Portugal has a list of best employers: the Great Place to Work ranking, the only one in the country where employees themselves vote. More than 86,000 people from over 250 companies answer questions about trust in management, fairness and pride in their work. Taking part is voluntary and paid for by the companies, so Portugal’s largest employers, such as Sonae, Jerónimo Martins, TAP and the banks, are not on it. What it does have is a lot of international offices that hire foreigners. Xpat.Land went through the companies in the ranking to pick out those where an expat, or any newcomer without fluent Portuguese, has a real chance of getting a job. Here is what these companies are, what the work involves, what they pay and where to send your CV.
How to read the salaries
In Portugal, salaries are quoted gross (bruto), before deductions. 11% goes to social security, plus income tax, which rises with income: on €1,800 gross you take home about €1,400, on €3,000 about €2,000, and on €5,000 about €2,900. The year consists of 14 monthly payments: holiday pay and Christmas pay are paid separately. The minimum wage is €920 gross (€819 net), the average is €1,835, and the highest-paying sector, energy, averages €3,476. All figures below are gross per month. Companies don’t disclose salary ranges (except Amgen), so the ranges below are compiled from job ads and employee reviews and give an order of magnitude rather than an exact figure.
A general rule for all of them. Most companies on the list don’t accept CVs by email, only through their own careers portal. An English-language LinkedIn profile is a must: recruiters at Cisco, Amgen and Synopsys search for candidates there themselves. For IT, the two main local job sites are ITJobs.pt and Teamlyzer; the latter also has employee reviews and salaries.
International hubs: English is the working language, hiring from abroad
Amgen Capability Center Portugal — No. 4, 500+ employees
What it is. A global center of the US biopharmaceutical company Amgen, opened in Lisbon in 2021. It is neither a factory nor a lab: the people here serve the company’s European and global divisions in finance, procurement, data analytics, regulatory affairs, IT and marketing.
The work. Analysts, financial controllers, drug registration specialists, developers, coordinators with language skills. They regularly look for native speakers of Spanish, French, German and Italian. Hybrid; English is required, Portuguese is not.
The money. Amgen publishes salary ranges in its ads: a business operations coordinator with Spanish earns €21,800–29,500 a year, which is €1,560–2,100 a month (€1,200–1,550 net). Senior analysts and specialists earn roughly €2,500–3,500, managers from €4,000. Plus a bonus and health insurance.
How to get in. Look for vacancies on careers.amgen.com with the Lisbon filter; every ad lists a salary range, for example a coordinator with Spanish or a Salesforce developer. The office is in central Lisbon.
Synopsys — No. 9, 500+ employees
What it is. A US developer of software and ready-made building blocks for chip design. In Portugal since 2009, with more than 600 engineers in Lisbon and in Maia near Porto. They design chip interfaces, such as USB, PCIe and HDMI, that end up in smartphones and cars all over the world.
The work. Digital and analog design engineers, verification, FPGA, firmware. A relevant degree is required: electronics, microelectronics, physics. Vacancies are in English, Portuguese is not required; there are many internships for students.
The money. One of the best-paid engineering jobs in the country. Junior engineers start at €2,000–2,500, experienced engineers earn €3,500–5,500, and staff and principal levels above €6,000. Plus company shares and an annual bonus.
How to get in. There is a Synopsys Portugal page describing the teams, and open positions in Porto: they are currently looking for digital design engineers, business analysts and many others. For students there is a summer bootcamp and internships, applied for through the same page.
Swiss Post IT Campus — No. 1, 51–100 employees
What it is. The Lisbon IT center of the Swiss postal service, opened in 2023 because Switzerland was short of programmers. A year later it employed 59 people of 12 nationalities; by 2030 the company will add another 200 jobs here while cutting the same number in Switzerland.
The work. Development (Java, .NET, web), data analysis, business analysis, cybersecurity, all for Swiss Post’s internal systems. Teams work with colleagues in Bern; the working language is English, hybrid. The office is in central Lisbon, with regular trips to Switzerland for training.
The money. At the opening, the head of the campus promised “above-market” salaries. According to reviews and ads, experienced developers earn €2,500–4,500, seniors up to €5,000 and more. It is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Teamlyzer.
