Salary Benchmark: The State of Tech in Spain (2026 Edition)
Worldwide, few companies dare to publish their career development plans with realistic salary ranges. In Spain, the list is even shorter.
Last year, we went all out to find them. We launched a public appeal, scoured official sources, dived into Levels.fyi, whatever it took. The result was a comparison of five companies that represented a beautiful anomaly in the market: organizations that decided their employees (and the world) should know exactly what each level earns.
We are back in 2026 with more companies, fresher data, and a more rigorous methodology. Plus, there is a major shift on the horizon: the European Directive on Salary Transparency (2023/970). Spain is required to transpose this regulation before June 2026. Soon, having a clear, consultable internal career plan won't be a "nice-to-have", it will be a legal requirement.
“Article 6. Transparency in policies for setting remuneration and pay progression.
1. Employers shall make readily available to their staff the criteria used to determine workers' remuneration, pay levels and pay progression. These criteria shall be objective and gender-neutral.
What was once a cultural badge of honor for a few forward-thinking companies is becoming an imminent legal obligation. This doesn’t mean every company will go fully public, but it’s a massive step toward leveling the playing field. Still, the landscape hasn't shifted as much as you’d expect. The companies leading the way are the same as always. That’s why we do this: because the data you need to navigate your career isn't being handed to you— so we went out and found it.
Methodology: How we crunched the numbers
Before diving into the numbers, it’s crucial to distinguish between our two types of sources. They aren't equivalent, and understanding why matters:
- Primary Sources: These are the "Gold Standard." These companies (Cabify*, Alan, Factorial, Buffer, and JOIN) officially publish their career ladders in their handbooks, careers pages, or public Notion docs. This data is the most reliable because the companies use it internally every day.
- *Note on Cabify: Their public handbook hasn't changed since last year. We reached out for updates but haven't heard back. If you’re a "Cabifyer" and have newer info, let us know!
- *Note on Cabify: Their public handbook hasn't changed since last year. We reached out for updates but haven't heard back. If you’re a "Cabifyer" and have newer info, let us know!
- Secondary Sources: This data is self-reported by employees on platforms like Levels.fyi. While it provides great market context for companies like Glovo, N26, New Relic, Amazon, Revolut, and Datadog, it is unverified. It can be biased toward higher earners or slightly outdated, so take these as a "market pulse" rather than an absolute truth.
What are we measuring?
We always aim for Total Compensation, but transparency varies. Cabify and Alan focus on base salary (plus stock options), Factorial includes variable pay, and Buffer adjusts for cost-of-living. We have noted the specific compensation structure for each case.
What are we comparing?
We focus on Software Engineering roles, as they offer the most robust and comparable data sets. While some companies (like Cabify) publish tracks for Data, Design, or Product, we use Engineering as our primary benchmark.
If you want to download the image in higher quality, you can find it here
The Transparency Pioneers (Primary Sources)
These five companies are leading the charge. As of April 2026, their career ladders and salary ranges are open for the world to see.
If you want to download the image in higher quality, you can find it here
Cabify
Cabify remains the gold standard for transparency in Spain. Their public Tech Handbook is exceptionally well-maintained, using a consistent six-level structure across Engineering, Data, Design, and Product.
Their ranges represent annual gross base salary, excluding variables. They provide a Start/Med/End format, which is incredibly useful for seeing not just the entry point, but the growth potential within a single level.
| Level | Start | With | End |
| L1 | €27K | €30K | €33K |
| L2 | €31K | €36,5K | €42K |
| L3 | €39K | €47K | €55K |
| L4 | €52K | €65K | €78K |
| L5 | €75K | €93,5K | €112K |
| L6 | €92K | €115K | €138K |
The Manfred Take: The most interesting part of Cabify isn't the floor, it’s the "ceiling" of each tier. An L4 can earn anywhere from €52K to €78K. That €26K gap shows that seniority and individual negotiation still carry weight, even within a transparent framework. The biggest jump? Moving from L4 to L5, where the midpoint increases by nearly €30K.
