sales revenue of PLN 6,776 million (nearly $1,500 million). The overall number of software development companies is currently standing at 63,058 entities, 6% more compared to 2021. But what makes the Polish IT industry such a lucrative tech staffing destination for nearshore and offshore companies? In this article, Uvik experts will make a detailed overview of the Polish software development market, uncovering the current industry trends, salaries, and global outsourcing potential for clients across the globe.
Poland IT Industry Overview
Poland has been taking leading positions in the software development market for over two decades already. Currently, the IT industry in Poland is rapidly growing: as of 2022, the software development size equals €8.8bn ($9.14bn) and is ranked 7th in Europe in 2022 (of 26 total EU countries). The country has the largest educated talent pool in the CEE region with over 300,000 developers, and up to 25% of them are specialized in software development. The powerful tech skills of development teams in Poland are mainly cultivated by a strong educational background with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). In the recent Polish IT Community Report it is mentioned that 3 out of 4 respondents who work in the IT sphere graduated from a university, while 59% of employees have Master’s degrees and 8.8% of employees have completed their Bachelor’s degrees in one of the IT fields.
The Largest IT Hubs in Poland
To get a better idea of where to search for the ideal developer, it’s essential to analyze in what locations you should look for your ideal candidates. Currently, the IT business in Poland is mainly focused in the following cities:
- Warsaw (82,100 developers)
- Krakow (70,200)
- Wroclaw (52,500)
- Katowice (27,500)
- Tri-City – Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot (30,200)
These locations have already become an excellent tech hub for internationally-known corporations like Google, Accenture, IBM, Amazon, Uber, CISCO, Hewlett Packard, and others. In the graph below you can also find less popular but really prospective staffing destinations for various mobile and web development projects. Taken from: https://amsterdamstandard.com
The Most Popular Business Sectors for Polish Developers
The range of businesses that involved Polish software engineers and developers is extremely large. Today, developers are required by plenty of globally known companies from different fields, such as:
- Fintech (Skrill)
- E-commerce (Amazon)
- Internet & Marketing (Google)
- Digital Transformation (Atos, Oracle Capgemini)
- IT (IBM, Intel)
- Technologies (ABB, Microsoft, Motorola, Fujitsu, Sabre)
The Most Popular Programming Languages in Poland
According to Statista overview, the most popular programming languages in published job offers in Poland were JavaScript, Java, and Python, as of the second half of 2021. Overall, these languages have gained nearly 60% of the market, leaving far behind the alternatives like Ruby, C, C++, Kotlin, PHP, and others, the demand for which varies from 1 to 8%. A variety of tech options make Poland a more competitive and attractive placement for developer outsourcing. Taken from: https://www.daxx.com
Benefits of IT Outsourcing in Poland
Why are thousands of companies across the globe eager to hire Polish IT outsourcing company? Here are some advantages to know!
Excellent Price-Value Ratio
Polish software developers have deep knowledge of tech basics and deliver them at a much lower cost compared to other EU countries. Mainly, that’s because of the lower cost of education and living in Poland, which makes them extremely attractive for nearshore and offshore clients. Though compared to their counterparts in India or the Philippines, Polish engineers charge almost twice as much, but the code quality is sure to please any client.
Low Cultural Barrier
Unlike in Asian countries, the Polish cultural context is considerably closer to the North American and European mindset. That can significantly improve the communication and mutual understanding of the outsourced team. Polish developers tend to actively participate in discussions, share their personal understanding of a problem, and are ready to meet the challenges of different ranges. You won’t meet the engineers copying the premade codes from free resources, nor those that overlook the client guidelines.
Convenient Location and Time Zones
Similar to other countries from Eastern Europe, Poland has an excellent location and convenient time zones for most clients from Europe and North America. Thus, it exceptionally fits for nearshore and offshore software development. Outsourcers from the UK, for instance, will have a slight difference in a couple of hours with the CEE, while the US morning completely corresponds with the afternoon in Eastern Europe. This ensures smoother and more efficient cooperation with the software development team in Poland.
Experienced Specialists from Various Fields
Poland has a multi-aspect approach towards tech specializations. That is why you can find a professional software development company in Poland with the exact skill set needed. No matter if you’re looking for a Java, Django, or Node.js developer or UX/UI designer, or motion graphics specialist – you can effortlessly find it in Poland’s tech community.
