Salary analysis in the IT sector of Armenia plus open vacancies in the TOP10 IT companies

Today I decided to continue the story of the Armenian technological sector. But this time I will touch upon the burning topic of wages, as well as the currently open vacancies in well-known and developing technology companies in Armenia. Perhaps this small guide will help developers and programmers at the junior, middle, senior and team lead levels to prioritize the choice of country for professional activities.



First of all, I will draw your attention, dear readers, to a fairly inexpensive life in the country with fairly high salaries in the information technology sector. It is safe to say that they do not comply with the general rules of the labor market in Armenia, their level is much higher than the average income in the country. Yes, I will not argue, the Armenian salary is incomparable with remuneration, for example, in Germany or the USA, but the living expenses here are completely different. Let's get it right.

The level of average earnings of IT specialists in Armenia

The salaries of developers in Armenia, Belarus and Russia are comparable, and not so far from each other in terms of indicators. Next, I will visualize the analyzed figures and compare them with earnings in Belarus, Germany, Russia and Ukraine (in USD per month):





Why did I get averaged data? The fact is that Armenian companies do not disclose salary information, the indicators of which we use in the article. They are based solely on data provided by Meettal, the largest recruitment agency in Armenia.



It would seem that the numbers are not so impressive, especially for junior employees, but there is an important feature and, one might even say, Armenia’s advantage over other countries - life here is much cheaper, which makes it good for mid-level professionals and Team Lead to make good money.



If we consider the “net” income, then the Armenian IT specialists on average get on hand:

• Junior employee - 580 USD;
• average - 1528 USD;
• Senior - 3061 USD;
• team leader - 3470 USD.

And here I want to focus more specifically on how large this amount of earnings is for the IT specialist of Armenia. The fact is that the average cost of one resident of the capital of Yerevan is about 793 USD. Moreover, the amount includes not only everyday expenses and rental housing, but also a variety of entertainment, leisure costs, etc. And given that in Yerevan there are areas with fairly comfortable housing at a low rental cost (I wrote about this in detail in a previous article about Armenia ), IT people here can save significant amounts of money. Of course, a lot depends on a particular person and his ability to handle finances, is not it?

How does Armenia differ from other countries in terms of wages in the IT sector?

Here wages are always discussed in terms of remuneration at home and is a priority issue in interviews with applicants. Some companies in the country enjoy tax benefits, such as startups. Payroll tax varies from 10 to 30%. About other nuances of Armenian employers in the field of IT:

• here it’s not customary to talk about the annual salary, as is done in the USA or Europe;
• salary is not public information - only a few companies mention the expected salary on bulletin boards or websites;
• the gap between junior and senior salaries is huge compared to the gap in the USA or Europe - the average salary of a junior employee is 6 times lower than that of a senior;
• Armenia's technology sector is a relatively small labor market. The percentage of developers among the entire working population is quite high, but there is still a shortage of specialists to meet all the needs of the sector. That is why in some cases the company is more focused on a particular engineer and his / her skills, as well as how they can be applied in the company. But in no case for an open position and internal level of the company;
• all salaries announced in advance;
• paid in cash, not stocks and options. BUT there are companies that have similar advantages - Krisp, a startup in the field of background noise reduction, a Vineti startup in the healthcare sector, and the largest provider of VMware virtualization software.

In Armenia, there is one more thing that does not directly affect wages, but significantly contributes to the low cost of living. Yerevan is a small town, and the location of the office is rarely discussed with a potential candidate. While in Moscow, for example, in Russia, this information is usually mentioned when placing a vacancy. In a word, if your plans include working as an IT specialist in Armenia, you will have to independently determine the location of the company’s office.



And now I want to compare the above average indicators of the “net” income of Armenian IT specialists with other states, to which the salary in IT in Armenia is equal:



All data are taken from official sources that accumulate and analyze the level of salaries of technology companies in the world. And here the main difference between the developers, for example, Germany and other countries, is clearly presented - the German Junior and Middle receive not much less than senior specialists and team leaders, which can not be said about Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. In Armenia, the situation is the same - only with experience and career advancement you can significantly raise your own earnings.



It is imperative to look at the numbers, taking into account the context of a particular country and the cost of living in the city. I collected information about the average monthly expenses of an IT specialist on condition of living in the capital (data provided by the Numbeo portal):

• Armenia - 793 USD;
• Belarus - 848 USD;
• Ukraine - 1031 USD;
• Russia - 1524 USD;
• Germany - 1825 USD.

Based on this, we can see a turning point when a specialist can afford a comfortable stay, and even after paying all taxes and expenses he / she still saves almost half of his salary.



In Armenia, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, there is a common trend - with each additional year of work experience, the developer’s salary increases significantly. While in Germany the gap between the younger and older is not so noticeable. In Germany, even the lowest salary covers all needs, including rent.



Another interesting indicator is the amount that is not taken into account in the salaries of senior developers after taxes and needs. Namely:



Summing up the earnings of IT specialists in Armenia, we can say that the Armenian technology sector is growing steadily, the number of companies is also there, and the number of experienced developers is very limited. The lack of specialists leads to a constant increase in salaries, which can be considered one of the methods of attracting and retaining specialists in the company not only in Armenia itself, but outside it.



And then, as promised, we will consider the TOP10 companies of Armenia with open vacancies for IT specialists and without them.

Armenian Technology Sector Guide for IT Professionals

1. 2HZ is the company that founded the most famous Armenian startup Krisp in the world, an application for removing background noise in a conference call. The company's activity lies in combining artificial intelligence technologies and improving speech, audio and video products. Interestingly, the developers managed to ensure that the Krisp software processes incoming and outgoing sounds, as well as recognizes the human voice. Later I will describe in more detail the creation of this startup, and its special achievements.



