Blog & Career Insights

Expert insights on careers, salaries, and best cities for software engineers in Europe

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Career Planning
Career Strategy
Europe vs US

Is a PhD in CS Worth It for European Engineers? 5 Scenarios Where It Makes Sense

US says no to CS PhDs. But Europe is different: Swiss big tech research roles, avoiding low-paying consulting traps, career pivots, and visa pathways. 5 scenarios where graduate degrees open doors in Europe's tech market.

January 27, 2025
27 min read
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Career Strategy
Career Planning
Europe vs US
Tech Careers in Europe: How to Strategise and Thrive

Navigate Europe's tech market strategically for €100k-€200k+ careers. 3-step framework: assess strengths, choose path (FAANG/Swiss/Remote), execute with energy. Less fierce competition rewards strategic developers.

January 13, 2025
21 min read
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Career Strategy
Career Planning
Intentionality is the #1 Trait for Career Success: Stop Going With the Flow

Average grades → €200k+ by 28 through intentional strategy. Why "work hard, keep head down" fails in tech careers. Framework for discovering talents, exploring options, and executing career plans.

December 30, 2024
24 min read
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City Guides
Career Planning
Salaries
Dubai as a Tech Hub: Complete Guide for Software Engineers in 2024

UAE pours billions into tech/AI: $100-400k salaries, 0% income tax, sun year-round. Compare Dubai vs Poland vs Switzerland for developers—costs, lifestyle, career prospects, and visa details.

December 16, 2024
19 min read
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Career Strategy
Career Planning
From Shitty Consulting Job to Six Figures: My Journey Into Software Engineering

Failed master's program, €0 budget, anxiety-filled bus rides tutoring physics across Milan. 5 years later: Amazon, Swiss big tech, six figures, first rental property. Your low point might be your launchpad.

December 2, 2024
15 min read
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Salaries
Career Planning
Market Analysis
10 Fully-Remote Companies Paying $100-500k for Tech Roles in 2024

DuckDuckGo, RevenueCat, and 8 other remote-first companies hiring software engineers at $100-500k globally. Real company links, salary ranges, and remote work policies for high-paying positions.

November 18, 2024
15 min read
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Career Strategy
Market Analysis
Career Planning
High-Paying Remote is the new FAANG: Why Most Software Engineers Will Want Remote Careers

FAANG layoffs hit 400k+ engineers while remote jobs in Poland/Georgia offer €100k+ with 70-85% savings rates. Why software dev market efficiency makes remote the smart career path for 2024+.

November 4, 2024
19 min read
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City Guides
Career Planning
Salaries
Switzerland vs Poland for Software Engineers: Real Story of Living in Both Zurich and Warsaw

$100-500k dev compares both countries: Zurich offers 200-500k salaries but high costs create middle-class feel, Warsaw gives 100-300k with upper-middle lifestyle. Detailed comparison of costs, quality, social life, and networking.

October 21, 2024
23 min read
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Career Strategy
Career Planning
LinkedIn Career Hack: How to Network with Tech Recruiters and Land Top European Jobs

Direct access to hiring managers at Google, Meta, and Oracle beats applying through websites. Step-by-step LinkedIn networking strategy that landed me Oracle Zurich job through 1-year relationship building.

October 7, 2024
16 min read
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City Guides
Career Planning
Market Analysis
Best Countries for Tech Workers in 2024: Complete European Rankings with Switzerland, Poland, and Cyprus Leading

Switzerland and Poland both score 9/10 for software engineers, Cyprus hits 8.5/10. Comprehensive analysis of taxes, salaries, lifestyle, and opportunities across 13 European regions plus UAE, Asia, and USA.

September 23, 2024
15 min read
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Career Strategy
Market Analysis
Career Planning
The Rise and Fall of the Tech Bro: What 2024 Means for Software Engineers

Tech industry shifts from Golden Era to reality check: FAANG layoffs, AI automation threats, and 6-figure California salaries losing appeal. Here's your 2024 survival guide with 4 actionable paths forward.

