Poland has become one of the most attractive IT recruitment destinations in Europe. For US companies facing a shortage of skilled engineers and rising salary demands at home, Poland offers a strategic alternative: a deep pool of highly qualified IT professionals,competitive costs, and strong cultural alignment with Western businesses.

With more than 410,000 IT specialists and 19,000 new ICT graduates each year, Poland is now home to global IT hubs for companies like Google, IBM, and Intel, but also an increasing number of mid-sized US tech firms. English proficiency, technical excellence, and a strong work ethic make Polish engineers stand out.

At the same time, recruiting in Poland comes with its own specifics: unique hiring models such as B2B contracts,distinct labor laws, and a competitive market where employer branding matters.

This guide walks you through everything US companies need to know to recruit IT talent in Poland in 2025: from understanding the talent pool and costs, to legal compliance, hiring processes,and alternative models like Employer of Record (EOR).

The IT talent pool in Poland (skills, English proficiency, and education)

Poland has one of the largest and fastest-growing IT workforces in Europe, with around 410,000 engineers and IT professionals in 2025. Each year, the market grows by approximately 19,000 new computer science graduates from leading universities.

The workforce is concentrated in seven main cities: Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Tri-City, Poznan, Katowice, and Lodz, where more than 70% of IT professionals live and work.

Warsaw: ~103,000 IT professionals; favored for headquarters and sales operations.
‍Krakow: ~62,000 IT professionals; recognized for delivery centers, R&D, and software engineering.

Wroclaw: ~43,000 IT professionals; strong ties with German-speaking (DACH) markets
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In Krakow alone, 62,000 IT specialists are active in 2025, with 2,800 ICT graduates annually. Over 200 international IT hubs are present, with American firms leading the market, hiring around 40% of the talent pool.

Polish engineers stand out for:

Strong technical skills in software engineering, DevOps, data, AI, and cybersecurity.
High English proficiency — a key factor for US companies managing distributed teams.
Experience in global projects — over 80% of Krakow’s IT professionals have more than 5 years’ experience, often with international companies.

Check out: IT Recruitment in Poland with local partner

Hiring models in Poland: employment vs. B2B contracts vs. EOR

Poland’s IT recruitment market has unique engagement models. The two most common are permanent employment contracts and B2B contracts.

‍Permanent employment contracts: Standard labor law applies (paid leave,sick leave, social security contributions, maternity/paternity leave). Employers and employees share the cost of taxes and benefits.
‍B2B contracts: A distinctive feature of Poland. About 30–40% of new IT hires are now on B2B agreements. Instead of being employed, specialists act as sole proprietors, issuing invoices to the company. This model is attractive for mid-to-senior engineers because it can increase net income by up to 20%after taxes compared to employment.
- Contractors usually work long-term with one company.
- Typical notice period: 1 month.
- No statutory benefits (paid leave, sick leave, maternity leave), but companies often extend private healthcare, gym passes, or training packages to B2B contractors.
- For US firms, B2B offers cost efficiency and flexibility — but requires careful compliance with Polish labor law.

‍Employer of Record (EOR): For companies not ready to set up an entity in Poland, EOR providers (like MOTIFE) employ staff on your behalf, handling payroll,contracts, and compliance. This is often the fastest way to hire your first engineers in Poland without legal complexity.

Cost of IT recruitment in Poland vs. US

One of the strongest reasons US companies recruit in Poland is cost savings combined with quality. The 2025 data from MOTIFE gives a clearer picture of how big the gap is, especially for mid-level roles.

In 2025, salaries for mid-level IT specialists with about 3–5 years of experience show a clear gap between Poland and the United States.

Java developers in Poland earn around $70,000 gross annually, compared to about $126,000 in the US, roughly double.
Python, C++, and .NET developers earn $63,000–70,500 in Poland, while in the US their salaries range from $117,000 to $128,000, again about twice as high.
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Salary growth trends

For many roles, US-based pays are 2 to 2.5× higher than Poland when comparing gross salaries.
Even after accounting for cost of employment, benefits, etc., savings remain substantial for Poland.

Total cost of employment & othercost drivers

US employers need to factor in higher base salaries, often higher benefits, and sometimes higher hiring/turnover costs. In Poland, even with employer social charges and benefits, the total cost remains approximately half of comparable US costs in many cases.
Poland also offers legal models (like B2B contracting) that help reduce burden of additional benefits and obligations.

