7 in-demand IT jobs in Turkey and what they pay

With a wealth of skilled developers and a vibrant innovation ecosystem, Turkey is a rising tech talent hub. Turkey is one of the region’s top education centres, offering free access to public universities with leading STEM programs, and produces close to 11,000 new IT graduates each year. Thirty-five percent of IT graduates are female, compared to 19 percent in the US, and the ratio of women working in the field outperforms the EU average by 4%. A SkillValue study found that the country offers significantly higher quality of developers compared to neighbouring countries in Europe, leading to an uptick in IT outsourcing and remote jobs for Turkish developers.

As the Turkish lira depreciates, many tech experts in fields like software development have set their sights abroad to North America and Europe. “Especially in the last few years, many software developers are relocating to international tech companies, with the UK, Germany, and Canada at the forefront: from big to small companies, they’re being transferred to those countries. Since the pandemic, remote jobs also became very attractive to developers,” says Günnur Aktoros, board member and head of recruitment services at recruitment company Talentra.

“The pandemic has affected the IT industry in a positive way. Investments in IT have increased and digitalisation is growing. This means an increased need for almost every expertise in the IT field,” Aktoros says. “The IT recruitment market has grown. The search for experts in software development, DevOps, cloud systems, cybersecurity, data, and automation has increased in particular,” adding roles like scrum master and business analyst to the list of in-demand IT jobs in Turkey.

More and more companies seek to optimise their business processes and IT infrastructure through virtualisation and enterprise automation, which has gained significant momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic as companies turned to RPA (robotic process automation) to make operations more efficient.

Mehmet Göktürk,  founding director at Humexis and faculty member at Gebze Technical University, identified enterprise automation as a fast-growing segment across Turkey’s tech landscape: “The problem is that growth-based development is not sustainable. We need a whole different approach in IT infrastructure and services to make them sustainable and serviceable, and give them a long life and smaller carbon footprint.”

A 2020 Deloitte study found that 68% of executives utilised automation to minimise the impact of the pandemic, and 93% expect to be using RPA by 2023. Göktürk includes cybersecurity, AI, and front-end development, e.g. end-user apps, in his list of growing IT jobs.

Read on to discover the top tech jobs in Turkey in 2021 (salaries are quoted on per-month basis).

IT Specialist

11,000-20,000 lira (US$1,300 – US$2,100)

IT specialists support the foundation of modern businesses by maintaining and monitoring IT systems. In smaller companies, their chameleon-like role requires them to take on tasks as diverse as software engineering, network analysis, and database administration; in larger enterprises, they are hired in specialised roles like designing server architecture and implementing data security strategies. IT specialists in Turkey are expected to possess a diverse skill set in order to solve issues with cloud platforms, software, hardware, and computer networks, and be available around the clock when any issues arise.

Most Turkish companies ask for a Bachelor’s degree in computer science and two-to-three years experience in a related role. Cisco Certified Network Associate, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Apple Certified Associate, and Certified Information System Security Professional certifications are an advantage for IT specialist applicants, complemented by experience in technical writing and a deep understanding of database systems.

IT Project Manager

18,000-40,000 lira

IT project managers are decisive leaders that have mastered the art of organisation and clear communication. They oversee IT projects throughout their entire life cycle, from creating timelines and project plans to status reporting and cross-departmental coordination. The role requires meticulous planning: IT project managers must develop complex timelines that sometimes stretch years into the future and track the achievements of their team throughout the process, pivoting to a contingency plan when obstacles arise.

Companies are looking for candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering or computer science — a Master’s degree is a plus. Most companies request either Project Management Professional certification or between 5-10 years equivalent experience, and consider knowledge of professional services automation (PSA) and systems applications and products in data processing (SAP) an asset.

IT Business Analyst

7,000-13,000 lira

Working as a liaison between the IT team and upper management, an IT business analyst interprets data and finds opportunities to improve products or services, creating value for companies. They work closely with executives to understand their business needs and revenue goals, then determine what changes can be made to make processes more efficient and profitable. Extracting data from A/B testing, IT business analysts determine which IT products, processes, software, and hardware can help meet a company’s business goals.

In Turkey, hiring managers are looking for experts with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, statistics, or computer science and about five years of related experience. Candidates with experience in agile project management methodologies and tools such as Jira will gain a competitive edge. Many companies prefer applicants with an IT background and International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), International Qualification Board for Business Analysis (IQBBA), or Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certifications.

DevOps Engineer

9,000-15,000 lira

Emerging from agile project management methodologies, DevOps is an approach to software development that allows developers and operations teams to work collaboratively. DevOps engineers implement continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) work-flow in order to manage code updates and push better products to market faster.

Employers request that applicants have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science or software development and extensive scripting experience. DevOps engineers should have in-depth knowledge of at least one cloud platform such as AWS or Azure and be proficient in languages like JavaScript, Ruby, or Python. Experience with CI/CD systems like Jenkins and Git are a must; ICAgile and Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certifications are a plus.

Cloud Architect/Engineer

18,000-21,000 lira

Cloud architects or engineers design cloud infrastructure, strategy, and architecture. They determine how cloud can be utilised within a company to solve complex business problems and to uncover opportunities that cloud technology provides. Cloud security architecture is a growing specialisation within the field as more enterprises prioritise managing and securing large amounts of data. Cloud architects work closely with the IT and R&D teams to implement cloud-based solutions and monitor privacy and security issues.

Unlike many of the other top IT jobs in Turkey, a Bachelor’s degree in computer science is preferred but not always a requirement: extensive cloud technology knowledge and experience is requested as much as a formal degree in this fast-growing field. Cloud architects and cloud engineers must have experience in cloud computing technology like IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS and be familiar with virtualisation and database technologies. Microsoft Azure Solution Architect, AWS Cloud Architect, Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect, and IBM Cloud Computing Solution Architect certifications can strengthen your skills and prepare you for the role. 

Cybersecurity Engineer

10,000-13,000 lira

 Cybersecurity engineers and analysts keep a company’s servers, networks , and digital assets secure. With their in-depth knowledge of the cyberthreat landscape such as the latest developments in cybercriminal behaviour, malware, and cyberattacks, they can develop best practises to protect their IT infrastructure and data in the event of security breaches. Monitoring, reporting, and testing are an important part of a cybersecurity professional’s job; they can simulate security threats to identify weak spots and utilise encryption, firewalls, password protectors, and software solutions to address any potential threats.

Senior cybersecurity engineers often have a Bachelor’s degree, but entry-level positions prioritise certifications such as Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), CompTIA Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). While knowledge of coding is not usually required, it is necessary to have a deep understanding of security technologies, data protection frameworks, computer networks, software, hardware, and operating systems.

Scrum Master

6,000-17,000  lira

Scrum masters facilitate the use of scrum, an agile framework for product development that allows teams to work together more efficiently and continuously improve their work-flow. Scrum master and agile coach are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably within tech teams, with one key difference: scrum masters tend to work with a single team while agile coaches work with several teams as well as executives. Scrum masters facilitate meetings like the daily scrum as well as sprint planning meetings, reviews, and retrospectives. A scrum master intimately understands the ins and outs of their team’s daily work and can suggest improvements to the work-flow, recommend tools to solve specific problems, and even step in to solve problems that a team member is struggling with.

A Bachelor’s degree in business administration or IT is preferred, but not required. Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), and Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certifications are popular training courses that cover agile and scrum principle