High Demand Jobs in Europe: Most In-Demand and Highest-Paying jobs for 2026

As reported by Eurofound in July 2026, the EU is set to miss its target of 20 million ICT specialists by around 5 million by 2030. Meanwhile, the latest EURES report indicates that specialist doctors are in short supply in 22 of the 28 countries it examines, while electrical engineers are needed in 16. These shortages remain, even as overall hiring has slowed down – Eurostat found that the job vacancy rate in the EU fell to 2.0% in Q2 2026, down from 2.1% a year earlier. To bridge these gaps, many employers are now turning to foreign workers for recruitment.

In this guide, we break down the main sectors behind the high-demand jobs in Europe and highlight where the top in demand jobs are emerging, particularly in technology, engineering, healthcare, life sciences and finance. Europe’s job market is also shaped by demographic shifts, green-transition targets, and digital transformation, with job growth especially strong in IT, healthcare, and green energy. You’ll find insights on salary ranges, where the job opportunities are located and what employers are looking for in potential hires. The guide also provides a clear overview of the application process for individuals coming from outside the EU, concluding with a focus on Lithuania, where many of these positions are currently hard to fill.

What Jobs Are in High Demand in Europe?

The latest EURES report from the European Labour Authority, released in June 2026, highlighted a massive 2,617 cases of labour shortages across 28 countries. It identified 24 occupations that are facing shortages throughout much of Europe, with health-related roles taking centre stage. Specialist medical practitioners are in short supply in 22 countries, nursing professionals in 20, generalist doctors in 19, and electrical engineers in 16.

While the EURES report does not list software developers as a widespread shortage, other figures do point to a lasting gap. The EU had 10.5 million ICT specialists in 2025, around half of its 2030 target of 20 million, and most of these shortages are long-term. For instance, Cedefop’s skills forecast 2035 expects strong growth in jobs for ICT professionals and for science and engineering roles, while total EU employment rises by about 0.4% a year. Ageing adds to the pressure – in ten EU countries, more than 38% of practising doctors are aged 55 or over, according to Eurostat.

The table below compares four sectors. Pay figures are gross annual amounts from the sources listed. As expected, actual pay varies widely by country and seniority.

Technology and IT Jobs

Technology offers some of the easiest job opportunities for foreign workers to access. English is the usual working language, and the sector continues to grow faster than the wider economy. The number of ICT specialists in the EU rose by 59.4% between 2015 and 2025, compared to 9.8% for total employment.

Software and Cloud Roles

Back-end developers, cloud engineers, DevOps engineers and solutions architects make up the bulk of tech hiring, using programming languages to build and maintain software and cloud systems, with cloud skills raising pay even further. According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025, cloud infrastructure engineers in Germany reported a median of $98,612 a year, while full-stack developers took home $75,410.

In this area, employers are also hiring further afield. In 2024, 11.9% of ICT specialists in the EU were born outside the EU, up from 9.2% in 2021. As noted above, the same research projects the EU will fall about 5 million short of its 2030 ICT target.

AI and Machine Learning

One in five EU enterprises with ten or more employees used AI in 2025 (up from 13.5% a year earlier), which is not surprising considering its rapid adoption beyond the tech sphere. For example, European employers are constantly looking for AI and data talents as adoption keeps increasing across sectors, with machine learning engineers needed to build and deploy models and data engineers to prepare the data they’re based on.

These skills pay well, too. Case in point: PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that roles requiring AI skills carry an average wage premium of 62%, a result of broader investment in these skills. In the UK, AI and machine learning engineers in the Stack Overflow survey reported a median salary of $149,756 a year.

Data and Cybersecurity

The EU was short of an estimated 299,000 cybersecurity professionals in 2024, 9% more than in 2023, according to ENISA. The agency also found that 76% of organisations struggle to attract security staff.

AI (41%) and cloud security (36%) were the skills most often lacking in security teams in the ISC2 2025 Cybersecurity Workforce Study. In Germany, cybersecurity specialists and data scientists both reported a median of $92,812 in the Stack Overflow survey.

Engineering Jobs

Engineering demand is closely tied to the energy transition, grid upgrades and Europe’s plans to produce more semiconductors. In Germany alone, the most recent VDI/IW Ingenieurmonitor counted 96,760 open engineering and IT positions.

