10 European Tech Companies Paying €100k+ to Engineers (2026)
Wolt, Atlassian, Bloomberg, TikTok and 6 more: European offices and engineering hubs paying €100k–€250k+ to software engineers in 2026. Salary tables, locations, and hiring insights.
This is part 2 of our series on European tech companies paying €100k+ to engineers. Part 1 covered Stripe, Databricks, Datadog, and 7 others — if you haven't read it, start there. Part 3 covers ByteDance, Coinbase, Airbnb, and 3 more →
Here we're covering 10 more companies with substantial engineering presence across Europe — from Helsinki-born Wolt to the Bloomberg terminal's London engineering hub. Salary data is sourced from levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and community reports.
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Key Takeaways
- Bloomberg is the standout high payer in London's financial tech sector — Staff engineers frequently hit £180k–£220k+ total comp.
- Atlassian runs a highly distributed team with strong European engineering in Amsterdam and Amsterdam-adjacent remote.
- Waymo has limited EU presence today but is expanding — early movers can capture pre-scale equity upside.
- Wolt and Bolt are the two European-founded companies on this list: both offer below-US-FAANG comp but interesting equity stories.
- For context on how these salaries compound with city choice, see how to maximize senior engineer compensation in Europe.
Quick Overview: Salary Ranges (EU)
| Company | EU Hub(s) | Senior SWE Total Comp | Equity? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolt | Helsinki, Berlin, multiple EU | €90k–€150k | Yes (options) |
| Bolt | Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius | €85k–€140k | Yes (options) |
| Atlassian | Amsterdam, remote EU | €120k–€200k | Yes (RSUs) |
| Waymo | Expanding EU presence | €160k–€280k | Yes (RSUs) |
| Snap Inc. | London (EU HQ) | €110k–€190k | Yes (RSUs) |
| Unity | Copenhagen, Berlin | €95k–€160k | Yes (RSUs) |
| Docker Inc. | Remote-first, EU-friendly | €110k–€190k | Yes (options/RSUs) |
| TikTok | London, Dublin, Paris | €100k–€180k | Yes (RSUs) |
| JetBrains | Amsterdam, Munich | €90k–€160k | Yes (options) |
| Bloomberg | London | €130k–€230k+ | Yes (bonus-heavy) |
Ranges reflect Senior SWE (IC4 equivalent) total compensation including base + bonus + equity.
1. Wolt
What they do: Food delivery and quick commerce platform, now part of DoorDash (acquired for $8.1B in 2022). Wolt was founded in Helsinki in 2014 and operates across 27 countries — it's one of the largest European-born tech companies.
European presence: Helsinki (founding HQ), Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Prague, Tallinn, and operational teams across 20+ EU cities. Engineering is distributed, with Helsinki remaining the core tech hub.
Salary snapshot (EU):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | €60k–€80k | €7k | €18k | €85k–€105k |
| Senior Software Engineer | €90k–€110k | €11k | €30k | €131k–€151k |
| Staff Software Engineer | €120k–€140k | €16k | €45k | €181k–€201k |
Helsinki salaries are in the lower range above; Berlin tends toward the upper range.
What they look for: Go, Kotlin, Python, TypeScript. Wolt has a strong systems engineering culture — they've built logistics, routing, and real-time tracking infrastructure handling millions of orders daily. Experience with event-driven architectures and distributed systems is valued.
Why it's a strong bet: Wolt is embedded in DoorDash's infrastructure but still operates somewhat independently. Helsinki is increasingly on the map as a tech hub — our data shows Helsinki has the highest net savings of any European city at ~€55,750/year for senior engineers. Work here on DoorDash's EU infrastructure and live very well.
2. Bolt
What they do: Ride-hailing, food delivery, e-scooters, and car-sharing platform. Founded in Tallinn (Estonia) in 2013, Bolt operates in 50+ countries and 600+ cities. It's one of Europe's most valuable private tech companies (~$8B valuation).
European presence: Tallinn (HQ, major engineering hub), Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw, Prague, Bucharest. Unlike most companies on this list, Bolt is genuinely European in its engineering culture — not a US company with EU offices.
Salary snapshot (EU):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | €55k–€75k | €7k | €15k | €77k–€97k |
| Senior Software Engineer | €80k–€100k | €10k | €28k | €118k–€138k |
| Staff Software Engineer | €110k–€130k | €14k | €40k | €164k–€184k |
Base salaries are lower than US-company equivalents, but the equity upside at a pre-IPO unicorn is meaningful.
What they look for: Python, Go, Java. Strong interest in real-time logistics, matching algorithms, and marketplaces. Bolt moves fast — they expect product ownership and a builder's mindset.