Alan
Alan is... different. In the best way possible. Their compensation philosophy is arguably the most radical and explicit we’ve analyzed. They don’t just "have" a salary scale; they make it a public cornerstone of their culture, updated regularly and shared with every candidate from the very first contact.
*For a deeper dive, you can check their public Notion for full details on their compensation model.
Unlike most companies, Alan doesn't use traditional salary "ranges." Instead, they apply a linear growth model where your base salary increases by approximately 1% cumulatively for every year of experience.
The table below reflects the bands for 10 to 20 years of experience, which represents the most relevant segment for Mid-Senior profiles and above.
It’s important to note that Alan’s internal leveling (A0 to I) differs slightly from industry standards. Here is the correspondence:
- Internships Engineering: They start at B1
- Junior: C0
- Mid: C1
- Senior: D
- Senior+: E
- Staff: F onwards
| Level | Role title | Band (10–20 years exp.) | Stock (% of annual salary) | % Headcount (n=139) |
| A0 | Intern | €34K – €41K | — | — |
| A1–A2 | — | €43K – €56K | — | — |
| B0–B1 | Intern Engineering | €51K – €69K | — | — |
| C0 | Junior | €65K – €76K | 41,7% | 7,9% |
| C1 | Mid | €72K – €84K | 55,5% | 19,4% |
| D | Senior | €79K – €91K | 88,5% | 33,8% |
| AND | Senior+ | €87K – €101K | 143,0% | 20,9% |
| F | Staff | €104K – €117K | 255,5% | 14,4% |
| G | Staff+ | €127K – €139K | 519,8% | — |
| H | Senior Staff | €155K – €171K | 908,6% | — |
| I | Principal | €184K – €203K | 1141,8% | — |
| Others | G, H, I and junior levels | — | — | 3,6% |
What sets Alan apart?
There are four key pillars that distinguish Alan from the rest of the market:
- Granularity: While a company like Cabify operates with six levels, Alan uses thirteen. This creates smaller, more frequent "micro-promotions," making career progression feel continuous rather than a massive hurdle you only clear every few years.
- A Unique Equity Structure: Their compensation is a mix of base salary plus stock. While the industry standard for vesting is four years, Alan does it in three, and they vest monthly instead of every six months. This means you start owning equity sooner and more consistently. Plus, positive performance reviews result in extra points that translate directly into more stock—essentially, the stock is the variable pay.
- Total Equity Transparency: Alan is the only company in this comparison that publicly shares the nitty-gritty of their equity: the number of options per level, their current gross value, and their potential value in different exit scenarios.
- The Outlier Factor: At an E-level (an advanced Senior with real-world battle scars), the base salary sits between €87K and €101K. In the context of the Spanish market, this is double what an equivalent profile earns in most companies.
To put things in perspective: a Level D (Senior) employee holds stock options with a gross value of €120,000 (based on their Series F valuation in 2024 and their most recent 2026 round). This represents a potential gain of €69,000 (88.5% of their annual salary). In a hypothetical €20 billion sale scenario, that same package would be worth €472,000.
Finally, Alan shared a data point with us we rarely see: staff distribution. Nearly 75% of their 139 employees are concentrated between C1 and E (Mid to Senior+). Staff levels and above (F+) represent only 18% of the total workforce.
Factorial
Factorial is arguably the Spanish company in this comparison whose compensation structure has evolved the most in recent years. In 2026, they’ve taken what is perhaps the most striking step in the national ecosystem: The "AI" Pivot.
As of May this year, Factorial has renamed all its Engineering roles, adding "AI" to every title, from Junior AI Engineer to Staff AI Engineer. This isn't just a marketing gimmick; a deep dive into their public Engineering Rubrics reveals a public declaration that their technical team is redefining itself around Artificial Intelligence as a core competency. AI is no longer a tool; it’s a fundamental requirement.