Electronics and Electrical

Electrical engineering shows the clearest shortage. Electrical engineers were in short supply in 16 countries in the EURES report, and German data counted 13,430 open posts in energy and electrical engineering. Related trades such as electricians are also needed to install and repair wiring and lighting systems. Wind farms, electricity grids, battery storage and electric vehicles all depend on these specialists.

Chipmaking adds even further to the already high overall demand. SEMI Europe expects the European semiconductor industry to be short of more than 65,000 specialists by 2030, including about 40,000 hardware engineers.

Automation and Robotics

Factories across Europe are automating production lines, which creates work for automation engineers, robotics engineers and PLC programmers. The work usually combines mechanical, electrical and software skills. Engineers design, program and maintain robotic cells, and many also work with machine vision and production data. Construction workers are also in demand on major industrial and infrastructure sites where automated systems are installed and maintained.

Mechanical Engineering

Car makers, aerospace companies, machinery manufacturers and producers of energy equipment such as turbines and heat pumps all hire mechanical engineers. Plumbers are also needed on residential and industrial projects to install and repair piping systems. Stepstone’s 2026 salary report puts the median gross salary for engineering roles in Germany at €75,000, well above the national median of €53,900. Design engineers with CAD and simulation experience can apply across several industries.

Healthcare and Life Sciences Jobs

Hospitals and clinics face the most severe staff shortages in Europe. WHO Europe projects a shortfall of 950,000 health workers in the European region by 2030. The European Labour Authority describes shortages in health and care as “especially severe and persistent”.

Specialist Medical Roles

Specialist doctors top the EURES shortage list, reported in 22 of the 28 countries. They are also among the best-paid professionals in Europe. Doctors in Germany earn a median of €105,500 a year, the highest of any field in Stepstone’s report.

It should also be noted that Europe already relies heavily on staff trained abroad. The number of foreign-trained doctors in the WHO European region grew by 58% between 2014 and 2023. Medicine is still the most tightly regulated route for foreign workers. Before they can practise, doctors trained outside the EU must have their qualifications approved by the medical licensing authority of the country where they want to work, and they usually need a high level of proficiency in the local language.

Pharma and Biotech

The pharmaceutical industry directly employs 950,983 people in Europe, 119,423 of them in research and development. Typical roles include bioprocess engineers, analytical chemists, microbiologists, quality assurance specialists and regulatory affairs managers.

Medical Technology

More than 930,000 people work in medical technology across over 38,000 companies, 90% of them small and medium-sized. Biomedical engineers, embedded software developers and specialists in the EU Medical Device Regulation work on diagnostics, imaging and devices.

Finance and Business Jobs

At senior levels, finance boasts some of the highest pay in Europe. The European Banking Authority counted 2,554 people earning over €1 million at EU banks and investment firms in 2024, up 9% on 2023. Most finance roles pay far less, but still well above national averages.

Finance and Analytics

Quantitative analysts, data analysts and financial modellers need strong skills in statistics, Python and SQL. Morgan McKinley’s 2026 guide puts a quantitative analyst in Dublin at €55,000–€65,000 in the first three years, rising to €80,000–€110,000 after five.

Risk and Compliance

No payment company can get an EU licence without showing regulators how it will prevent money laundering. Since January 2025, banks and other financial firms have also had to test and report on the resilience of their IT systems under the Digital Operational Resilience Act. Both obligations fall to risk and compliance specialists. Lithuania, which issues more fintech licences than any other EU country, has about 14,000 such specialists, according to Invest Lithuania.

Fintech Roles

Fintech companies hire engineers, product managers to manage fintech products and cross-border launches, and compliance specialists in roughly equal measure. Payments, digital banking and regulatory technology are the main areas. Lithuania issues more fintech licences than any other EU country and is home to 248 fintech companies with 7,800 employees, according to Invest Lithuania.

Which High-Demand Jobs Pay the Most?

Senior medical specialists and senior technology and finance managers earn the most. In Dublin, Morgan McKinley puts chief information security officers at €140,000–€300,000 and chief technology officers at €150,000–€250,000. Among data roles, data scientists with more than five years’ experience earn €80,000–€110,000 in the same market.

