Amsterdam vs Rotterdam: where to look for tech jobs

Comparing tech job markets in Amsterdam and Rotterdam — salaries, company types, and what to expect.

Both Amsterdam and Rotterdam have strong tech job markets, but they differ. Amsterdam tends to attract more venture-backed scale-ups and global tech companies. Salaries for senior roles can reach €85,000–€100,000. The city focuses on greenfield product development, cutting-edge stacks, and innovation-heavy environments.

Rotterdam offers solid opportunities at slightly lower salary ranges — senior engineers often €75,000–€85,000. The city has established SaaS companies, data-driven startups, and a collaborative ecosystem. Many roles focus on Kotlin, AWS, Python, and modern data infrastructure. Rotterdam Central Station makes commuting easy.

Both cities host IND-recognised sponsors. Amsterdam has more fintech and healthtech; Rotterdam has strong logistics and port-related tech. Your choice depends on salary expectations, company stage (startup vs scale-up), and lifestyle. Remote and hybrid options are common in both.

When reaching out to companies, tailor your message to the city and sector. Amsterdam firms often value product thinking and scalability; Rotterdam firms may emphasise reliability and domain expertise. Deurtal lets you filter by city so you can target the right market for your profile.