12 Companies Paying €100k+ to Software Engineers in the Netherlands (2026)
Optiver L5 pays €363K TC, Uber senior €160–€220K, Stripe senior €160–€280K, Booking.com senior €120–€170K, Databricks €180–€280K. 12 companies paying €100k+ in the Netherlands in 2026.
The Netherlands has the second-highest software engineer median TC in Europe — €89,987 (levels.fyi, March 2026), and Amsterdam's senior median hits €107,098. But median understates the top end: 12 companies consistently pay €100k+ to senior engineers in the Netherlands, and the top tier (Optiver, Stripe, Databricks, Uber) clears €200K–€400K TC at senior+ levels.
This is the 2026 shortlist with compensation tables, Amsterdam concentration analysis, and the HFT vs big-tech split that makes the Dutch market unique.
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Related: Software Engineer Salary in the Netherlands (2026) →
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The Shortlist
| # | Company | Location | Senior TC | €100k+ from level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optiver | Amsterdam | €270K–€400K+ | L3 (new grad) |
| 2 | Flow Traders | Amsterdam | €200K–€320K | Mid |
| 3 | IMC Trading | Amsterdam | €200K–€350K | Mid |
| 4 | Stripe | Amsterdam | €160K–€280K | L3 |
| 5 | Databricks | Amsterdam | €180K–€280K | L3 |
| 6 | Uber | Amsterdam | €160K–€220K | Senior |
| 7 | Atlassian | Amsterdam | €120K–€200K | Senior |
| 8 | Booking.com | Amsterdam | €120K–€170K | Senior |
| 9 | Miro | Amsterdam | €110K–€170K | Senior |
| 10 | Adyen | Amsterdam | €120K–€180K | Senior |
| 11 | ASML | Eindhoven | €120K–€180K | Senior |
| 12 | TomTom | Amsterdam | €110K–€160K | Senior |
Sources: levels.fyi Netherlands dataset (March 2026), Glassdoor, company-disclosed bands, and cross-referenced with Ravio 2025 reports.
1. Optiver (Amsterdam) — €363K Senior Median
Optiver is a Dutch proprietary trading firm, headquartered in Amsterdam. They're the single highest-paying single-company tech employer in continental Europe:
- L3 (new grad): €180K TC
- L4 (mid): €230K–€270K TC
- L5 (senior): €363K TC (median)
- L6 (staff): €450K–€600K TC
Compensation is base + discretionary bonus (no equity — privately held). Bonuses can be multiples of base in strong market years. Hiring is highly selective: 5–7 interview rounds, heavy systems + algorithmic problem-solving. Expect offers only for engineers at the top of their cohort.
2. Flow Traders (Amsterdam) — €200K–€320K
Amsterdam-HQ HFT firm focused on ETF market making:
- Junior dev: €110K–€140K TC
- Mid dev: €170K–€230K TC
- Senior dev: €230K–€320K TC
Base + bonus structure (no equity). Technology stack is heavy on C++, Python for tooling. Strong focus on low-latency systems engineering.
3. IMC Trading (Amsterdam) — €200K–€350K
Another Amsterdam-based HFT firm, similar compensation to Flow Traders:
- Junior/new grad: €120K–€150K TC
- Mid: €180K–€240K TC
- Senior: €240K–€350K TC
Performance-based bonus structure. Hires heavily from top European universities for graduate programs. Interview process includes puzzle-style problem solving and C++ systems questions.
4. Stripe (Amsterdam) — €160K–€280K
Stripe's Amsterdam office is one of their two major EU engineering hubs (alongside Dublin):
- L2: €120K–€160K TC
- L3 (senior): €190K–€260K TC
- L4 (staff): €280K+ TC
With the 30% ruling, Stripe Amsterdam net pay is competitive with Stripe Dublin. Smaller team than Dublin but growing.
5. Databricks (Amsterdam) — €180K–€280K
Databricks has been building Amsterdam into a major EU engineering hub:
- L3 (mid): €130K–€160K TC
- L4 (senior): €190K–€260K TC
- L5 (staff): €260K–€320K TC
Strong focus on platform engineering, Spark internals, and AI/ML infrastructure. Pre-IPO at $62B valuation.
6. Uber (Amsterdam) — €160K–€220K
Uber Amsterdam is the EMEA engineering hub for Rider, Driver, Eats, and Freight:
- SDE II (senior): €130K–€175K TC
- SDE III: €165K–€220K TC
- Staff SDE: €230K–€300K TC
Broad engineering focus: payments, marketplace algorithms, real-time dispatch. Strong Dutch engineering presence with continued hiring in 2026.
7. Atlassian (Amsterdam) — €120K–€200K
Atlassian's Amsterdam office is part of their TEAM Anywhere model:
- Senior SWE: €130K–€170K TC
- Principal SWE: €190K–€250K TC
- Architect: €270K+ TC
Fully remote-friendly within the Netherlands and EU — Atlassian hires in Amsterdam but doesn't require office presence. Strong culture of async work and long-term tenure.