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Check out: End-to-end IT recruitment in Poland

Legal & compliance considerations for US companies

Recruiting in Poland is straightforward, but the rules differ from the US. To avoid missteps, US employers should understand the essentials of Polish labor law, engagement models, and compliance risks.

Employment law: the essentials

Polish law provides strong protections for employees. Key points from the 2025 Krakow IT Market Report include:

Working hours: 40 hours/week (8 per day), with paid overtime at 50–100% extra depending on timing.
Vacation: 20–26 days/year, depending on seniority.
Sick leave: Paid at 80% of salary with a doctor’s note

Parental leave: 20 weeks maternity at 100%, up to 41 additional weeks at 70%; paternity leave of 2 weeks at 100%.
Notice periods: 2 weeks (<6 months service), 1 month (>6 months), 3 months (>3 years). Probation contracts (up to 3 months) are common.

For US employers, this means longer notice cycles and protected leave entitlements compared to at-will contracts. Planning ahead is critical.

Engagement models in Poland

Poland offers multiple legal ways to hire, but three dominate IT industry:

‍Employment contracts (umowa o pracę)

Standard EU model with paid leave, sick leave, and employer social contributions.
More expensive due to social security (~20–21% of gross salary), but offers full compliance and stability.
Preferred for leadership roles and core long-term staff.

B2B contracts (business-to-business)

Common in IT; ~30–40% of hires in Poland use B2B.
Contractors register as sole proprietors and invoice the company
No statutory benefits (paid leave, sick leave), but companies often extend private healthcare or training to stay competitive
Typical notice: 1 month.
Attractive to senior engineers due to higher net take-home pay (+15–20% vs employment).
Must be drafted carefully to avoid misclassification, otherwise tax authorities may reclassify the contract as employment

Employer of Record(EOR)

For US companies without a Polish entity, EOR providers (like MOTIFE) employ staff on your behalf.
Handle payroll, contracts, and compliance
Best for fast entry, pilot projects, or when headcount is too small to justify a local entity.

‍Taxes, contributions and cost structure

Employment contracts:Employer and employee share social security; employer adds ~20–21% to gross‍
B2B contracts: Contractor handles contributions (flat 19%, progressive 12–32%, or lump-sum 8.5–12% for IT).‍
Rule of thumb: B2B contractors expect 10–15% higher rates to offset lack of paid leave and benefits.

Benefits & market customs

Standard perks: private healthcare, gym/fitness card, training budget, sometimes life insurance (~€150/month value).
Remote work stipend: ~55–65 PLN/month
Companies often mirror benefits for B2B contractors to stay attractive.

Intellectual property& non-competes

IP ownership and confidentiality must be explicitly stated in both employment and B2B contracts.
Non-compete clauses are common for senior or strategic roles.
Contractors may legally work for multiple clients unless restricted by contract

Compliance risks and best practice

Misclassification risk: Poorly drafted B2B agreements can be reclassified as employment.
Solution: Clearly define scope, deliverables, autonomy, and IP. Always review with Polish legal counsel.
Notice planning: Factor in 1–3 month notice periods; build this into project roadmaps.
Onboarding: Even B2B contractors need structured onboarding to integrate quickly

Challenges US companies face when recruiting in Poland and how to solve them

Strong competition for top talent incore hubs

What happens: Krakow and other tier-1 cities concentrate skilled engineers and international brands. Newcomers with low local awareness can lose candidates to better-known employers or those perceived to offer “cleaner” tech and stronger growth paths.

What to do:

‍Lead with a sharp EVP: candidates weigh brand, benefits, work-model flexibility, contract flexibility, tech quality, and culture. If you’re new/less visible, expect to pay the higher end of ranges unless your EVP is superior. ‍
Tell a tech story: showcase modern stack, low technical debt, CI/CD, and a crisp QA approach. Engineers in Poland scrutinize the engineering environment. ‍
Local proof fast: publish Krakow-focused case studies, speak at meetups, and involve your hiring managers in interviews earl

Market conditions: salary shifts by stack and seniority

What happens: After overheated growth, 2025 is a second year of normalization. Median salaries for regular and senior new hires declined ~5%and ~6% YoY, but not uniformly: JavaScript/QA mid-levels dropped ~15%, while data/ML and Salesforce stayed strong or rose. Senior data roles remain premium (up to PLN 29k).

What to do

Price precisely by role, not “market average.” Calibrate per stack/seniority; don’t overpay for stacks that softened, and be ready to stretch for data/ML/cyber.
Offer non-cash levers: ESOP/stock options, training, and benefits to keep offers competitive without chasing top-range cash.