Possible Risks of Outsourcing to Poland
Along with the reasons for IT outsourcing in Poland, companies should also be aware of the possible risks while hiring software developers in Poland.
- First, you should keep in mind that a large number of projects handled by a single outsourcing team can affect the quality of the digital product. By “throwing” developers from one project to another, there are more chances that engineers will miss some critical aspects.
- There is also the possibility that developers will leave the project to look for better job opportunities, which consequently impacts the team performance. Typically, that’s the fault of local contractors, who’re not interested in retaining the workforce. If talking about freelancers, those can also disappear suddenly, as they’re usually self-employed and not bound by loyalty or long-term commitments.
- One more thing to mind when outsourcing to Poland is the ambiguous billing methods companies may face. There are many instances when offshore software development vendors bill clients hourly but pad the invoice by charging for more hours than actually spent on the project.
- Leaked information is another aspect that should be handled with extra care. Though most companies offer to sign the SLA for information security, there are some cases in which developers can leak the data (as a result of a cyberattack or inappropriate data utilization, etc). So, before you entrust the process to the outsourced team in Poland, make sure they know the basics of secure working with sensitive data.
- A complicated cost transferring system might be also a pitfall for the clients, especially in the case of offshoring development services. You may be confined to currency conversion, taxes evasion, shadow schemes of falsified invoices, and more.
That is why once you’ve decided to outsource Polish developers, entrust the process to a professional tech staffing company like Uvik to get all the hiring hassle handled at minimal risks.
Polish Software Developers’ Salaries
According to the Polish software developers salary recap by Erieri, the average salary range for a software developer is between PLN 114,000 ($25,400) and PLN 202,200 ($45,200) annually. Talking about the average hourly rates, hiring Polish developers is extremely affordable – PLN 78 ($17,5). Compared to the other European countries, that’s really cost-effective: the average UK rate per hour starts at £19.36 ($23,5) while in the US you can hire a developer at $57 on average. Below we’ve researched the salaries for the three most popular software development fields in Poland: Java, JavaScript, and Python, which are extremely popular in the outsourcing market today. Taken from: https://www.n-ix.com
Python Development Specialist
Python is one of the top three popular technologies in Poland, with over 60,000 experienced developers currently working within this scope. According to Glassdoor, Poland’s national average salary for a Python Developer is PLN 8,966 per month (nearly $23,900 annually), which is extremely accessible for most companies from Western Europe, the United Kingdom, and the US.
- Junior Python Developer – PLN 4,000 – 6,500 per month ($ 1,300/mo on average)
- Middle Python Developer – PLN 9,000 per month (nearly $ 2,000/mo)
- Senior Python Developer – PLN 15,000 – 25,000 per month ($ 4,500/mo on average)
JavaScript (JS) Development Specialist
Another top-trending language among Polish developers is JavaScript, which according to the LinkedIn candidates overview has over 80,000 developers within the scope. Depending on the experience and skillset, the average salary for a JavaScript developer in Poland is currently standing at 13,500 – 15,500 PLN per month (nearly $38,700 annually). That’s much higher if compared to the costs for Python specialists.
- Junior JavaScript Developer – PLN 4,000 – 8,000 per month (up to $1700/mo)
- Middle JavaScript Developer – PLN 9,000 per month (nearly $2,000/mo)
- Senior JavaScript Developer – PLN up to 18,500 per month (nearly $4,200/mo)
Java Development Specialist
The third and most famous programming language, a pool of experts for which you can find in Poland is Java. Today, there are thousands of freelance, in-house, and outsourcing developers in Poland, eager to deliver first-class solutions at a reasonable cost. An average Java developer in Poland earns PLN 10,400 per month (nearly $27,700 annually).
- Junior Java Developer – PLN 6,500 – 9,000 per month (up to $ 2,000/mo)
- Middle Java Developer – PLN 7,500 – 15,000 per month (starting at $1,700 to $3,300/mo)
- Senior Java Developer – PLN 15,000 – 17,500 per month (up to $3,900/mo)
Poland vs. Eastern Europe: Software Development
Recently we’ve already discussed why you should hire software developers in Eastern Europe and what companies should consider this option. Here, Uvik’s best hiring experts will uncover why hiring developers in Poland is surely worth your time and resources.