Open vacancies: at the moment no, the team is staffed.



2. 10Web is a complete WordPress management platform with a full range of tools: from cloud hosting to page builder.



The software makes it easy to design, develop and run websites, as well as manage, optimize and maintain existing websites. 10Web supports tens of thousands of customers, from small to global enterprises. The company serves more than 1000 websites, its products are downloaded more than 20 million times.



Open vacancies:

• QA Automation Engineer;
• Senior Customer Service Specialist.

3. Aarki is an advertising platform that works with mobile app marketing using machine learning. Gives the widest customer reach. The company's global data centers process more than 300,000 requests per second. This data gives a deep idea of ​​the intentions of customers and their habits, needs, and then is used to build forecasts of user models and implement target products. This approach helps to grow and attract a large number of customers.



In 2018, Aarki ranked 19th in the Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 ranking, which ranks among the 500 fastest growing companies in North America with technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy technologies.

• Open vacancies: senior software engineer.

4. 360Stories is a platform and online community featuring 7,000 user-generated travel stories. Each of them is captured in high-resolution video or photographs with the ability to rotate 360 ​​degrees. Stories are complemented by local ideas written and tested by the team. As a result, the company began to show only Armenian sights. The Ministry of Culture of Armenia helped the company in the process of reaching the most famous places in Armenia. The 360Stories collection currently includes several cities and activities.



In addition to exploring the world in VR and AR, site visitors can buy one-day tours and attractions online in the directions presented on the site. 360Stories implements the tourism booking process and makes it more exciting.

• Open vacancies: at the moment no, the team is staffed.

5. ALL.me is an international IT company creating an ecosystem based on blockchain technology. The platform combines a social network for communication and content sharing, allowing all users to receive rewards for providing advertising space. This is a kind of internal market for trading goods and services among users using an internal digital resource, as well as an online wallet for storing and transferring ME coins. Yerevan branch of the company was opened in 2018.



Open vacancies:

• technical project manager;
• iOS developer
• Senior Developer Node.js;
• Android Team Leader
• SMM strategist;
• QA Automation engineers (mobile, web, backend).

6. AppearMe is a real-time, on-demand web application for mobile devices . The software contacts thousands of lawyers within minutes. This is the best way to find a lawyer in various cases: civil, criminal, business or family law. For professionals, this is the focus of user interests, where you can send an open case or take a pre-verified case.



Jobs in the Yerevan office of the company:

• JavaScript Developer;
• UI / UX Developer;
• SEO or content manager.

7. Click2Sure is a full-featured digital insurance platform that allows retailers, service providers, distributors and brokers to choose from 20 specially designed insurance products and use them at points of sale. The company offers automated claims processing and administration with full company lifecycle management. The startup’s headquarters is in Cape Town, and the Click2Sure development team is located in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.



Open vacancies:

• Backend Developer;
• Frontend Developer;
• head of development department;
• Leading QA Engineer.

8. DataArt is a global technology consulting company that specializes in creating software products and enterprise systems, services for the modernization of such systems, maintenance of production systems, digital conversion and development of innovations, as well as security testing services for a product or complete infrastructure. The company employs more than 2800 specialists in 22 locations around the world.



In 2019, DataArt announced the opening of a research and development (R&D) office in Armenia. The Yerevan office will support the company's activities in all areas, but will mainly focus on quality assurance (QA) and support, as well as business development. The office was fully commissioned in June 2019, and by the end of the year 30 people were already working on board.



Open vacancies:

• Frontend (Angular + React.js) Developer;
• Node.js Engineer;
• Senior Python Developer.

9. Digitain - the history of the company will return us to 1999. At that time, she began her activities as the National Lottery, then grew into an B2C affiliate and finally became a software provider, Sportsbook solutions provider, in 2004. Digitain is currently the leading provider of Omni-channel iGaming software solutions for online, mobile and terrestrial networks. Digitain multi-channel gaming platform allows operators to connect modules for Sportsbooks, casinos, real dealers and virtual sports, includes an integrated payment gateway, bonus engine, CRM system and special customer support. Sportsbook covers 35,000 live events every month, 65 sports in 7,500 leagues and over 3,000 betting markets.



The main focus of the company is on the regulated European market with expansion plans in the Americas, Asia. Digitain has more than 55 partners around the world, more than 400 land-based bookmakers on various continents, more than 1,400 employees.

In 2018, Digitain won the Rising Star in Sports Betting Technology at the Gaming Awards in Central and Eastern Europe.



Open vacancies:

• Software Development Architect / Consultant;
• Product Management Consultant.

10. GG - transport platform upon request, connecting drivers and passengers in all major cities of Armenia. It provides long-distance transfers, truck and tow truck services. The company was founded in 2014 and received investments from the Armenian venture company Granatus Ventures. Starting in Armenia, GG currently operates in Georgia (since 2016) and in Russia (since 2018), with more than 100,000 active users per month.



Open vacancies:

• Frontend Developer;
• iOS Developer
• Android Developer

Of course, physically and technically I can’t cover the full list of start-ups and technology companies in Armenia to give more information. This is just a short tour of the country's IT sphere for close acquaintance, as well as extra confirmation that it’s not only profitable, but also interesting for an IT professional to live and work in Armenia. Since the country is not only actively developing the IT industry, it also has incredibly beautiful landscapes, chic local flavor and a fairly inexpensive standard of living, which allows even mid-level professionals to feel free. I will also be glad to any questions from readers regarding IT in Armenia in order to provide the most detailed information about the state as a whole and about the IT sector in particular.