8. Booking.com (Amsterdam) — €120K–€170K
Amsterdam-born online travel giant, with ~3,000 engineers in the Amsterdam HQ:
- Mid SWE: €85K–€115K TC
- Senior SWE: €125K–€170K TC
- Staff SWE: €170K–€230K TC
Broad role variety: search/ranking, ML, payments, supply-side tooling. Pay is solid mid-tier for Amsterdam — not Stripe/Optiver territory but predictable and sponsor-friendly.
9. Miro (Amsterdam) — €110K–€170K
Whiteboarding/collaboration tool, Amsterdam-HQ after the 2021 restructure:
- Senior SWE: €115K–€150K TC
- Staff SWE: €155K–€200K TC
Real-time collaboration engineering at scale. Strong web/frontend focus; also backend infrastructure for live editing.
10. Adyen (Amsterdam) — €120K–€180K
Dutch payment infrastructure company, publicly listed on Euronext:
- Mid SWE: €85K–€120K TC
- Senior SWE: €130K–€170K TC
- Principal SWE: €190K–€260K TC
Stock-based compensation (publicly traded). Focus on high-volume payment processing, fraud detection, and merchant tooling.
11. ASML (Eindhoven) — €120K–€180K
The only non-Amsterdam entry on this list. ASML is the Dutch lithography monopoly (the only company making EUV machines for chip manufacturing):
- Senior software engineer: €120K–€155K TC
- Principal software engineer: €155K–€210K TC
- Architect: €200K–€260K TC
Chip software engineering: machine control, metrology, optical systems software. Highly specialized, very stable, and genuinely high-impact work (every leading-edge chip in the world comes off an ASML machine).
12. TomTom (Amsterdam) — €110K–€160K
Location tech and mapping company, Amsterdam-HQ:
- Senior SWE: €120K–€155K TC
- Staff SWE: €160K–€210K TC
Mapping, navigation, automotive SDK, and in-car software. Solid Amsterdam-native employer with mature remote-friendly policies.
Amsterdam Concentration: 11 of 12 Are There
Only ASML is non-Amsterdam — and Eindhoven is a 90-minute train ride. For pure software roles at €100K+ TC, Amsterdam is the location.
Amsterdam cost of living in 2026:
- Central 1-bed rent: €1,900–€2,800/month
- Public transport (OV-chipkaart): ~€120/month
- Groceries (single): €300–€400/month
- Dining out (one meal): €18–€35
Net savings at senior TC of €180K with 30% ruling: roughly €40K–€55K/year after Amsterdam costs. At €280K (Stripe/Databricks senior) with 30% ruling: €80K–€100K/year. At Optiver L5 €363K: €130K+/year net savings.
Why the 30% Ruling Matters for This Shortlist
For non-EU engineers, the 30% ruling compounds with the already-high Amsterdam pay:
| Company | Senior TC (gross) | Net without ruling | Net with ruling | Ruling benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | €140K | €79K | €93K | +€14K/yr |
| Uber | €180K | €97K | €117K | +€20K/yr |
| Stripe | €220K | €115K | €139K | +€24K/yr |
| Databricks | €240K | €124K | €151K | +€27K/yr |
| Optiver L5 | €363K | €180K | €215K | +€35K/yr |
Over the full 5-year ruling window (post-2024 stepped structure), that's €50K–€150K+ in additional net pay depending on employer and level.
See Software Engineer Salary in the Netherlands (2026) for more detail on net take-home math.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which company pays software engineers the most in the Netherlands?
Optiver Amsterdam. L5 (senior) median TC is €363K — the highest-paying software engineer role in Europe at that level. L6 staff regularly clears €450K. Flow Traders and IMC Trading (also Amsterdam HFT firms) reach €320K–€350K at senior+.
What level do I need to hit €100K TC in the Netherlands?
At Optiver, Flow Traders, and IMC, new-grad L3 TC is already €150K–€180K. At Stripe, Databricks, and Uber, senior (L3/L4) clears €100K. At Booking.com, Adyen, Miro, and TomTom, senior level is typically the €100K threshold. At ASML, senior engineer in Eindhoven hits €120K+ TC.
Do all of these companies sponsor the HSM visa?
Yes, all 12 are Recognized Sponsors with the IND. HSM processing is typically 2 weeks at these employers. See our Netherlands visa sponsorship guide for the full process.
Can I get the 30% ruling at all of these companies?
Yes, if you're recruited from outside the Netherlands and meet the salary threshold (€46,660 in 2026, all of these companies' junior+ roles clear this). The employer files on your behalf within 4 months of start date.
Which of these companies is best for AI/ML engineers in the Netherlands?
Databricks (core ML platform + Mosaic AI), Uber (marketplace ML), Booking.com (search/recommendation ML), Stripe (fraud detection + Radar), Optiver (research engineering for quant strategies). All five have net-hired ML engineers through 2026.
How much do I save after Amsterdam costs at a €180K senior role?
With the 30% ruling, €180K senior TC nets approximately €117K/year. After Amsterdam rent (€28K for central 1-bed), groceries, and basic living: roughly €50K–€60K saved per year. At higher TC bands (€280K senior at Stripe/Databricks), savings scale to €85K–€100K/year.
Related reading: Software Engineer Salary in the Netherlands (2026) → · Visa Sponsorship in the Netherlands (2026) → · 26 Companies Paying €100k+ Across Europe (3-part series) →