How to Hire Developers from North Macedonia

The shift toward remote-first development teams has fundamentally changed how we evaluate tech talent markets. While most companies focus on traditional outsourcing destinations, North Macedonia’s ICT sector is experiencing annual growth rates between 2.5% and 8%, creating a hidden gem for hiring exceptional developers at competitive rates.

As for North Macedonia, they scored 81/100 on the World Banks’ Doing Business Survey on Ease of doing business. 

With an annual growth rate between 2 and 15 percent over the last several years, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in North Macedonia is a promising area that smart hiring managers are already leveraging for their development needs.

Only 10% of the total number of surveyed engineers work remotely, while 42% of respondents said working remotely is a crucial factor when deciding to accept an offer. 

We strongly believe hiring remote developers from Macedonia may benefit your business in many ways, and here’s a sum up of our blog post:

1. How to hire Developers from North Macedonia

• Remote and Freelance developers from North Macedonia
• Tech Recruitment Agencies  
• Job Boards
• Outsourcing Companies
• Dedicated Teams

2. Why North Macedonian Developers are a Great Choice

• Vast knowledge and expertise
• Impressive hard skills and tech stack
• Education and background
• Excellent English skills

3. Average Developers’ Salaries in North Macedonia

Even though North Macedonia has numerous highly-skilled tech experts, hiring software engineers in this country isn’t that easy. The entire region’s IT market is incredibly competitive, which is why companies need to make the extra effort and strive to persuade developers and other technical specialists to consider joining them.

Hire Developers from North Macedonia

If you are considering starting a tech company in North Macedonia, you are most likely aware of the advantages, like 10% income tax. North Macedonian Prime minister, Zoran Zaev, is considering lowering income tax to 0% for tech companies as we are publishing this article. Let’s see how that goes.

The IT industry in North Macedonia is strong and continuously growing. Much like Serbia, North Macedonia has exceptional potential when it comes to the tech industry.

Hiring software developers and engineers in North Macedonia requires time, dedication, patience, and profound familiarity with the local market and communities.

The majority of IT professionals are tucked in current companies and are not actively looking for a new job opportunity. The businesses need to reach out to them, draw their attention, and gain their trust.

Remote and Freelance Developers from North Macedonia

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Macedonian Labor Law included legislation relating to remote working but only as a possibility and without any specifics on the manner and duration. However, some employers provide hybrid and flexible working within the employment agreement in order to give more flexibility to employees and as an employee benefit.

The regulatory environment continues evolving to support remote work arrangements. Remote work agreements are clearly defined, outlining the terms and conditions specific to working from a location outside the traditional office, providing legal clarity for international hiring arrangements.

As for freelance developers, 8.81% of tech professionals who filled out the questionnaire were in this category.

Remote jobs were becoming increasingly popular over the past few years, and their actual usefulness became apparent during the year 2020. Offering software engineers and developers the opportunity to work remotely, at least occasionally, represents a major advantage and qualifies a company as a desirable employer. 

Choosing to hire freelance or remote talent from North Macedonia would depend on your company’s exact needs and demands. These types of employment have some similarities, but they are not interchangeable, and business owners should thoroughly analyze their hiring needs before making the final choice. 

Tech Recruitment Agency

Hiring software developers and other tech talents from North Macedonia should start with building a recruitment strategy that agrees with the local market, its demands, trends, gaps, and necessities.

The most uncomplicated and efficient way to achieve successful recruiting and hiring plans, processes, and goals is by collaborating with a suitable recruitment agency. Finding a fitting staffing agency eases and speeds up sourcing, attracting, interviewing, hiring, and even onboarding tech candidates.

A proper recruitment process also leads to better employee retention and creates long-term benefits. A well-trained, informed, and competent tech recruiter is a worthy brand ambassador. Qualified third-party recruitment teams drive outstanding results when it comes to spreading the word, building employer brand, and engaging passive talent.

Job Boards

Once you choose to commence hiring software engineers and developers from North Macedonia, you will most likely utilize job boards to attract suitable candidates.

Job boards are an excellent way to distribute and promote open positions. There are a few popular job boards used in North Macedonia you could find helpful for your search of developers and tech professionals, such as Vrabotuvanje. However, most job boards include a variety of careers and are not focused solely on tech positions. Finding a job board centered around tech roles suits IT companies better and eases the sourcing and recruiting process. 

Omnes job board is precisely the type of page that focuses on the IT industry. In addition to it, our recruitment team already has an extensive database of software developers that might be the perfect match for your company. Your only task would be to provide us with information regarding your requirements, and our skilled tech recruiters will take charge of everything else. 

