Bulgarian Software Development Industry in 2024
According to the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies (BASSCOM) report 2024, the technology market of this country grew by 16.5% in comparison to the previous year. Here are some main highlights from that report which outline the state of the software development industry in Bulgaria in 2024:
- 451 new tech companies appeared, creating more than 2500 workplaces for Bulgarian software developers and non-tech professionals;
- the country attracted more than half a billion USD of investments, with a focus on R&D services;
- 100% of Bulgarian development businesses adopted AI practices, which made them even more in-demand among foreign clients;
- out of the 85% of export services Bulgaria provides abroad, 28% are software development services.
Relying on this data, the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies predicts even better industry growth by 2026. Some of the forecasts state an expected income of $7.5+ billion and export increase up to $6 billion. Taking into account such a positive perspective, let’s take a closer look at Bulgarian software engineers’ profiles.
Bulgarian Software Developer Portrait
When hiring Bulgarian software engineers, you can expect highly skilled specialists. According to the Coursera 2023 Global Skills Report, Bulgaria takes the 18th place in the worldwide rankings. But what other characteristics describe an average Bulgarian developer, besides their desire for professional growth? Below find an extended list.
Education
The Bulgarian educational system places a great emphasis on technical disciplines, particularly in fields like computer science, engineering, and information technology. This strong foundation provides students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, preparing them for developer careers in the global tech industry.
A number of Bulgarian colleges and universities offer diverse STEM programs tailored to industry demands. For example, higher educational institutions in Sofia provide specialized courses in cybersecurity, high-performance computing, and software engineering. These programs not only focus on technical proficiency but also emphasize innovation and problem-solving. This ensures graduates are well-equipped for the competitive IT job market.
Location
As the country’s capital, Sofia, is the most developed and popular tech hub, the majority of Bulgarian programmers live and work in this city. International tech giants like IBM also choose this location to set up their offices. Other attractive destinations for the country’s IT specialists like Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and Stara Zagora ‒ although smaller in size and less popular ‒ are developing Bulgarian tech hubs with a potential for becoming significant regional centers for IT (and home to local developers).
Work culture
Being a part of the European tech ecosystem, Bulgarian software engineers share the majority of traits inherent in it. At the workplace, these developers are open and straightforward: traits that help them collaborate effectively with colleagues, communicate their ideas clearly, and be open to feedback. They are also known for their problem-solving mindset and adaptability, making them high-impact contributors to both local and international teams. At the same time, Bulgarian developers value their work-life balance and stick to a standard 40-hour working week.
Bulgarian Software Developers’ Salaries in 2024
What distinguishes Bulgarian developers among other European tech professionals is their salary. In comparison to other European IT hubs, Bulgaria is at the beginning of its growth, so Bulgarian software developers’ salaries are more modest than, say, those of Polish software developers, for example.
To be more specific, the average software engineer salary in Bulgaria by level ranges like this:
- Junior developers start with about $12,000 annually and can reach the compensation of $36,000 a year;
- Middle-level specialists make somewhere between $27,600 and $60,000;
- Senior software engineers’ remuneration is estimated to be from $50,400 to $78,000 a year.
Another factor that affects the Bulgarian software developer salary is their proficiency with particular programming languages. I’ve prepared a comparative table, so you can better understand the difference.
| Position | Technology | Seniority level | Annual salary range (gross USD) |
| Back-end developer | Java | Junior | $18,000 - $33,600 |
| Middle | $33,600 - $48,000 | ||
| Senior | $60,000 - $78,000 | ||
| Python, C# | Junior | $18,000 - $33,600 | |
| Middle | $33,600 - $54,000 | ||
| Senior | $60,000 - $78,000 | ||
| Ruby | Junior | $18,000 - $33,600 | |
| Middle | $33,600 - $60,000 | ||
| Senior | $60,000 - $78,000 | ||
| PHP | Junior | $18,000 - $33,600 | |
| Middle | $33,600 - $54,000 | ||
| Senior | $54,000 - $66,000 | ||
| Front-end developer | JavaScript, TypeScript, React/Angular/Vue.js | Junior | $18,000 - $30,000 |
| Middle | $30,000 - $51,600 | ||
| Senior | $60,000 - $75,600 | ||
| Full-stack developer | .NET, Angular/React | Junior | $21,600 - $36,000 |
| Middle | $42,000 - $54,000 | ||
| Senior | $63,600 - $78,000 | ||
| Python/Java, JavaScript | Junior | $18,000 - $30,000 | |
| Middle | $36,000 - $54,000 | ||
| Senior | $60,000 - $78,000 | ||
| Node.js, Angular | Junior | $18,000 - $30,000 | |
| Middle | $36,000 - $54,000 | ||
| Senior | $63,600 - $78,000 | ||
| Mobile developer | Java/Kotlin | Junior | $14,400 - $26,400 |
| Middle | $26,400 - $50,400 | ||
| Senior | $50,400 - $66,000 | ||
| Swift/Objective-C | Junior | $18,000 - $30,000 | |
| Middle | $30,000 - $54,000 | ||
| Senior | $54,000 - $72,000 | ||
| DevOps engineer | AWS/Azure/GCP | Junior | $14,400 - $26,400 |
| Middle | $28,800 - $54,000 | ||
| Senior | $62,400 - $72,000 |
Sources: LinkedIn, NoFluffJobs, Glassdoor, Justjoin.it
Per the example of a DevOps salary in Bulgaria, we can conclude that software development rates in the country are much more affordable than those in the USA, for example California, and top European tech hubs like Poland. With the average Bulgarian DevOps salaries being 80% less than in California and 49% less than Poland, the cost-efficiency offered by Bulgaria is difficult to overestimate.