September 9, 2024
12 min read
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Salaries
City Guides
Market Analysis
Singapore Added to CodeCapitals: Asia's Switzerland for Software Engineers

Singapore joins CodeCapitals with impressive results: €85k-€140k annual savings, 18% flat tax rate, top tech companies (ByteDance, Stripe, Jane Street), and easier immigration than US/Europe for Asians and Europeans alike.

August 26, 2024
17 min read
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Salaries
City Guides
Europe vs US
CodeCapitals Expands to USA and India: Compare Software Engineer Savings Globally

CodeCapitals now includes Seattle, San Francisco, NYC, Austin, Miami, and Bangalore: Seattle leads global savings ($120k-$180k/year), Swiss tax trick with Zug revealed, and whether leaving India for Europe/US makes financial sense.

August 19, 2024
19 min read
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Salaries
City Guides
Career Planning
Introducing CodeCapitals: Calculate Your Savings as a Software Engineer Across European Cities

First website to benchmark savings potential for engineers across Europe: compare how much you'll actually save working in Zurich vs London vs Berlin with customizable lifestyle levels (frugal, comfortable, luxurious) and seniority.

August 12, 2024
13 min read
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Career Strategy
Career Planning
Market Analysis
How Remote Jobs in Low-Cost Low-Tax Countries Protect You from Layoff Anxiety

Intuit laid off 1,800 for "poor performance." SF dev loses job: €80k/year burn rate = desperation. Poland remote dev: €25k/year costs = leverage. Why CoL determines your negotiating power.

August 5, 2024
25 min read
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Market Analysis
Career Strategy
Europe vs US
The End of the USA Golden Era for Software Engineers: Google Hiring Only in Poland/Brazil, Offshoring Accelerates

Google hiring new grads exclusively in Warsaw, Cracow, São Paulo: 65-143 openings in LCOL markets vs 2-10 in HCOL cities. Meta Python team offshored, Databricks juniors only in Belgrade. The golden era is ending.

July 22, 2024
28 min read
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Career Planning
Salaries
Career Strategy
Real Estate Investing 101 for Software Engineers: Portugal Property Analysis with 17% ROI Breakdown

Complete real estate guide for engineers: 6.7% cash-on-cash + 6.8% appreciation + 3.7% principal paydown = 17% total ROI in Portugal, plus Riga, Tallinn, Istanbul, Budapest, Lisbon comparisons and European market analysis.

July 8, 2024
43 min read
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City Guides
Career Strategy
Market Analysis
Should Software Engineers Move East? Poland, Remote Work, and the Future of Tech Offshoring

3 real stories reveal Eastern Europe's advantage: Polish engineer rejects €95k Barcelona offer for €85k Cracow remote role, NYC developer chooses $160k Warsaw over $300k+ NYC, and offshoring data from Google, Stripe, Databricks.

June 24, 2024
26 min read
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Career Planning
Career Strategy
City Guides
Location Planning for Corporate Careers and Financial Independence: How to Geo-Max Europe as a Software Engineer

Switzerland-first strategy for building €100k+ capital, then relocate to Warsaw/Valencia for €150k household vs €350k Zurich achieving same lifestyle: complete guide to geographic arbitrage for financial freedom in Europe.

June 10, 2024
31 min read
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Market Analysis
Career Strategy
Salaries
Taxation, Tech Employment and Purchasing Power Trends in the West: Why Corporate Taxes Fell 40% While Employee Taxes Rose

Western corporate taxes dropped from 45% (1980s) to 21% (2024) while employee effective rates rose via bracket creep. Tech workers in West relatively safe but facing offshoring, RTO mandates, weakened unions—strategic paths remain viable.

May 27, 2024
22 min read
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Career Strategy
Salaries
Market Analysis
Leveraging Low-Cost, Low-Tax Countries as a Remote Developer: 17 Countries with Under 15% Tax Rates (2024 Guide)

Why FAANG is losing appeal: 17 countries offering 1-24% tax rates for remote devs (Georgia 1%, Bulgaria 9%, Poland 12%), German developer saves €48k/year moving to Poland, complete relocation strategy for €100k-€200k remote engineers.

