Tech Talent Explorer 2026: AI and tech salaries in Italy

On the contrary, figures such as Network Engineers and Change Managers maintain greater stability with respect to automation processes. The AI-driven transition does not devalue human talent, but shifts its value towards decision-making capabilities, strategic vision and the ability to integrate systems into business processes.

On the salary front, the Italian market highlights a significant gap compared to other European countries, with an average salary of 41,590 euros for the roles analysed. This figure turns out 38% lower than the UK, 37% lower than Germany and 23.4% lower than France. In this scenario, the Change Manager confirms itself as the best paid figure in Italy, with an average of 72,270 euros, reflecting the growing corporate demand for profiles capable of leading organizational transformation. Followed by salary levels are AI Engineers (51,910 euros) and Solutions Architects (47,915 euros).

The analysis also highlights a disproportion in the supply of talent: if roles such as Project Manager, Software Developer and Data Analyst have consolidated availability, more vertical and specialized skills, such as DevOps, Cloud Engineer and RPA Engineer, are poorly spread, creating a competitive challenge for companies in the talent attraction phase.

Fabiano Peveralli, Director of Hays

As stated by Fabiano Peveralli, Director of Hays: “The Tech Talent Explorer shows how AI is changing the value of tech roles. Technical skills remain fundamental, but the weight of the skills that allow innovation to be transformed into concrete results is growing: For the Italian market, the challenge will be to increasingly enhance the profiles involved in the digital transformation, starting from the most specialized and less widespread skills, and invest in upskilling, growth paths and targeted attraction strategies”.