Methodology Note: The data reflects their career path published in April 2026. Unlike Alan, Factorial publishes total gross compensation (base salary plus variable), which is a crucial distinction to keep in mind when comparing these figures across the board.
IC Track
| Tier | Role | Base | Variable | Total Salary (Gross) | Variable % | ESOP |
| 1.1 | Junior AI Engineer 1 | €30.000 | — | €30.000 | — | — |
| 1.2 | Junior AI Engineer 2 | €32.500 | — | €32.500 | — | — |
| 1.3 | Junior AI Engineer 3 | €35.000 | — | €35.000 | — | — |
| 2.1 | AI Engineer 1 | €40.000 | €2.800 | €42.800 | 7% | 10% |
| 2.2 | AI Engineer 2 | €45.000 | €3.150 | €48.150 | 7% | 10% |
| 2.3 | AI Engineer 3 | €50.000 | €3.500 | €53.500 | 7% | 10% |
| 3.1 | Senior AI Engineer 1 | €55.000 | €5.500 | €60.500 | 10% | 10% |
| 3.2 | Senior AI Engineer 2 | €60.000 | €6.000 | €66.000 | 10% | 25% |
| 3.3 | Senior AI Engineer 3 | €65.000 | €6.500 | €71.500 | 10% | 25% |
| 3.4 | Senior+ AI Engineer 1 | €70.000 | €7.000 | €77.000 | 10% | 25% |
| 3.5 | Senior+ AI Engineer 2 | €74.000 | €7.400 | €81.400 | 10% | 25% |
| 3.6 | Senior+ AI Engineer 3 | €78.000 | €7.800 | €85.800 | 10% | 50% |
| 4.1 | Staff AI Engineer 1 | €82.000 | €12.300 | €94.300 | 15% | 50% |
| 4.2 | Staff AI Engineer 2 | €88.000 | €13.200 | €101.200 | 15% | 50% |
| 4.3 | Staff AI Engineer 3 | €93.000 | €13.950 | €106.950 | 15% | 50% |
| 5.1 | Senior Staff AI Engineer 1 | €99.000 | €19.800 | €118.800 | 20% | 50% |
| 5.2 | Senior Staff AI Engineer 2 | €104.000 | €20.800 | €124.800 | 20% | 50% |
| 5.3 | Senior Staff AI Engineer 3 | €110.000 | €22.000 | €132.000 | 20% | 50% |
| 6.1 | Principal AI Engineer 1 | €115.000 | €28.750 | €143.750 | 25% | 50% |
| 6.2 | Principal AI Engineer 2 | €121.000 | €30.250 | €151.250 | 25% | 50% |
| 6.3 | Principal AI Engineer 3 | €126.000 | €31.500 | €157.500 | 25% | 50% |
| 7 | Distinguished AI Engineer | €132.000 | €66.000 | €198.000 | 50% | 50% |
Management Track
| Tier | Role | Base | Variable | Total Salary (Gross) | Variable % | ESOP |
| M3.1 | Engineering Manager 1 | €62.000 | €9.300 | €71.300 | 15% | 25% |
| M3.2 | Engineering Manager 2 | €67.000 | €10.050 | €77.050 | 15% | 25% |
| M3.3 | Engineering Manager 3 | €72.000 | €10.800 | €82.800 | 15% | 25% |
| M4.1 | Senior Engineering Manager 1 | €77.000 | €15.400 | €92.400 | 20% | 50% |
| M4.2 | Senior Engineering Manager 2 | €82.000 | €16.400 | €98.400 | 20% | 50% |
| M4.3 | Senior Engineering Manager 3 | €87.000 | €17.400 | €104.400 | 20% | 50% |
| M4.4 | Senior Engineering Manager+ 1 | €90.000 | €18.000 | €108.000 | 20% | 50% |
| M4.5 | Senior Engineering Manager+ 2 | €93.000 | €18.600 | €111.600 | 20% | 50% |
| M4.6 | Senior Engineering Manager+ 3 | €96.000 | €19.200 | €115.200 | 20% | 50% |
| M5.1 | Engineering Director 1 | €101.000 | €25.250 | €126.250 | 25% | 50% |
| M5.2 | Engineering Director 2 | €106.000 | €26.500 | €132.500 | 25% | 50% |
| M5.3 | Engineering Director 3 | €112.000 | €28.000 | €140.000 | 25% | 50% |
| M6.1 | Senior Engineering Director 1 | €117.000 | €35.100 | €152.100 | 30% | 50% |
| M6.2 | Senior Engineering Director 2 | €123.000 | €36.900 | €159.900 | 30% | 50% |
| M6.3 | Senior Engineering Director 3 | €128.000 | €38.400 | €166.400 | 30% | 50% |
| M7 | VP of Engineering | €132.000 | €66.000 | €198.000 | 50% | 50% |