May 13, 2024
30 min read
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Career Planning
Career Strategy
Essential Websites & Resources for Software Engineers in Europe (2025)

Curated list of 30+ must-know platforms for European tech careers: job boards (EuroTopTech, SwissDevJobs), communities (Reddit, Blind), salary data (levels.fyi), and career resources organized by category.

April 29, 2024
13 min read
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Salaries
Career Planning
Career Strategy
My Real Salary Growth Journey: 16x Increase from €1 to €16 as a Software Engineer (2016-2023)

From Italian intern (€1 baseline) to Swiss big tech (€16 multiplier): 7-year salary progression across Italy, Switzerland, Spain showing real compensation growth with career context and financial independence insights.

April 15, 2024
15 min read
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Career Strategy
Salaries
Career Planning
How to Reach FIRE as a Software Engineer in Europe: Complete Blueprint

Achieve Financial Independence and Retire Early in 6-12 years as a European software engineer: geo-arbitrage strategies, €100k-€250k HCOL salaries, 15%+ ROI investing, and coast FIRE pathway with real numbers.

April 1, 2024
14 min read
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Career Strategy
Salaries
Europe vs US
Should You Move to the US as a European Software Engineer? Complete Analysis

In-depth US vs Europe comparison for engineers: $300k-$500k US salaries vs €150k-€250k Europe, H-1B and L-1 visa paths, work-life balance tradeoffs, and when relocating makes sense with real data.

March 18, 2024
18 min read
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Career Planning
Career Strategy
Best Platforms and Websites for Finding High-Paying Remote Tech Jobs (€100k+) for Software Engineers

7 proven platforms for €100k+ remote dev jobs outside US: Remotive (€79 one-off), A.Team (high-pay gigs), Lemon.io contracts, Otta, swissdevjobs.ch, EuroTopTechJobs, LinkedIn optimization strategies.

March 11, 2024
15 min read
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Career Planning
Career Strategy
City Guides
Relocating to Europe as a Software Engineer: Complete Visa & Immigration Guide

Comprehensive guide for non-EU engineers moving to Europe: Blue Card requirements, work permits by country, studying abroad pathways, digital nomad visas, and in-company transfers with real salary thresholds and timelines.

March 4, 2024
26 min read
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Career Planning
Career Strategy
Leveraging a Big Tech Internship to Bootstrap a Top Tech Career: How I Got 5-7 Offers and Changed My Trajectory

Big tech internships are 3-5x easier than full-time roles: barriers lower, interviews easier, networking better. My 2020 Amazon internship led to €200k+ Oracle role by 2023—complete strategy for CS students to bootstrap careers.

February 19, 2024
26 min read
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Europe vs US
Career Strategy
Market Analysis
Is Europe Better Than the U.S. for Software Engineers in 2024? The Surprising Truth About WLB, Layoffs, and Quality of Life

US went from €400k SDE II packages to layoff anxiety and burnout culture. Europe offers €50-200k with <40hr weeks, LCLT remote work, better labor laws. Here's what changed and why Europe might win now.

February 12, 2024
13 min read
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Career Strategy
Career Planning
Salaries
Top 3 Career Paths for Software Developers in Europe (2024): Big Tech, Switzerland, and Remote LCLT

Remote geo-arbitrage enters mainstream: Poland devs earning €100k with 70% savings rates, Swiss juniors making €100k+, and Big Tech Europe offering €85k-€220k across cities—complete comparison of the 3 optimal career paths.

February 5, 2024
18 min read
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Career Strategy
City Guides
Career Planning
How I Landed a Big Tech Job in Switzerland: 3-Year Journey to Oracle Zurich

Real story of landing €170k-€270k Oracle MySQL role in Zurich after 3 years: from Italian CS student to Swiss big tech, including COVID setbacks, internship strategies, visa considerations, and interview preparation.

January 24, 2024
20 min read
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City Guides
Market Analysis
Salaries
Poland Has Become Europe's Top Place for Software Engineers: Deep Dive into Warsaw, Salaries, Taxes & Growth

Asana Warsaw pays €100-180k total comp, 30% taxes, €150k city-center apartments. Google, Waymo, Netflix, NVIDIA expanding. 9% corporate tax, 68-106% real estate growth. Here's why Poland leads Europe.

