You’ve probably read this before: the Netherlands are an English-speaker paradise. Tied with the Nordic countries for proficiency, more than 90% of Dutch people speak English fluently.
This matters if you’re a developer. When issuing a pay cheque to hard-working developers, Dutch companies still have a keen eye for English — or for any other language. Our research shows that in 2022 salaries grew in the Netherlands. Language does not seem to be a barrier for developers looking to settle in the Netherlands, since companies seem to evaluate experience over speaking Dutch. Most salaries, regardless of demographics, are both strong and equal. Companies in the Netherlands may even pay above average expectations. Regarding salaries, 2022 isn’t just a good time to be a Dutch developer, it is a good time to be a developer from anywhere working in the Netherlands.
This promising insight and other essential facts regarding the most in-demand techs or the importance of experience are part of our report on Developer Salaries in the Netherlands for 2022. We’re using newly dug data and some insights from 2021, so everything we’ve uncovered reflects the state of the market right now. All our figures are in Euros.
Below you’ll find insights on salaries for developers in the Netherlands. We analysed recent data to uncover facts and surprises. Jump in and take a peek.
Discover how 2023 developer salaries in the Netherlands have changed!
Offered and expected salaries in the Netherlands in 2022
Remember how everyone was talking about inflation from last year onwards? The Dutch didn't just talk about it: they did something about it. Our research demonstrates that, in the Netherlands, expected and offered salaries for developers have risen between 2021 and 2022. For example, back in 2021, a developer may have expected slightly more than €57k per year. In 2022, that number has grown to almost €60k.
The offered salaries are also superior to expectations. In 2021, developers were offered, on average, almost €59k, while in 2022, the average offer is closer to €62k. That’s a nearly 6% increase for offered salaries in the Netherlands. Kudos to Dutch companies!
Offered and expected salary (Netherlands) in 2022
Average offered salaries in the Netherlands since Honeypot launched
In the Netherlands, since Honeypot launched in 2016, the average salary for developers has grown by more than 25% up to €62k. That's what data from 2022 shows. It’s a welcome and steep increase that confirms that developers are more and more in demand — and that companies are willing to pay for their services.
Offered salary by talent type in the Netherlands for 2021 and 2022
According to our gathered data, companies in the Netherlands used to pay developers rather consistent salaries regardless of whether they were European or Dutch. The salaries hovered in between €56k and €59k for four distinct demographic groups up to 2021.
But, in 2022, it seems a group is getting the best pay cheques: the local non-native speaking developers. Their salaries in 2022 average a handsome €66k, a 10% increase from what the same group earned on average just a year ago. The difference we’re observing here, between native speakers and non-native speakers, shouldn’t be considered a salary trend. Our observation stems from responses we got on our platform in 2022. It merely represents the fact that non-native speakers, with years of experience in the sector, are receiving high rewards, not that native speakers are receiving less money.
When we mentioned that the Netherlands loves English and other languages, we were reflecting on this particular reality: developers from outside the European Union are also gaining traction. They are earning slightly more than what they did a year ago, and companies are seeking them out over any other talent category.
Offered salary per talent type 2021 and 2022
Salaries by company size in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is characterised for paying strongly and evenly: in most comparisons, salaries will be ballparked around the same figure each year. As we explored before, some talent types are getting better pay cheques in 2022. However, this doesn’t mean they’re getting a 50% raise over other groups. This trend is also observed when we measure company sizes: regardless of the employee count, companies in the Netherlands tend to pay around the same figures, between €56K and €59k in 2021. Most developers work in firms with more than 250 employees, but a significant portion of them also works for firms that hold between 10 and 249 employees.
When it comes to offered salaries by company size, the most useful insight still comes from the 250+ category: yearly salaries are now at €68k a year, more than €10k above the smallest companies. These data may explain the need of some developers to migrate towards bigger employers, but it also builds a strong case for smaller companies. A difference of around €10k per year may be high, but according to developers there’s more to life than just a high pay check. Smaller companies and startups while doing their best when it comes to salaries, offer a work-life balance and team culture that is very attractive to developers.
Average offered salary by company size
Average expected salary by years of experience and job type in the Netherlands 2021
Specialisations and years of experience matter to developers in Netherlands. That’s what expectations show. A starting frontend developer may expect around €40k, while backend developers set the bar a tad higher at €43k. The difference in expectations is demonstrated more clearly the higher the years of experience go. A frontend developer with six to eight years of experience is expecting around €65k, while a backend developer in the same tier is expecting something closer to €63k.
We used data from 2021 to demonstrate these numbers, since we didn’t have enough data to draw concrete conclusions for 2022.
Average expected salary by role and years of experience, 2021
Offered salary by years of experience and job type in the Netherlands
Developers in the Netherlands seem to have a sharp radar when it comes to salary expectations. The average expected and the average offered salaries are as close as a guessing game can get, with the average offered salary surpassing the expected salary by just a few hundred euros. On the contrary, developers with six to eight years of experience are seeing a decrease in expectations vs. reality. Backend developers expecting €63k are on average offered something closer to €62k, while full stack developers experience a similar dive with an average offered salary of less than €59k. This discrepancy might be affected by two factors. First, a low number of data for the roles of backend and full stack developers, and second, by lower demand for these specific roles.
Average offered salary by role and years of experience, 2021
Most in-demand technologies in the Netherlands
From all the candidates that received an interview request in the Netherlands during 2022, which were the most-in-demand technologies? JavaScript, React, and TypeScript are almost tied as the top performers. Around 4% of all developers mentioned either one of them was their top tech. CSS, SQL, and Python are right behind, with 2.6% to 3.4% of devs claiming that it is their speciality. If you're wondering which six languages Dutch companies will be demanding, here’s your answer.
Interview invites by talent group in the Netherlands
We’ve already observed how, in 2022, the local yet non-native speaking devs in the Netherlands are getting the best offers: they’re getting an average salary of €66k, which is an impressive salary increase compared to 2021. But these offers might be rare. Data on interview invites demonstrates that, out of all the invites for interviews during 2022, this group got under a third of all interviews.
The preferred talent type in terms of total invite count is the local and native-speaking Dutch developers, who amassed 58% of all invitations. But they’re still on the downward slide: in 2021, 70% of all invites went to them, meaning they lost 12% of their “market share.”
Interview invites by talent type 2021 and 2022
Salaries by job type in Amsterdam in 2021
If you live in a certain city, you should have different expectations than those who live a train ride away. Different cities in the Netherlands pay varied wages. Location, and the years of experience, matter. If you’re a developer with more than eight years of experience, living in Amsterdam might earn you an additional €10k than living in The Hague. Time to move, maybe?
Average salary by job type in Amsterdam vs. the Netherlands
**NOTE: Average for Rotterdam, The Hague, and Delft
Methodology and Conclusions
We used salaries specified by hiring companies during the interview process on the Honeypot platform as our key data source.
We removed interview invites sent with missing information (like position title or company location) to ensure that the data can be compared consistently. Furthermore, we took out unusually low or high salaries to eliminate extreme outliers.
We hope you have a better idea of developer salaries in Switzerland. Don’t miss out on our other reports — we’re exploring dev salaries in different parts of Europe. Sign up for our fabulous newsletter for more reports, videos, interviews, and insights.