Key Observations
- The AI Rebranding: Factorial is the first Spanish company in this comparison—and likely the national market—to officially rename all Engineering profiles as "AI Engineers." This move goes far beyond a title change; it establishes that AI proficiency is now a constitutive part of the role at every seniority level.
- Significant Salary Growth: When compared to 2025 data, salaries for Staff level and above have seen a major spike. A Staff AI Engineer now earns between €94K and €107K in total compensation (up from the previous €86K–€98K). More impressively, the Distinguished AI Engineer role has risen from €180K to €198K. This represents the most substantial year-over-year upgrade of any company in this report.
- True Parity in Tracks: Factorial is doubling down on the Individual Contributor (IC) track. A Distinguished AI Engineer (€198K) now earns exactly the same as the VP of Engineering (€198K). This is a clear signal to the market: you don't need to move into management to reach the top of the pay scale.
- Beyond Product: It’s worth a special mention that Factorial also publicly shares its Finance and Data career frameworks. While these teams sit within their specific functional areas rather than the core product team, their transparency model follows the same rigorous structure as the Engineering track.
Buffer
Buffer represents the extreme end of the transparency spectrum, in every sense. They don't have physical offices in Spain, but they do have a distributed team here, and their commitment to openness is absolute. They don’t just publish ranges; they maintain a public spreadsheet with the name, role, and exact salary of every single one of their 74 employees, from the CEO to the most recent hire. It is the only known case of total salary transparency in the tech sector.
Their compensation system operates differently from anyone else in this list. Buffer defines a global benchmark based on the San Francisco market and applies a cost-of-living multiplier based on the employee's location. For Spain, this multiplier is 90%, meaning an engineer in Madrid or Barcelona earns 90% of the SF base.
Note: The figures below include this adjustment and have been converted to Euros using the exchange rate as of March 2026.
| Level | Title | Banda Engineering Spain (EUR) | n |
| L3 | Junior / Associate SWE | €129K – €135K | 4 |
| L4 | Mid-level SWE | €145K – €151K | 13 |
| L5 | Senior SWE | €161K – €172K | 8 |
| L6 | Staff SWE | €180K – €190K | 5 |
Two things immediately stand out:
- A Different Baseline: The "entry-level" salary for an engineer at Buffer in Spain is €129K. To put that in perspective, Buffer’s minimum is higher than the maximum for an L5 at Cabify (€112K) or the total compensation for a Senior Engineer at Factorial (€72K). While it’s true that Buffer doesn’t typically hire true juniors (L3 already assumes significant experience), the figure highlights the massive chasm between the Spanish market and American-benchmarked global companies.
- Ultra-Narrow Bands: There is barely a €6,000–€11,000 difference between the minimum and maximum of each level. This level of transparency almost entirely eliminates individual negotiation. You are paid exactly what your level dictates; if you want a raise, you don't negotiate, you grow into the next level.