Choosing the right engagement model(Employment vs B2B vs EOR)

What happens: Poland’s IT market uses both permanent employment and B2B(sole-proprietor) contracts. Misunderstanding customs (benefits, holidays,non-exclusivity) risks misclassification or poor candidate experience.

What to do

Pick by role profile: FTE for leadership/long-term core; B2B for senior ICs/surge hiring; EOR for fast entry without an entity.
Mirror key benefits for B2B. While not statutory, many employers extend healthcare, gym cards, training (recharged if needed) to stay competitive.
Price B2B correctly: expect up to ~15% above gross-salary equivalents due to unpaid leave/billable days. Get Polish legal review.

Benefits and cost signaling

What happens: Candidates expect a baseline package; under-spec’ing benefits hurts conversion even when salary is fine. Typical monthly “basics” value is ~€150 (healthcare, gym, life insurance, other). Remote stipend norms exist.

What to do:

Publish the package (and extend parity to B2B where possible): private healthcare, gym/fitness, training, and a remote-work stipend (~PLN 55–65/month).
Differentiate beyond “basics” with ESOP, conference budgets, and genuine career paths.

Offer-stage drop-off from brand/new-market risk

What happens: In a city with 200+ international IT hubs and 84% of IT talent employed by foreign companies, candidates compare you against many stable options; new entrants can feel “untested.”

What to do:

De-risk the move: show a 12–18-month roadmap, product/financing clarity, and clear role evolution.

Shorten cycle times and communicate weekly. The report notes prolonged processes in 2025; keep momentum and guard against competing offers.

Compliance pitfalls with B2B

What happens: Poorly drafted B2B contracts (benefits/controls too “employee-like”) risk reclassification to employment.

What to do:

Document scope, autonomy, IP assignment, confidentiality, and notice clearly; avoid employee-style controls. Get a local legal review before scaling.

Case study: ActiveCampaign builds its engineering hub in Krakow with MOTIFE

When US-based customer experience automation leader ActiveCampaign decided to expand its global engineering footprint, Poland was chosen as the destination. The goal: build a world-class engineering team in Krakow to accelerate product development while maintaining cost efficiency and access to top talent.

The challenge:
ActiveCampaign needed to establish a hub quickly in a competitive market,attract senior engineers, and ensure compliance with Polish labor law, all while staying focused on scaling its core business.

The solution with MOTIFE

MOTIFE supported end-to-end recruitment, sourcing highly qualified engineers and ensuring smooth hiring under both employment and B2B contracts.
Provided local expertise in labor law, contracts, and benefits to ensure competitive offers.
Helped shape employer branding in the Krakow market to position ActiveCampaign as an attractive workplace.
Delivered a streamlined setup process, allowing ActiveCampaign to focus on product and growth.

The outcome

ActiveCampaign successfully launched its Krakow hub, hiring top-tier engineers across frontend, backend, QA, and DevOps. The hub quickly became a strategic extension of its US product teams, enhancing delivery capacity and innovation.

Conclusion: Next steps for building your IT team in Poland

Poland in 2025 continues to stand out as a top recruitment destination for US companies. With over 400,000 IT professionals, competitive salary levels, and a business-friendly environment,it offers both scale and quality. Yet, success depends on more than cost savings, it requires understanding local hiring models (employment vs B2B), compliance rules, candidate expectations, and market competition.

For US companies considering their next move:

Start small, think big: Test the market with B2B or EOR engagements, then scale into a full hub.
Plan your hiring clock: Account for 4–8 weeks to hire plus 1–3 months’ notice.
Compete on more than salary: Benefits, career growth, and modern engineering practices are just as important.
Partner locally: Working with an experienced partner like MOTIFE reduces risk, accelerates hiring, and helps establish your brand in a crowded market.

Whether you’re looking to recruit your first engineer in Poland or set up a full-scale development hub, Poland offers a proven pathway for US companies to access world-class talent.

If you’re considering your options, get intouch with MOTIFE to explore IT Recruitment, Employer of Record, or Staff Augmentation services tailored to your expansion goals.

If you are interested in setting up your own engineering team in Poland, contact us at MOTIFE to learn more.

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Krakow IT Market Report 2023

Explore essential data on Poland's tech landscape.

The 2025 Guide to IT Recruitment in Poland for US Companies

Table of Content

The IT talent pool in Poland (skills, English proficiency, and education)

Hiring models in Poland: employment vs. B2B contracts vs. EOR