Why it's a strong bet: Tallinn, Estonia is one of Europe's best kept secrets for engineers: it's a digital-first country with e-residency, a tech-native government, and rapidly growing startup ecosystem. The combination of pre-IPO equity + Tallinn's low cost of living creates an asymmetric savings opportunity — see geo-arbitrage strategy for European software engineers for the math.
3. Atlassian
What they do: Enterprise software for team collaboration — Jira, Confluence, Trello, Bitbucket, and the newer Loom (acquired 2023). Atlassian tools are used by virtually every software engineering team in the world.
European presence: Amsterdam (EU engineering hub), and a distributed remote workforce across the EU through their "TEAM Anywhere" policy. Atlassian is one of the most progressive large companies on remote work — they genuinely hire remote-first across most of Europe.
Salary snapshot (EU):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer (P3) | €85k | €9k | €28k | €122k |
| Senior Software Engineer (P4) | €115k–€130k | €13k | €55k | €183k–€198k |
| Staff Software Engineer (P5) | €145k | €17k | €75k | €237k |
What they look for: Java, Python, Kotlin, TypeScript. Product-minded engineers who understand large-scale SaaS systems. Atlassian is big on values-fit alongside technical ability — the TEAM acronym (Teamwork, Execution, Ambition, Mindful) is genuinely embedded in their hiring process.
Why it's a strong bet: Atlassian's remote-first policy is rare for a $50B+ company. You can take an Amsterdam-level comp and live in Lisbon, Warsaw, or Bucharest — dramatically improving your savings rate. See remote work best cities in Europe for where to maximize this advantage.
4. Waymo
What they do: Autonomous vehicle technology — the self-driving arm of Alphabet. Waymo has been operating robotaxis commercially in the US and is building out European research capabilities.
European presence: Expanding — Waymo has been hiring computer vision, ML infrastructure, and autonomy software engineers remotely across Europe, with a growing presence particularly in Poland and Germany. This is still early-stage EU presence, which means opportunity.
Salary snapshot (EU — where available):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer L4 | €110k | €15k | €60k | €185k |
| Senior Software Engineer L5 | €140k | €20k | €100k | €260k |
| Staff Software Engineer L6 | €165k | €28k | €130k | €323k |
Ranges estimated from Alphabet/Waymo US benchmarks with EU adjustments; EU presence is still expanding.
What they look for: C++, Python, robotics software, computer vision, ML systems, and simulation engineering. The barrier to entry is high — Waymo hires at Google/Alphabet interview standards.
Why it's a strong bet: Alphabet-backed, with Waymo now commercially successful in the US and eyeing international expansion. Engineers here are at the frontier of the most technically complex problem in consumer tech. If you're a strong ML or robotics engineer, this is one of the highest-ceiling jobs in Europe. Compensation will likely increase as EU operations mature.
5. Snap Inc.
What they do: Snapchat, Spectacles (AR glasses), and the Snap Map. Snap is investing heavily in augmented reality — their Lens Studio and AR infrastructure are among the most advanced consumer AR platforms globally.
European presence: London is the EU headquarters with a substantial engineering team. They also have a Paris office and hiring across EU remote. Snap's London engineers work on core infrastructure, AR, ML, and camera technologies.
Salary snapshot (EU — London):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer (L3) | £80k | £8k | £28k | £116k |
| Senior Software Engineer (L4) | £110k–£125k | £13k | £55k | £178k–£193k |
| Staff Software Engineer (L5) | £145k | £18k | £80k | £243k |
London salaries — convert to EUR at ~1.17 for Amsterdam/Dublin equivalents.
What they look for: C++, Swift, Kotlin for mobile and camera. Python, Go for infrastructure. AR/ML engineers are particularly sought after as Snap doubles down on its "camera company" identity.
Why it's a strong bet: London has some of Europe's highest tech compensation. Post the AR investment cycle, Snap engineers working on Spectacles and AR SDKs are working on technology that could look very different in 5 years. See our London software engineer guide to understand what you'd actually keep after UK taxes.
6. Unity
What they do: The world's leading game engine, powering the majority of mobile games and a significant share of PC and console titles. Unity has been expanding into non-gaming verticals: automotive simulation, film/VFX (Unity Weta), and industrial AR/VR.
European presence: Copenhagen (one of their largest engineering offices worldwide), Berlin, Helsinki, Stockholm. Unity has a deep Scandinavian presence — the company has Danish roots and Copenhagen remains a key engineering hub.