The Manfred Take: Let’s be clear. Buffer is not a realistic benchmark for the average Spanish tech company. Their figures reflect a US-centric model that few local organizations can (or would want to) replicate. However, they serve as a powerful proof of concept: they prove that a company can thrive while treating salary data as public information rather than a corporate secret.
JOIN
JOIN is a Barcelona-based recruiting platform that offers perhaps the most "grounded" and realistic view of the current market. Unlike some of the global outliers in this report, JOIN represents the reality of a high-performing tech company deeply rooted in the local ecosystem. The data provided corresponds to 2026 and reflects the annual gross base salary for hybrid roles in Barcelona.
If you are looking for a benchmark that reflects the general market rather than the exceptions, this is it.
| Level | Low end | Midpoint | High end |
| Junior | €47K | €53,5K | €60K |
| Mid-level | €57K | €63,5K | €70K |
| Senior | €67K | €76K | €85K |
| Staff | €80K | €90K | €100K |
Key Observations
- Market Convergence: JOIN uses the same "Low/Mid/High" format as Cabify, which allows for a fascinating direct comparison. A Senior at JOIN (€67K–€85K) sits in almost exactly the same pocket as an L4 at Cabify (€52K–€78K) or a Senior at Factorial (€61K–€72K base). This striking convergence between three major players suggests we are looking at the "true" market rate for senior talent in Barcelona in 2026.
- The €100K Ceiling: Their Staff level hits the €100K mark in base salary. This is a significant psychological and economic milestone in the Spanish market, and it aligns perfectly with broader market data for top-tier individual contributors in the Barcelona hub.
- No Frills, Just Base: What’s most notable about JOIN is what is not there. There is no mention of variable pay, ESOPs, or complex stock options. By publishing only the base salary, JOIN’s figures are the most conservative in this group—and likely the most accurate representation of the guaranteed cash that the majority of tech professionals actually take home.
The Market Pulse (Secondary Sources)
If you want to download the image in higher quality, you can find it here
The companies that follow don’t publish official ladders. The data below is "crowdsourced" from Levels.fyi.
This has direct implications for how to read the data. Nobody checks them.The sample may be biased towards profiles with higher salaries because those profiles have more incentive to share them. Older records may not reflect the current market. And the terminology for salary levels varies between companies because each one uses its own, without any standardization.
We´ve included them because they add real context.
Glovo
The Spanish company with the most data available on Levels.fyi. Five complete levels, consistent nomenclature, and data updated to March 2026. It is the cleanest secondary source in this comparison.
| Level | Title | Total | Base | Stock/yr |
| L1 | Software Engineer I | €38.9K | €37.6K | €1.3K |
| L2 | Software Engineer II | €65K | €60,2K | €4,8K |
| L3 | Software Engineer III | €82,8K | €74.4K | €8.4K |
| L4 | Software Engineer IV | €105,5K | €86.7K | €18.7K |
| L5 | Software Engineer V | €148.4K | €125,1K | €23.3K |
Stock has increasing weight as the level goes up. It goes from being negligible in L1 to representing 16% of the total package in L5. To compare with Cabify or Alan, which do not break down stock, you have to use the base column, not the total.
N26
The German fintech has a strong presence in Spain. While the sample size is smaller, the L6 (Principal) base of €110.6K is a solid reference point, even if the total comp is distorted by stock outliers.
| Level | Title | Total | Base |
| L3 | Software Engineer | €65,1K | €64.3K |
| L4 | Senior Software Engineer | €83.3K | €79.9K |
| L5 | Lead Software Engineer | €97.6K | €89K |
| L6 | Principal Software Engineer | €196.4K | €110.6K |
The L6 has an interpretation problem: its €196.4K total compensation includes €85.8K of annual stock, which completely distorts the average with few records. The base figure of €110.6K is the most reliable data for comparison.