Our tech recruitment team will ensure that you receive a precise and unbiased insight about the top candidates. Using our job board and recruitment services is the most efficient way to get in touch with the most qualified tech professionals.

Outsourcing Companies

Countless organizations choose to outsource development. Outsourcing to North Macedonia is potentially a great solution. Technical staff from North Macedonia is highly-skilled in programming, software testing, and designing websites and applications.

On the other hand, most of the surveyed developers and engineers stated they would like to focus on expanding their knowledge of Python, which corresponds with the global trends and tech industry inclinations worldwide.

Dedicated Teams

The Agile approach’s popularity has helped numerous businesses remain well-organized, punctual, successful, and competitive. Most IT companies have embraced the Agile methodology, which indicates that their developers have strong diligence and job integrity and are managing to work expeditiously and meet all deadlines.

Prosperous development teams engage each member and encourage them to work together and deliver the best products. Tech companies are paying attention to inside branding. They often organize team buildings and similar events that bring the team members closer.

Also, many companies care about their employees’ professional growth and improvement, which is why they regularly provide training and educational budget for their dev teams.

Hiring software developers from North Macedonia will increase your company’s efficiency, enhance productivity, help you save time and resources, and enable you to build and maintain high-quality software products. 

Vast Knowledge and Expertise

As we said, employers from the US and Western Europe can encounter numerous highly skilled developers and tech experts in the Balkans.

Almost 39% of surveyed developers stated they worked as Full-Stack developers, and 18.47% were focused on backend development. 

Strong Technical Foundation

The country has a well-established education system, with more than 80 high schools emphasizing languages, mathematics, and science, along with 22 universities producing a steady pipeline of ICT professionals.

Self-directed learning and free tutorials (36.21%), as well as higher formal education (32.01%), are the primary sources of knowledge for the Macedonian developers. This commitment to continuous learning means you’re hiring developers who stay current with evolving technologies.

Certification and Professional Development

42.14% of the developers own a specific Certificate of knowledge, and 32.04% are actively looking at options for certification. This proactive approach to professional development indicates developers who understand the importance of validated skills and staying competitive in the global market.

Excellent English Skills

Not only tech professionals, but most people in North Macedonia and Balkans, in general, have high English proficiency. There is no such thing as a language barrier when it comes to collaborating with developers and software engineers from this region.

The schooling system works in such a manner to support and promote learning languages. Parents also play a significant role and encourage their kids to learn English from a young age.

In addition to it, many software engineers and developers from North Macedonia already had the opportunity to cooperate with foreign companies, teams, and clients, which strengthened their English skills and communication skills. 

Cost-Effectiveness That Actually Makes Sense

Competitive Salary Structures

Let’s talk numbers. The average salary for a Software Developer in North Macedonia is $33,800 per year, with entry-level positions starting at $20,280 – $27,040, while experienced professionals can earn up to $40,560 – $60,840.

Local salary data shows software engineers in Skopje earning between MKD 55,625 to MKD 104,479 annually, which translates to competitive rates for high-quality development work. But here’s the key insight: there is a significant difference in the salary depending on the type of employer – foreign or domestic, meaning international companies can attract top-tier talent by offering compensation that’s competitive locally but cost-effective globally.

Infrastructure and Operational Advantages

North Macedonia has the best telecommunication networks in the region, with a 100% digital system. For development teams requiring reliable connectivity and modern digital infrastructure, this foundation eliminates the technical friction often associated with remote collaboration.

The business environment supports international operations with a streamlined and transparent business environment, featuring a simplified company registration process and an efficient regulatory framework.

Making the Strategic Decision

North Macedonia represents more than just cost savings—it offers access to a growing tech ecosystem with strong educational foundations, modern infrastructure, and a developer community focused on professional growth. The government has introduced various policies and incentives to support ICT sector growth, including foreign investment incentives, startup support programs, and initiatives to foster innovation.

The question isn’t whether North Macedonia can provide quality developers—the market data confirms it can. The question is whether your hiring strategy is positioned to leverage this opportunity before it becomes widely recognized.

Let’s discuss how North Macedonia’s developer market aligns with your specific technical requirements and project timeline. The combination of technical capability, cost-effectiveness, and strategic positioning makes this a conversation worth having now.

Ready to explore how North Macedonia’s developer talent can accelerate your projects? Our team has deep experience evaluating and onboarding development talent from emerging tech markets. Let’s map out exactly what skills and experience your next hire needs to drive your product forward.