- The first-class IT education. Today, Poland features over 500 educational institutions mainly focused on tech specializations. That is why Polish developers get the highest ranks in international programming contests like Microsoft Imagine Cup, Google Code Jam, TopCoder, or the Central European Programming Contest (CEPC) on an annual basis!
- Innovative technologies and advanced solutions. developers and software development companies in Poland apply a variety of technologies to keep up with the recent trends and provide the next ones. So, companies are guaranteed to access a valuable pool of innovations and ideas that ideally fit their business needs. Moreover, with each update, digital products become more future-proof and the development process gets safer, faster, and more efficient.
- Reasonable rates for high-quality experts. Due to the comparatively low cost of living, companies can find experienced Polish developers at reasonable costs. To compare, the cost of living in Poland is 57% less expensive compared to the UK, and 60% less to the US.
- A plethora of different tech talents. No matter what experts you’re going to hire while outsourcing IT projects to Poland, the country has a large pool of experts in different areas. Companies can choose specialists to support different objections at various stages of a product development process, both on the whole or particularly in certain areas. So, you can find the experts for nearly any aspect, from the UX design, early app prototype, and MVP to delivering and maintaining a fully functional product.
- Different opportunities for outsourcing. For many companies across the world, outsourcing IT projects to Poland opens up a variety of different tech staffing opportunities, that allow to scale an existing team, build the new one, or order the entire software development project for outsourcing.
- Excellent English proficiency. According to the EF English Proficiency Index 2018, Poland was ranked 13th in the world for English skills, getting ahead of most European countries.
- Strong focus on AI technologies. In April 2018, Poland signed the EU Declaration of cooperation on Artificial Intelligence, which has considerably improved its competitiveness among the other countries in the outsourcing market. Moreover, the country’s governmental institution has launched the Artificial Intelligence Development Policy in Poland for 2019–2027, which is a powerful signal toward the future tech industry focus.
As you can see, companies can get a bunch of benefits from outsourcing the development process to Poland, and above we’ve covered only a few of those. Once you’ll give it a try with a reputable tech staffing company, you’ll realize all the advantages of such a lucrative option more than ever!
Creating a Software Development Team with UVIK
Uvik can become your perfect solution to outsource a Polish software development team. What makes us that popular on the market? Discover the major advantages of working with us below!
Top-Rated Developers Across the Globe
Uvik has been creating a powerful hub of top-tier tech talents for years. That is why we never lack expertise in any tech development area. Each of our developers has a confirmed degree in tech scope, vast experience working with many reputable companies, and an impressive portfolio of different projects. What is more, regardless of the project you have, we guarantee to supply the potential candidates in as fast as seven days, allowing you to quickly make up an effective team of developers and get started as soon as possible.
Main Focus on a Client’s Business
With Uvik, you’ll get first-class IT experts based on your company’s needs and preferences. Our managers can provide scalable solutions regardless of the project type and complexity, so you can easily reach the best performance results.
Relevant & Cost-Efficient Solutions
Whether you’ve made up a decision to outsource IT projects to Poland or any other country, Uvik experts always keep you informed about the most effective options available specifically for your business needs. That is why companies save up to 60% of development costs without any loss to their product’s quality. Unlike competitors, we’re fully confident about the accuracy of time estimates, project deliverables, and budget overruns. Additionally, estimated costs for outsourcing to Poland are comparatively lower than in most countries in Western Europe, the UK, and the US.
Every Aspect Is Covered
Once you’ve entrusted the outsourcing brothers to Uvik, your company no longer needs to hustle over administrative work, including interviews, human resource management, retention, tech equipment, infrastructure, and more. Uvik features plenty of talented experts who can get everything on track from the moment of signing the contract! We’re extremely responsible and attentive to each aspect of employee hiring and onboarding, leaving no chance for failure. That is why our clients can stay assured of getting first-class service and exclusively talented employees regardless of their business objectives.
Final Thoughts
Outsourcing software development to Poland is an excellent chance to access a large pool of tech talents at affordable rates. The country features thousands of developers of different ranges working for both internal and outsourcing markets, which means you can easily find the best tech experts within the relevant field. No matter what the end goal of the company is, UVIK can provide the right software development expert that ideally fits the client’s needs. Our flexible and cost-effective solutions can help you to set a productive and profitable business model, ensuring you reach the best performance results. Contact Uvik’s top-rated tech staffing experts to start implementing the changes to your in-house team today! Discover the most common questions about software developers in Poland to help yourself make the right choice!