New Relic
Main European hub in Barcelona. Nomenclature P1–P5, with data up to February 2026. We filtered only records from 2024 onwards to ensure they are relevant.
| Level | Approximate title | Observed range |
| P2 | Mid-level | €59K – €93K |
| P3 | Senior | €90K – €100K |
| P4 | Senior+ / Staff | €93K – €120K |
| P5 | Principal | €120K |
The P2 range is broad because it mixes profiles with very different experiences. Stock is present at all levels and can represent between €10K and €50K in addition to the base price.
Amazon
Three levels with data in Spain, all updated to March 2026.
| Level | Title | Total | Base | Stock/yr | Bonus |
| L4 (SDE I) | Entry Level | €59.2K | €45K | €9.2K | €5K |
| L5 (SDE II) | Mid-level | €89.7K | €65.2K | €24K | €0,5K |
| L6 (SDE III) | Senior | €135K | €85,5K | €49.6K | €0 |
A giant with a caveat: Amazon’s stock vesting is "back-loaded" (5%/15%/40%/40%). The annual stock shown below is a 4-year average. In your first two years, you’ll see significantly less cash.
Revolut
Global Fintech company with a consolidated presence in Spain (mainly Madrid and Barcelona). Two levels with a sufficient sample size.
| Level | Title | Range (total) | Median |
| Middle SWE | Mid-level | €70K – €130K | €83K |
| Senior SWE | Senior | €85K – €155K | €107K |
The range within the Senior category is wide (€70K difference between the minimum and maximum) because Revolut pays very differently depending on the specialty and because the variable and stock component varies significantly between employees.
Datadog
American company with a consolidated hub in Madrid. 41 total registrations, with consistent nomenclature SWE I / SWE II / Senior SWE / Staff SWE.
| Level | Title | Range (total) | Approx. median |
| SWE I | Entry Level | €65K – €73K | €68K |
| SWE II | Mid-level | €75K – €110K | €95K |
| Senior SWE | Senior | €115K – €178K | €135K |
| Staff SWE | Staff | €230K | — |
Datadog has one of the steepest salary curves in this comparison: from SWE I to Senior, there's a median difference of over €60,000. Stock has a significant impact at all levels, especially at Senior, where it can represent an additional €30,000–€50,000 on top of the base salary.
Where do they pay the most?
The short answer: it depends on your seniority and your career goals. The company that offers the best entry-level package isn't necessarily the one paying the most to a Staff Engineer. Likewise, the highest base salary doesn't always translate to the highest total compensation once equity and variables enter the room.
Here is how the market breaks down by seniority:
Entry Levels (Junior / L1)
While the average Spanish market salary for a Junior Developer sits around €22K–€24K, all the companies in our report pay well above that, some by a significant margin.
- Cabify starts at €27K and Factorial at €30K.
- Glovo reports €38.9K at L1.
- JOIN places its Junior range between €47K and €60K. This is the highest range among Spanish companies for this level, suggesting their "Junior" bar might be closer to what others call "Mid-level."
- Alan, which avoids traditional entry-level hiring due to its senior-heavy philosophy, starts its C0 tier between €65K and €76K.
Mid Levels (Engineer / L2–L3)
This is where the gap starts to widen.
- Factorial offers between €43K and €54K (total compensation) for an AI Engineer.
- Cabify sets its L3 between €39K and €55K (base).
- N26 reports €65.1K in total compensation for L3.
- JOIN and Glovo are clear outliers here, well above the ecosystem average: JOIN offers €57K–€70K (base) and Glovo reports €65K (L2) and €82.8K (L3).
- Alan remains in a league of its own: a C0–C1 profile (Mid-Senior) already earns between €65K and €84K in base salary alone.
Senior Levels (Senior / L4–L5)
Dispersion reaches its peak here.