The average full-time adjusted salary in the EU was €39,800 in 2024. Luxembourg (€82,969), Denmark (€71,565), Ireland (€61,051) and Germany (€53,791) were well above that, while Bulgaria was at €15,387, based on reporting by Euronews. Higher pay often comes with higher rent, so it helps to compare living costs too. Our guide to the best European countries to live in does this for several capitals.

Minimum salaries for skilled-worker permits give a realistic floor for salary expectations. The table shows the 2026 thresholds for the EU Blue Card or the national equivalent in selected countries.

In Germany, Stepstone records a median of €46,250 for entry-level staff and €59,500 for people with more than ten years’ experience. Managers with staff responsibility earn €62,000, compared with €51,300 for those without. In Dublin, quantitative analysts move from €55,000–€65,000 in their first three years to €80,000–€110,000 after five. Specialist skills and management duties are the quickest routes to career growth.

Where Are Job Opportunities for Skilled Professionals Most in Demand?

Demand for specialists is spread across the continent, though some places stand out. Sweden prioritizes professionals in renewable energy and sustainability, while Spain seeks workers with hospitality and tourism expertise. The Netherlands had the EU’s highest job vacancy rate in Q2 2026, at 4.1%, followed by Belgium at 3.3%. Italy reported the most shortage occupations in the EURES report (253), ahead of the Netherlands (195).

For technology roles, Germany shows the most acute hiring difficulty, with 72.4% of companies that recruit ICT specialists reporting hard-to-fill vacancies. Dublin, Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich host large tech employers, and Baltic capitals such as Vilnius have grown into regional hubs for fintech and software development. The Czech Republic also shows strong demand in manufacturing and automotive sectors.

Job opportunities in advanced manufacturing are concentrated in Germany’s industrial regions and across Central Europe. In Baden-Württemberg, home to many car and machinery makers, the median salary is €58,500, one of the highest in Germany in Stepstone’s data. Finance jobs cluster in Frankfurt, Paris, Dublin and Luxembourg. Conversely, life sciences employers are spread more widely, with Lithuania ranking third in the OECD for biotech R&D intensity. Serbia is also emerging as a destination for foreign workers, helped by a work permit system that is faster than many EU countries.

What Skills Are Employers Looking For?

Across the high-demand jobs in Europe, deep technical expertise comes first. Employers want proven experience in a defined area, such as Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure, power electronics or clinical specialisation. Certifications help, but hiring managers usually look for evidence of completed projects and practical problem-solving.

Meanwhile, digital and AI skills are becoming standard in every sector. Engineers are expected to work with simulation and data tools, finance staff with Python and analytics platforms, and security specialists with AI-based threat detection. PwC’s global findings show that the AI wage premium reaches 53% in financial services and 73% in manufacturing.

International experience also counts. Many teams in Europe work across several countries, so employers value people who have worked in multinational settings and communicate clearly in English. Austria also values fluency in German and English for many roles. For qualified professionals from outside Europe, experience with EU regulation, such as GDPR or medical device rules, can shorten the time it takes to become productive in a new role.

Logistics and supply chain hiring is also being driven by e-commerce and cross-border trade, and heavy truck drivers remain persistently in demand across Europe as truck drivers handle picking up, delivering, loading, and unloading cargo over short and long distances.

Can Foreigners Get High-Demand Jobs in Europe?

The short answer is yes. Many high-demand jobs in Europe are open to applicants from abroad. EU citizens can work anywhere in the European Union without a permit. People from outside the EU need an employer and a work permit, and most European countries run fast-track routes for skilled workers in high-demand roles, with Poland a top and rapidly growing hiring market for overseas workers.

For most skilled jobs, the main route is the  EU Blue Card, which is available in 25 EU countries. Denmark and Ireland do not take part and run their own schemes instead. To qualify, applicants need a job offer of at least six months, with a salary that each country sets at between 1 and 1.6 times its average gross annual salary. Those interested in ICT roles can use professional experience in place of a degree, and once they have held the card for 12 months, they can move to another member state and work there. Germany’s Skilled Immigration Act has also helped streamline work permit pathways. In Poland, the National Type D visa is a practical entry route for workers. In the Czech Republic, the Employee Card combines work and residence authorization.