Salary snapshot (EU):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | €70k–€90k | €8k | €22k | €100k–€120k |
| Senior Software Engineer | €100k–€120k | €12k | €38k | €150k–€170k |
| Staff Software Engineer | €130k–€150k | €16k | €55k | €201k–€221k |
What they look for: C++, C#, graphics programming, rendering, and low-level systems experience. Unity's engine team (working on DOTS, Entities, or the render pipeline) needs some of the deepest C++ skills in Europe. Non-gaming roles increasingly value Python, Rust, and cloud infrastructure.
Why it's a strong bet: Unity's stock has had a bumpy ride, but the underlying business (engine + operate) is enormous and defensible. Copenhagen is an excellent base: the Nordics offer some of Europe's best tech quality of life and the Danish tech scene is maturing fast.
7. Docker Inc.
What they do: The company behind Docker Desktop, Docker Hub, and container tooling that underpins virtually all of modern software development. After a rocky period, Docker reorganized and is now growing steadily as a developer tools business.
European presence: Remote-first, with engineers distributed across the EU — Germany, Netherlands, UK, France, and Eastern Europe. Docker explicitly encourages European remote, and several of their engineering leads are based in Europe.
Salary snapshot (EU — remote):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | €80k–€95k | €9k | €25k | €114k–€129k |
| Senior Software Engineer | €105k–€125k | €13k | €45k | €163k–€183k |
| Staff Software Engineer | €135k–€155k | €17k | €65k | €217k–€237k |
What they look for: Go (the primary language for Docker itself), Rust increasingly, strong understanding of Linux internals, containers, orchestration (Kubernetes), and developer tooling UX. Being an active open-source contributor or Docker user yourself gives you an edge.
Why it's a strong bet: Docker is rare — a developer tools company with universal brand recognition among engineers. Working on something engineers use daily has its own intrinsic reward. More practically, the remote-first setup means you can live anywhere in the EU and combine the comp with a low-cost, low-tax location strategy.
8. TikTok (ByteDance)
What they do: The short-video platform that needs no introduction. TikTok's parent ByteDance operates the most sophisticated content recommendation system in consumer tech — the engineering behind it (at-scale real-time ML, distributed content delivery) is genuinely world-class.
European presence: London is the primary EU engineering hub, with Dublin, Paris, and Warsaw offices growing. TikTok has been significantly investing in European data infrastructure (EU data residency compliance after years of regulatory scrutiny).
Salary snapshot (EU — London):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer (E4) | £80k | £9k | £25k | £114k |
| Senior Software Engineer (E5) | £110k–£130k | £14k | £48k | £172k–£192k |
| Staff Software Engineer (E6) | £145k | £20k | £75k | £240k |
Annual RSU grants are strong at TikTok but note that ByteDance is private — liquidity is not guaranteed.
What they look for: Java, C++, Python, Go. Recommendation systems, distributed storage, video encoding, and ML platform experience. TikTok's EU engineering interviews are rigorous — expect multiple rounds including system design at scale.
Why it's a strong bet: Despite regulatory headwinds, TikTok's user growth and revenue in Europe have been exceptional. Engineers here get exposure to ML infrastructure at a scale that's rare outside of Google/Meta. If ByteDance eventually IPOs, early EU employees could see significant equity gains.
9. JetBrains
What they do: Creator of IntelliJ IDEA (the gold standard for Java/Kotlin IDEs), PyCharm, WebStorm, Rider, and the Kotlin programming language itself. Every IDE you've used that felt truly intelligent probably borrowed from JetBrains.
European presence: Amsterdam (European HQ), Munich, and Prague. JetBrains is Czech-founded (Prague) but now headquartered internationally. Their Amsterdam office handles EU commercial and some engineering functions. They are notably less US-centric than most companies on this list.
Salary snapshot (EU):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | €65k–€80k | €7k | €15k | €87k–€102k |
| Senior Software Engineer | €90k–€115k | €10k | €30k | €130k–€155k |
| Staff Software Engineer | €125k–€145k | €14k | €45k | €184k–€204k |
JetBrains compensation is below the US-headquartered companies on this list, but the work quality and culture are exceptional.
What they look for: Deep JVM knowledge, Kotlin (which JetBrains created), compiler engineering, IDE infrastructure, and developer tooling. JetBrains is a craft-focused company — they care deeply about code quality, correctness, and long-term architecture.
Why it's a strong bet: Working on Kotlin or IntelliJ's core is a career-defining brand signal. If you're mid-career and want to work on technology that millions of engineers use daily, JetBrains is one of the most respected names in developer tools. Amsterdam base with a developer brand like JetBrains on your CV opens doors across all of EU tech.