- The "Scaleup Standard": Cabify (€52K–€112K across L4-L5), JOIN (€67K–€85K), and Factorial (€61K–€86K total comp) outline a well-structured range for the Spanish market: €60K–€85K.
- The "Global Elite": If you look toward global hubs, the numbers jump. Revolut reports a median of €107K, while Datadog hits a median of €135K. Alan sits at €87K–€101K (base) for level E.
The Bottom Line: For a seasoned Senior profile, the "transparency tax" is real, the difference between a leading Spanish company and a global hub like Datadog or Revolut can be €40K–€60K per year.
Staff Levels and Above
JOIN caps its Staff level at €80K–€100K (base). This is likely the most "honest" benchmark for a Spanish company hiring at this level.
Factorial reaches €94K–€107K for Staff and €144K–€158K for Principal AI Engineer.
Alan offers €127K–€139K for Staff+ and €184K–€203K for Principal.
Buffer and Datadog represent the ceiling, with L6/Staff levels reaching €180K–€230K.
The In-Depth Reading: Choosing Your Path
- If you want a realistic and well-structured benchmark for the Spanish market, JOIN is your cleanest data point.
- If you want to maximize base salary while still getting equity, Alan is the gold standard.
- If you are looking for a competitive all-around package with high equity upside, Factorial or Glovo are your best bets within the local ecosystem.
- If you want to chase the highest absolute numbers and are okay with a global hub environment, Datadog, Revolut, or Amazon offer packages that local companies simply cannot match today.
- And if you want a culture where everyone knows what everyone earns, there is only one place: Buffer.
What has changed since 2025?
Last year we tracked five companies; this year we’ve doubled that to ten. But the real story is in how the "regulars" have evolved:
Cabify
Cabify’s 2026 data is virtually identical to 2025. This leaves us with two theories: either salaries have frozen while the rest of the market moved, or their public Handbook is no longer reflecting the individual adjustments happening behind the scenes.
Alan
Alan has kept its 13-level structure and "base + unlockable stock" philosophy intact. The big news this year? They’ve opened the curtain on their internal staff distribution, giving us a rare look at how many people actually sit at those high-paying levels.
Factorial
Factorial is our "Most Improved" for 2026. Their new career plan (effective May) includes two massive updates: the rebranding of all roles to "AI Engineer" and a significant pay hike for Staff+ ranks. A Distinguished AI Engineer now earns €198K (up from €180K), marking the most ambitious year-over-year upgrade in our study.
Glovo and N26
Last year, we included them with a "handle with care" warning. This year, the Levels.fyi data is much fresher (March 2026), significantly improving reliability. At Glovo, despite the market shifts, L4 and L5 ranges have remained notably stable.
What’s New?
The addition of Buffer, Revolut, Datadog, Amazon, and New Relic provides the global context we were missing. However, JOIN is the standout addition. It’s the first mid-sized tech company in our comparison (not a massive scaleup or a global giant) making it the most relatable benchmark for the "real" market.
The Elephant in the Room
We launched another public appeal this year, hoping for a transparency revolution. The result? A few more hands went up, but the "Elephant" remains.
Most of the market (startups, scaleups, consultancies, and corporates) still operates in total opacity. They keep pay and career growth behind a veil. While the European Salary Transparency Directive is now in effect, it only mandates internal clarity. We don't expect the number of companies publishing public ranges to skyrocket by next year.
This is a cultural problem, and at Manfred, we are here to evangelize the solution.
A professional without data is a professional who cannot negotiate. You can’t know if your pay is fair, and you can’t plan your future with a blindfold on. Conversely, a company without a public system can't recruit honestly or retain talent predictably.
The companies in this report (Cabify, Alan, JOIN, Factorial, Buffer) have a massive Employer Branding advantage. They attract top talent because they lead with honesty.
Salary transparency shouldn't be a "perk" for the elite; it should be the standard for everyone. Until the market realizes this, we will continue to hunt for the data and publish this report every year.
Until the next comparison.