The application process is usually led by the employer, who confirms the job offer and salary. Work visa applications also often require proof of employment and accommodation. In Lithuania, a Blue Card decision takes 30 days as standard or 15 days on the fast track, as set out in our guide to Lithuanian work permits.

A doctor or nurse trained outside the EU cannot start work in a European hospital on the strength of a job offer alone. Medicine and nursing are regulated professions, so foreign diplomas must first be formally recognised by the relevant national authority, a process that can take several months and may involve exams or supervised practice. Software development, data science and most engineering and finance roles are not regulated in most countries, which leaves employers to judge qualifications themselves and makes tech and engineering the quickest sectors for foreign workers to enter.

When it comes to language expectations, it all depends on the sector. Language is the most common obstacle foreign-born people report when looking for suitable work in the EU. Tech, fintech and many engineering teams work in English, whereas healthcare jobs almost always require the local language, because doctors and nurses need to talk to patients. Foreign workers aiming for medical posts should plan language training well before they apply.

High-Demand Jobs in Lithuania

Lithuania has job opportunities in most of the fields covered above, and keeps an official list of high value-added occupations in shortage. It includes software developers, cloud engineers, data scientists, electronics and semiconductor engineers, robotics engineers, biomedical engineers, microbiologists and pharmaceutical chemists. Foreign workers hired for these roles qualify for the lower Blue Card salary threshold.

Tech and Fintech

Lithuania has about 78,000 ICT specialists and is home to companies such as Vinted, Nord Security, Hostinger and Omnisend. IT salaries averaged €4,259 gross a month in the first half of 2025, according to data in our guide to average salaries in Lithuania. Fintech is growing fast, and 77% of fintech companies plan to expand their teams in 2026.

Engineering Roles

More than 2,200 engineering and technology companies employ around 60,000 people in Lithuania. The laser industry is a particular standout: more than 60 companies employ 2,160 people and export over 94% of their output. Teltonika opened four factories at its High-Tech Hill site in 2025 as part of a €320 million first phase, and large projects such as Rail Baltica and the Curonian Nord offshore wind farm need civil, electrical and energy engineers.

International Employers

Global firms including Nasdaq, Moody’s, Western Union, Cencora and Thermo Fisher Scientific run large teams in Lithuania, and most work in English. Life sciences account for about 2.7% of Lithuania’s GDP, and 92% of pharmaceutical output is exported. Our list of the largest companies in Lithuania covers the main employers by sector.

These companies also offer competitive salaries relative to local living costs. The average gross wage in Lithuania was €2,628.20 a month in Q2 2026, up 10.1% on a year earlier, while specialist roles pay well above that. For engineers, developers and scientists, the gap between specialist pay and living costs is a strong basis for career growth. You can browse current vacancies on the Work in Lithuania job board.

FAQs

Which high-demand jobs in Europe pay the most?

Specialist doctors and senior technology and finance managers earn the most. In Germany, doctors earn a median of €105,500 a year. In Dublin, chief information security officers can earn up to €300,000. Investment bankers can earn €120,000 to €250,000 excluding bonuses, and Switzerland remains a strong market for banking professionals with financial acumen. Roles that require AI skills pay about 62% more on average than comparable roles without them.

What IT jobs are most in demand in Europe?

Cloud engineers, back-end developers, DevOps engineers, cybersecurity specialists, data engineers and machine learning engineers are the most sought-after IT roles. The EU was short of about 299,000 cybersecurity professionals in 2024, and remains far below its target of 20 million ICT specialists by 2030.

Which European countries have the most opportunities for skilled professionals?

Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy report some of the largest shortages. Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg offer the highest average pay. Lithuania combines strong demand in tech, fintech, lasers and life sciences with lower living costs and a lower Blue Card threshold for shortage roles. Poland is also a rapidly growing hiring market for overseas workers, making it an attractive option for applicants in 2026.

Is English enough to get a skilled job in Europe?

In tech, fintech and many engineering jobs, English is usually enough, especially at international companies. In healthcare, you will need the local language. Learning at least the basics of the local language also helps with daily life and long-term career growth. It’s also important to understand local cultures and prepare the right documentation, as both are essential to ensure a smooth move and improve your chances of success.