Outsourcing vs Hiring Software Development in Bulgaria
Deciding between outsourcing vs hiring an in-house team of developers is up to you. Each of these cooperation models have their advantages and drawbacks, so the choice depends on your current business goals. But if you want to hire Bulgarian software developers, you should keep in mind the following legal nuances to ensure effective and smooth functioning of your Bulgarian dev team.
- Employment Contracts & Labor Laws. Bulgarian labor laws strongly protect employees, meaning full-time hires must have formal employment contracts that outline their rights. These include paid leave, social security contributions, and clear rules for termination and notice periods. If you're hiring developers directly, you'll need to follow these regulations carefully.
- Taxation & Payroll Compliance. As an employer, you’re responsible for social security, health insurance, and pension contributions. If you plan to set up a local entity, be prepared for some bureaucracy — handling payroll taxes in Bulgaria can be tricky, especially for foreign companies unfamiliar with the system.
- GDPR & Data Protection Laws. Since Bulgaria is part of the EU, all businesses must comply with GDPR when handling personal and business data. Whether you're outsourcing or hiring, make sure your contracts and internal policies are aligned with EU data privacy laws.
- Intellectual Property Rights. If you hire developers as independent contractors, you must ensure that your contracts explicitly state that all code, software, and intellectual property they create belong to your company. Otherwise, ownership may remain with the developer by default.
Will Big Tech Hire Bulgarian Developers in 2025?
With the average software engineer salary in Bulgaria being way lower than in the USA or other European locations, foreign businesses should definitely consider Bulgaria as their offshoring or nearshoring destination.
Offshoring
If you run a business in America and think about hiring Bulgarian developers, such cooperation can be beneficial in terms of strong tech talent, competitive development and operational costs, a multilingual workforce, and strong data protection laws like GDPR. However, time-zone gaps could be a big challenge, forcing you to adjust work hours for real-time collaboration.
Nearshoring
For western high-cost European countries such as the UK, Germany, and Netherlands, Bulgaria can be a reliable development partner. Thanks to the country’s EU membership, close geographic proximity, and cultural-business alignments, the country has a lot to offer. And with the modest Bulgarian developer salary, it could even outcompete other strong eastern European outsourcing players like Romanian developers.
So, in my opinion nearshoring is the strongest case for Bulgaria, thanks to its proximity, cultural fit, and ease of doing business within the EU. And taking into account the growth of the Bulgarian IT sector and strong tech expertise, the country should continue to attract a lot of foreign investment in the near future.
Huntly — Your Tech Recruitment Platform
So, if you're looking to hire Bulgarian programmers, whether in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, or beyond, Huntly can help you find the right developers quickly and efficiently.
Quality candidate pipeline
Huntly simplifies tech recruitment by leveraging a global network of professional IT recruiters. With 1000+ European recruiters registered on the platform, we tap into a 10X larger talent pool than freelance recruiters or traditional agencies, ensuring access to the best software developers in the country.
Fast sourcing
Once you post a vacancy on Huntly, our recruitment community gets to work immediately. Within just a few hours we start receiving applications, carefully pre-screening every CV, and shortlist only the most relevant candidates. Thus, you usually receive a vetted list of top Bulgarian developers within 72 hours.
Risk-free hiring
First, you only pay after the developer from Huntly successfully joins your team. Plus, if their performance doesn’t meet your expectations during the probation period, we offer a money-back guarantee for your peace of mind.
So, if you need to hire Bulgarian developers, Huntly provides that smooth recruitment experience and support all along the way!
