Barcelona's digital talent has increased by 6%, reaching nearly 130,000 professionals

Barcelona continues to strengthen its position as a leading European tech hub, incorporating 7,423 new digital professionals in 2024. This represents a 6% year-on-year increase, according to the 7th edition of the Digital Talent Overview 2025 report by Mobile World Capital Barcelona. With this growth, the city now counts 129,608 ICT specialists, equivalent to 6% of the total workforce in the Catalan capital.

The report highlights that new ICT jobs in Barcelona are growing six times faster than the city’s overall employment market, which only expanded by 0.96% over the same period. Moreover, one in three of these professionals comes from outside Catalonia, underlining Barcelona’s strong ability to attract global talent.

“Barcelona reaffirms itself as a capital of talent, with a great capacity to generate and attract professionals from all over the world”

Francesc Fajula, CEO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona

Share quote:

• X
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Whatsapp

Demand for ICT professionals remains strong. In 2024, a total of 35,008 job offers targeting digital talent were published in Barcelona, representing a cumulative increase of over 120% since 2018, when the study first began.

“ICT professions have established themselves as a real economic and employment engine for Barcelona. With almost 130,000 digital professionals, the city reaffirms itself as a capital of talent, with a great capacity to generate and attract professionals from all over the world,” said Francesc Fajula, CEO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona.

Digital Talent in Barcelona

Barcelona’s digital job market is evolving rapidly, with significant growth in both demand and supply for tech talent. In 2024, roles in Sustainable Computing (+166%), 5G (+80%), and Quantum Computing (+74%) saw the highest demand increases. Established roles like Cloud (+21%), Agile/Scrum (+24.5%), and CRM/ERP consulting (+14.9%) also remain strong. On the supply side, talent in Sustainable Computing grew by 265%, followed by New Space (+67%) and Quantum Computing (+47%), while more mature areas such as Blockchain, IoT, and 3D Printing saw slight declines. Meanwhile, core digital roles like web development, UX/UI, and mobile apps continue to be in steady demand.

Rising Salaries and Inclusive Growth

Salaries in the sector continue to rise. The average digital salary in 2024 reached €48,600, up 1.7% from the previous year and 44% higher than in 2018. The best-paid roles are in Cybersecurity (€61,200), AI (€57,500), and Cloud (€56,400)—which are also among those with the greatest talent shortages.

Female participation has reached a new milestone, with women now representing 31.59% of digital professionals in the city, exceeding both last year’s figure (30.6%) and the EU average (30.64%). The highest shares are in Digital Marketing (53.9%), UX/UI (44.2%), and Sustainable Computing (41.7%), though Blockchain (23.7%) and Cybersecurity (20.3%) remain below average.

The presence of digital talent is increasingly cross-sectoral, with 66% of ICT professionals now working outside the tech sector. Key areas include business services (10.6%), manufacturing (9.9%), and consumer goods (4.95%), showing the deep integration of digital roles across the economy.

To meet this growing demand, training programmes have expanded significantly. In the 2023–24 academic year, over 21,500 students enrolled in ICT university degrees, while vocational training in digital fields reached a record 18,425 students. In the past year alone, 3,960 vocational students entered the job market—nearly half in microcomputer systems and networks—reinforcing Barcelona’s role as a key generator of digital talent.

Source: Mobile World Capital Barcelona