January 17, 2024
14 min read
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Salaries
Career Strategy
Career Planning
Best Regions for €140k as a Software Developer in Europe

Strategic career advice for reaching €130k-€140k+ compensation in Europe: big tech vs remote work, HCOL cities, geo-arbitrage strategies, and pathways to €300k+ salaries with real numbers.

January 10, 2024
10 min read
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Salaries
Career Strategy
Career Planning
How to Make €100k as a Software Engineer in Europe: Proven Strategies

Concrete pathways to €100k-€250k total compensation in Europe: location optimization (Switzerland pays juniors €100k+), company targeting (big tech, trading firms), preparation timelines, and real salary data.

December 20, 2023
16 min read
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City Guides
Salaries
Career Planning
Switzerland for Software Engineers: A Deep Dive into Money, Taxes, Lifestyle, and Trade-offs (2024 Guide)

4 years in Zurich revealed: €200k-€500k salaries, 23-39% tax rates, €300-500/month healthcare, amazing airport connectivity. Comprehensive analysis of costs, lifestyle downsides, and why it's still worth it.

December 13, 2023
13 min read
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Career Planning
Career Strategy
3 Essential Tips for Early Career Software Engineers in Europe

Career strategy for junior developers: why perfect jobs don't exist, how to build your career roadmap, and why mentorship accelerates your path to €100k+ roles. Practical advice for CS students and early-career engineers.

December 6, 2023
20 min read
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City Guides
Market Analysis
Career Planning
Official Top 20 European Cities for Software Engineers: 2024 Rankings

Definitive ranking of Europe's best tech cities from Zurich (#1) to Tallinn (#20): based on salaries, job opportunities, quality of life, purchasing power, and savings rates with detailed methodology and city-by-city insights.

November 22, 2023
13 min read
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Career Strategy
Career Planning
Balancing Ambitious Goals and Burnout: A Realistic Framework for High-Achieving Software Engineers

Oracle SVP advice on grinding without burnout: work intensely on what you love. Real insights from achieving remarkable CS career results while managing burnout risk in competitive tech.

November 15, 2023
6 min read
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Career Planning
City Guides
Market Analysis
Best Tech Companies by City in Europe: Complete Guide (2024)

Comprehensive list of 200+ top-paying tech companies across 20 European cities including FAANG, high-frequency trading firms, and high-paying scale-ups with detailed city-by-city breakdown.

November 8, 2023
13 min read
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City Guides
Career Planning
Market Analysis
Top 20 Cities for Software Engineers in Europe (Complete Guide)

Beyond the top 10: discover Munich, Warsaw, Kraków, Tallinn, Lisbon, Bucharest, Prague, Belgrade, Cambridge, and Milan. Complete comparison with tech companies, salaries, and tax benefits.

October 28, 2023
11 min read
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City Guides
Career Planning
Market Analysis
Top 10 Cities for Software Engineers in Europe (2023)

Beyond Zurich, London, and Amsterdam: explore Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm, Oslo, Madrid, and Barcelona. Complete guide with tech companies, salaries, and lifestyle comparisons.

October 16, 2023
10 min read
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City Guides
Salaries
Career Planning
Top 3 Cities for Software Engineers in Europe (2023)

Compare tech salaries in Europe's top 3 cities: Zurich engineers save $93k/year, Amsterdam $65k with 30% ruling, London $43k. Full salary data, taxes, and cost of living breakdown.

October 2, 2023
11 min read
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Career Planning
Career Strategy
Market Analysis
Why Software Engineering Is Still The Best Career in 2024: Real Talk

Despite AI/LLM disruption, tough junior market, and rising competition, software engineering remains exceptional: €100k+ entry salaries possible, unmatched flexibility, remote work opportunities, and future-proof value creation.

September 18, 2023
17 min read
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Market Analysis
Career Strategy
Europe vs US
The European Tech Market: How It Compares to the US

Why US tech job strategies don't work in Europe: understanding market fragmentation, geographic challenges, and strategic career planning for software engineers across 40+ European countries.

September 5, 2023
7 min read
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