The Information Technology (IT) Industry in Malta has long been on the rise, having peaked with the increasing number of Gaming companies setting up shop in Malta and opening a number of gaming vacancies in Malta over the past few years. In addition to a booming Gaming industry, IT Departments in Financial Services companies, as well as specialised IT Services companies heavily recruit individuals with skills in IT.

See Also: IT Jobs in Malta

IT Services companies, which most developers aggregate to, tend to be set up in one of three ways;

  1. Firstly, a number of local companies that were set up in Malta expand their function through international operations.
  2. Second is the opening of IT development functions, or an IT branch in Malta by international companies.
  3. And lastly is when international companies set up shop in Malta permanently – a strategy that as previously mentioned with popular within the gaming industry.

It is clear that proportional growth has followed the increase in IT companies in Malta, allowing for a large demand of technical talent. Mostly, software development professionals have benefited from this growth.

The following are the most sought after skills and tools on the market;

  • Development | C#, JAVA, PHP, Javascript & other front-end technologies | Microsoft technologies tend to dominate the market with larger, most established companies. So C# and other languages on the .NET framework are very popular. Java is becoming increasingly popular with software houses, while PHP and Javascript (together with its different flavours) with web development companies, and the smaller gaming companies.

  • Quality Assurance | Software testing - functional & automation | Within the last 2-3 years we have seen a number of companies moving into the Automation side of testing, calling for experience in technologies such as Selenium, Cucumber or Gherkin, and automated test frameworks like Junit and SoapUI.

  • Systems Administration and Engineering | Windows & Linux | As discussed, Windows seems to be the dominant OS for most companies, however Linux with its different flavours is also increasingly on the rise (Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, Redhat, etc)

  • Database Management and BI | MS SQL, MySQL & Oracle for database administration, while knowledge in SSAS, SSIS and SSRS and other BI related tools are increasing in demand due to the global growth of Big Data and Data Analytics.

  • Information Security | Another growing field that brings with it exciting new opportunities. Mainly for senior network professionals looking to specialise or IT Risk Audit professionals looking to move into a more technical role. Certifications that are sought after here are CISA, CISM and Ethical Hacking.

Due to the high demand and limited supply of local IT professionals, salaries and benefits are in general significantly higher than averages in other industries functioning on the Maltese Islands. Taking into consideration a lower cost of living than other European countries, as well as the fact that salaries are constantly on the rise, individuals looking to work in IT find themselves in an advantageous position.

With a recent survey ranking Malta as one of the Top 3 Destinations for expats, there is a strong expat presence spilling from all over Europe that is on the increase. Sporting 300 days of summer, a rich heritage and multicultural population, Malta and its sister island Gozo are most definitely an expat’s dilemma - both lined with sandy and rocky beaches and a number entertainment venues.

Other benefits for expats looking to relocate to the Maltese islands is a diametrically opposed economic growth of 6% when compared to other European countries. This, paired with the fact that English is a native language, Malta is the ideal location for IT professionals from Europe looking to relocate and take the next step in their careers.

Throughout the past couple of years, we have assisted a number of EU and non-EU candidates to relocate to Malta. We provide all the necessary information required to plan your move – TAX, cost of living, salary and real estate information. We have also assisted candidates in finding an apartment prior to their move to make the transition easier and smoother – leaving you to focus on enjoying your new job and the great weather!

If you’d like to find out more on Living & Working in Malta, the gem of the Mediterranean, download our brochure here.

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