IT Salaries and Labour Market Trends 2025

“Companies with a high demand for IT professionals will face complex challenges in 2025: on the one hand, high expectations from IT specialists, and on the other, economic uncertainties and cost pressures,” explains Arne Fietz, Manager at Robert Walters in Hamburg. The Robert Walters Salary Survey 2025 provides a detailed insight into salary bands for IT professionals and highlights how businesses and professionals are responding to these trends.

Market Situation and Challenges

Following the overheated developments of recent years, the IT job market is stabilising. “Reduced budgets and stricter requirements are affecting recruitment processes in many companies. IT generalists who can cover multiple areas simultaneously are particularly in demand,” reports Fietz. Specialists in niche roles, such as pure UX designers or QA engineers, are less sought after as their responsibilities are increasingly covered by automation or restructuring.

“There are currently many qualified IT professionals on the market, but companies are placing significant emphasis on experience and are avoiding hiring junior candidates. Mid-level management professionals are also affected by rationalisation measures, increasing competition for open positions,” Fietz explains.

Key IT Trends for 2025

1. Generalists in Focus
   Companies are increasingly relying on IT generalists who can cover multiple areas (e.g. cloud administration and IT security).
2. Balancing Innovation and Regulation
   Companies face the challenge of driving technological innovation while complying with regulatory requirements. Topics such as data protection, AI regulation, and cybersecurity policies are becoming increasingly important.
3. Hybrid Work Models as the Standard
   Flexibility remains a key factor: 69 % of IT professionals prefer hybrid models with two to three days in the office. Companies that offer this structure gain a competitive advantage.
4. Training as a Key Retention Strategy
   78 % of IT professionals seek targeted training opportunities, particularly in IT security. Employers that offer relevant programmes enhance their attractiveness and retain talent in the long term.

IT Salary Trends 2025

Salary developments for IT professionals indicate a return to normalisation, while top salaries remain at a high level:

• Chief Information Security Officers with more than seven years of experience earn annual salaries exceeding €140,000. Daily rates for interim assignments can surpass €1,400.
• Enterprise Architects with experience earn between €90,000 and €110,000 annually, while interim professionals in this role can earn over €1,200 per day.
• IT Security Architects with extensive experience receive salaries ranging from €100,000 to €120,000. Interim daily rates are between €1,100 and €1,400.
• IT Programme Managers with more than seven years of professional experience earn between €100,000 and €140,000 annually, while interim professionals can earn more than €1,350 per day.

IT security remains a particularly dynamic growth area. Rising salaries in this segment reflect the increasing importance of IT security for businesses.

Expectations and Priorities of IT Professionals

47 % of IT professionals surveyed plan to change jobs in 2025. The reasons are varied: 29 % seek career progression, 25 % are dissatisfied with leadership within their company, and 18 % want to improve their salary.

IT professionals have high expectations of potential employers. Key factors include:

• Flexibility: 69 % prefer working models that offer flexible or hybrid structures.
• Values-Driven Culture: More than 80 % consider company values a crucial factor.
• Work-Life Balance: 75 % expect employers to prioritise work-life balance.

Challenges and Strategies in IT Recruitment

According to the Robert Walters Salary Survey 2025, 82 % of companies cite excessive salary and benefits expectations as the biggest obstacle in recruiting IT professionals. Other challenges include a lack of qualified candidates in the labour market (55 %) and a decline in applications (33 %).

To strengthen employee retention, companies are focusing on:

• Employee Well-being: 58 % of companies are enhancing benefits such as access to counselling services.
• Work-Life Balance: 32 % prioritise better alignment between work and personal life.
• Diversity and Inclusion: 35 % are actively promoting these areas.

“In uncertain times, employees value security. Companies that communicate openly about financial results and growth plans while offering career prospects foster stronger loyalty within their teams,” advises Fietz.

Fietz adds: “In-demand certifications, particularly in IT security, are also highly attractive to candidates. External training programmes not only strengthen competencies but also enhance long-term talent retention.”

Compare IT Salaries for 2025

Discover the latest salary and job market trends in our Salary Survey 2025.