How to get in. There is a dedicated careers site, career-pt.swisspost.ch; on Teamlyzer the company is marked as “actively hiring”. The head of the campus is Nuno Pedro, and his interview gives a sense of who they are looking for.
Cisco — No. 2, 500+ employees
What it is. The US maker of networking equipment, in Portugal since 1995. Since 2007 its campus at Lagoas Park in Oeiras has handled sales for all of Europe, and since 2019 it has also housed a customer support center with engineers. It has been in the GPTW top three for sixteen years in a row.
The work. There are two main types. The first is operations roles: handling orders, partners and contracts for European markets; they hire people with languages and no technical background. The second is network support and consulting engineers, for whom Cisco certifications and experience are required. Hybrid (2–3 days in the office), English.
The money. Employees write in reviews about “salaries and conditions well above average”. Operations roles pay €1,800–3,000, engineers €2,500–5,000, seniors more. Plus an annual bonus, shares, insurance and paid certification.
How to get in. Vacancies are on jobs.cisco.com with the location Oeiras. For graduates there are Early in Career programs with a September intake: support engineer, developer, project specialist. For students there is a one-year internship that can be done at 24 hours a week. The interview process: HR, then two technical rounds.
Siemens Healthineers — No. 3, 201–500 employees
What it is. Siemens’s medical division: CT and MRI scanners, ultrasound and laboratory diagnostics for hospitals. It is part of Siemens Portugal, which is approaching 4,000 employees and runs one of the largest IT hubs in Lisbon.
The work. Field service engineers who travel between hospitals, sales and staff training specialists, support. English is the working language, but working with clinics requires Portuguese; in the group’s IT divisions you won’t need it.
The money. Service engineers earn €1,800–3,000; sales roles pay more thanks to bonuses. The main draw here is the Siemens benefits package: free canteens, an on-site gym and medical center, buses to central Lisbon, flexible hours.
How to get in. The group’s single portal is jobs.siemens.com: filter by Portugal and the organization Siemens Healthineers. Examples include an accounting intern in Amadora and an ultrasound sales specialist for Lisbon and Porto. CVs are not accepted by email, only through a profile in the system. Headquarters: Rua Irmãos Siemens 1, Amadora; general contact: infogeral.h.pt@siemens-healthineers.com. Vacancies at the parent company Siemens (the IT hub and shared services center) are on the same portal, for example an order manager with Spanish.
IT companies with international clients
Imaginary Cloud — No. 9, 51–100 employees
What it is. A Lisbon software studio with two more offices, in Coimbra and London. It builds products for British and American clients, from fintech to healthcare. The team is international, and it is consistently in the top five on Teamlyzer.
The work. Developers (web, mobile, backend), designers, QA, data engineers. English, remote-first with flexible hours; projects change every few months.
The money. €1,800–3,500 depending on experience; seniors up to €4,000. Health and dental insurance, paid sick leave.
How to get in. All vacancies: the company only hires people who live in Portugal or have the right to work here; there is a form for open applications. Currently open: senior developers (.NET, Node.js, React), QA, UX designers, data scientists. Office: Av. António Augusto de Aguiar, Lisbon; phone +351 213 860 577 (ITJobs).
JTA – The Data Scientists — No. 3, 51–100 employees
What it is. A Porto-based data and machine learning consultancy with clients mostly outside Portugal.
The work. Data analysts, data scientists, data engineers. The company stresses that it hires mathematicians, physicists, economists and biologists, and that programming skills are not required. English is a must.
The money. €2,000–3,500, seniors more.
How to get in. A page on Talent Portugal describes who they are looking for; vacancies are on jta.pt and LinkedIn.
Crossjoin Solutions — No. 5, 101–200 employees
What it is. A Portuguese company that speeds up IT systems for banks and telecom operators, with more than 30 clients in Canada, Latin America, the UK, Germany and elsewhere. Its hub is in Almada, next to the metro.
The work. Performance engineers, database specialists, DevOps. Frequent business travel; English is a must.
The money. €1,800–3,500 plus per diems on business trips.
How to get in. Its careers page is on Workable: there are no open positions at the moment, but open applications are accepted. For newcomers there is Crossmind Academy, a 3–6 month program with a mentor followed by a project; see the program description.