10. Bloomberg
What they do: Bloomberg L.P. is the financial data and media giant behind the Bloomberg Terminal — the $25,000/year subscription product used by virtually every bank, hedge fund, and investment firm in the world. The engineering behind Bloomberg's data pipelines, real-time pricing, and terminal UX is genuinely hardcore.
European presence: London is Bloomberg's global engineering center outside New York. They employ thousands of engineers in London — it's not a satellite office, it's a core engineering hub for Bloomberg's core products.
Salary snapshot (EU — London):
| Level | Base | Bonus | Equity/yr | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | £75k–£90k | £15k | — | £90k–£105k |
| Senior Software Engineer | £105k–£130k | £28k | — | £133k–£158k |
| Staff/Principal SWE | £145k–£175k | £50k+ | — | £195k–£225k+ |
Bloomberg pays in cash bonuses rather than equity (it's private and family-owned). Bonus pools can be very large in good years.
What they look for: C++ (a core Bloomberg language), Python, Java. Deep interest in financial data, real-time systems, low-latency infrastructure, and distributed databases. Bloomberg interviews heavily for problem-solving and computer science fundamentals — they don't care about LeetCode grinding but they do care about depth.
Why it's a strong bet: Bloomberg is one of the most financially stable companies in tech — the Terminal is a subscription business with near-zero churn (firms literally can't function without it). No IPO risk, no layoff waves tied to market cap. London's cost is high, but see London software engineer guide — senior Bloomberg engineers are typically saving £50k–£70k/year after London costs.
Sector Comparison: Where These Companies Sit
| Sector | Companies | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Finance / Fintech | Revolut, Wise, Bloomberg | Highest cash comp, interesting compliance engineering |
| Food / Delivery | Wolt, Bolt | Pre-IPO equity, Scandinavian/Baltic lifestyle |
| Developer Tools | Docker, JetBrains, Atlassian | Craft-focused culture, remote-friendly |
| Social / Media | Snap, TikTok | Scale ML experience, London-centric |
| Enterprise SaaS | Atlassian, Docker | Remote-first, career progression |
| Deep Tech | Waymo, Unity | Technical complexity ceiling is very high |
FAQ
How do Wolt and Bolt compare to working at a US Big Tech company in Europe?
Different trade-offs. Wolt/Bolt pay 20–35% less in base salary than Stripe or Databricks at equivalent levels. However, they offer pre-IPO equity upside (Bolt especially), a more European working culture (fewer 11pm Slack messages), and access to interesting logistics/marketplace engineering problems. If you're optimizing purely for total comp, Stripe/Databricks win. If you want equity upside on a fast-growing European champion with work-life balance, Wolt/Bolt are strong choices. Read our American vs European tech companies culture comparison for more.
Is Bloomberg's London office worth it despite London's cost of living?
For senior+ engineers, yes. Bloomberg's cash-heavy compensation (£150k–£225k+ total comp for senior/staff) combined with London's relatively flat income tax above the higher rate bracket means senior Bloomberg engineers net £90k–£130k after tax. After London's costs (£30k–£45k/year for a single dev), you're saving £55k–£85k/year. That's competitive with Continental Europe. See London software engineer guide for a detailed breakdown.
Which of these companies are best for AI/ML engineers specifically?
Waymo (autonomy ML, very high ceiling), TikTok (recommendation systems at scale), Snap (AR/computer vision), Wolt (logistics ML), and Unity (simulation, non-gaming AI applications) are all interesting for ML engineers. Waymo and TikTok have the most complex ML infrastructure of the group. If you're an ML engineer targeting Europe, also see the companies in Part 1 — Databricks and Snowflake are also strong ML engineering environments.
Does Atlassian's "TEAM Anywhere" policy really work for European engineers?
Yes — it's one of the most genuine remote policies at this scale. Atlassian publically committed to remote-first, closed offices in some cities, and hires from 13 countries. European engineers typically work async with US teammates (using Confluence for documentation, not just Zoom calls). The main limitation: you need to be in a country where Atlassian has a legal entity or uses an EOR provider. Covered countries include UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, and most major EU markets.
Is JetBrains compensation competitive given they're not VC-backed?
Competitive within Europe, below US-company benchmarks. JetBrains is bootstrapped and profitable — they've never raised VC. Their comp is in the €130k–€155k total comp range for senior engineers, which is solidly €100k+ but below Stripe/Databricks/Snowflake. The trade-off is culture: no quarterly targets, no VC pressure, genuinely long-term product thinking. For engineers who value craft over maximum comp, it's a unique environment in Europe.
Part 3 of this series covers 6 more companies: ByteDance, Coinbase, Pinterest, Airbnb, Etsy, and Rippling. Read Part 3 →