ICT Strypes — No. 7, 51–100 employees
What it is. The Portuguese arm of the Dutch ICT Group, developing software for European clients. Offices in Lisbon and Porto.
The work. Developers, testers, DevOps. English.
The money. €2,000–3,500.
How to get in. Office addresses and the contact of managing director Geert Eijkhout are on the ICT Group page; vacancies are on ict.eu and LinkedIn.
A way in without the language: hotels and logistics
Hilton — No. 5, 201–500 employees; InterContinental Lisbon — No. 1, 201–500 employees
What it is. Hilton is a chain with hotels in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, and it is now opening three more: near Lisbon airport, in Vilamoura and in Santo André. It is hiring around 325 people for them. The InterContinental is a five-star, 331-room hotel on Rua Castilho next to Eduardo VII Park, part of the IHG chain; it is the first hotel ever to top a category of the ranking.
The work. Reception, concierges, waiters, bartenders, housekeeping, management. In hotels of this level English matters more than Portuguese, and this is the fastest way to get your first contract in the country.
The money. Pay in the sector is low: frontline staff earn from the minimum €920 to €1,200–1,300, senior shift staff €1,400–1,800, managers from €2,000. On top of that come tips, night and overtime pay, meals and uniforms.
How to get in. IHG Portugal (InterContinental Lisbon, Cascais-Estoril and Porto, and Crowne Plaza Porto) recruits through careers.ihg.com; there is also a page on Talent Portugal. Hilton recruits through jobs.hilton.com with the Portugal filter. Ranking profiles with a “Ver ofertas de trabalho” (See job offers) button: InterContinental, Hilton.
DHL — No. 4, 500+ employees
What it is. The German logistics giant: express delivery, warehouses, freight, and service points all over the country.
The work. Warehouse, sorting and courier jobs, with no Portuguese needed. Office roles (sales, customs clearance, IT) require the language and pay more.
The money. Warehouse and delivery: €920–1,200 plus night and overtime pay. Office: €1,500–2,500. The company has stayed in the ranking for years, which is rare for logistics.
How to get in. The portal is careers.dhl.com, location Portugal; there is a ranking profile that links to vacancies. Warehouse and delivery staff are also hired through Indeed and directly at the terminals in Lisbon and Porto.
Portuguese IT outsourcing: they hire foreigners, but read the contract
Noesis (No. 10, 500+ employees), Mind Source (No. 2, 201–500 employees), Olisipo (No. 10, 500+ employees), Logicalis (No. 10, 101–200 employees)
What they are. The largest consultancies in the country. You are on the company’s payroll but work on the client’s premises: at a bank, a telecom operator or a government body. The company sells your day to the client at one rate and pays you at another.
The work. Developers, testers, system administrators, analysts. They actively hire foreigners: the requirements are softer than at product companies, and there are hundreds of vacancies.
The money. Juniors earn €1,300–1,800, experienced staff €2,000–3,000. That is less than at Amgen, Synopsys or Cisco, because part of the rate stays with the intermediary.
Four questions to ask before signing a contract
- What language is used on the project? A vacancy in English doesn’t mean the client speaks English.
- What happens between projects? Some pay full salary while you’re on the bench; others pressure you to take any project or leave.
- What kind of contract is it? You are often offered a choice of fixed-term, permanent or “provision of services” (prestação de serviços). The last one means self-employment with no holiday pay or sick leave, which also matters for your residence permit. Insist on an employment contract.
- Which project exactly? People are usually hired “into a pool” and assigned later, so the team and even the city may turn out to be different from what was discussed at the interview.
For many foreigners this is their first Portuguese contract and their introduction to the market, and after a year or two they move on to product companies.
How to get in. All four have hundreds of ads on ITJobs and LinkedIn; ranking profiles with links to their recruitment pages: Noesis, Mind Source, Olisipo, Logicalis.
The gap between the minimum wage and a good engineering salary is five- to sixfold, and almost all the companies in the ranking sit in the upper half of that range. The strongest options for a foreigner are the centers of international companies: Amgen, Synopsys, Cisco and Swiss Post. English is the working language there, vacancies are open to candidates from abroad, and salaries are two to three times the national average. Hotels and logistics offer a quick start, and outsourcing is a compromise between the two. The only way to find out the exact figure is at the interview: in Portugal, asking about it is considered normal.
