Top 30 Highest Paying Jobs in Portugal
Portugal is known for being one of the most affordable countries in Western Europe. That doesn’t mean you can live there for free, though!
The good news is that there are plenty of high-paying jobs in Portugal for foreigners and citizens alike. Whether you’re an expat or a local, you can find valuable information on the best jobs to apply for in this guide.
Learn about 30 of the highest-paying jobs in Portugal below.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Portugal?
The average salary in Portugal is €2,750 per month or €33,000 per year. However, many jobs pay much more than that.
If you want to live well in Portugal, you can choose from several different positions. Here are the top 30 highest-paying jobs (some of which are also jobs in Portugal with visa sponsorship):
Average Salary: €5,830 per month
Salary Range: €2,8600-9,100 per month
What do medical directors do?
A medical director runs a hospital or other healthcare facility.
Those who work in the private sector, in particular, earn very high salaries because they have one of the most demanding jobs in Portugal. It takes a lot of work to keep a hospital running smoothly, after all.
Average Salary: €3,620 per month
Salary Range: €1,880-5,540 per month
What do chief information officers do?
Chief information officers are responsible for figuring out how organizations can use technology to improve processes and stand out from the competition. They may work alongside the company’s chief technology officer, or both jobs may be held by one person.
Average Salary: €4,570 per month
Salary Range: €2,240-7,130 per month
What do managing directors do?
Managing directors are also known as operations managers.
They manage day-to-day operations for an organization and report to the company’s chief executives to keep them informed. They may also help with client relations and sales processes.
Average Salary: €3,010 per month
Salary Range: €1,380-4,780 per month
What do e-commerce managers do?
An e-commerce manager handles all things related to online sales for an organization.
They may work for a company that operates entirely online or one that also has brick-and-mortar stores. In either case, they collaborate with sales, marketing, and customer service teams to keep customers happy.
Average Salary: €4,178 per month
Salary Range: €2,874-5,102 per month
What do software engineers do?
Software engineers create software programs. Their jobs involve writing code, designing, performing quality assurance, maintenance, and more.
They sometimes work in-house for one specific firm, but they can also work as freelance employees who take on clients from a wide range of industries.
Average Salary: €3,210 per month
Salary Range: €1,670-4,910 per month
What do machine learning specialists do?
Machine learning specialists work with large data sets, assessing, analyzing, and organizing them. They use the information they’ve gathered to create and enhance machine learning algorithms so devices can act independently.
Average Salary: €3,480 per month
Salary Range: €1,710-5,430 per month
What do digital marketing managers do?
Digital marketing managers work specifically with a company’s online presence.
They oversee campaign development and execution and collaborate with other teams to produce results. They also train marketing specialists on the latest industry best practices.
Average Salary: €5,110 per month MXN per month
Salary Range: €2,500-7,970 per month
What do finance directors do?
Finance directors create strategies that increase the company’s long-term profitability.
They also oversee other members of the finance team, such as accountants and analysts, and keep executives informed about how the business is doing financially.
Average Salary: €4,650 per month
Salary Range: €2,420-7,110 per month
What do advertising directors do?
Advertising directors manage all the processes that go into creating an advertising campaign.
They work with members of the marketing and advertising team to develop the campaign and then create a plan to execute it. They also gather data to measure performance and identify areas for improvement in the future.
Average Salary: €4,985 per month
Salary Range: €3,415-6,092 per month
What do big data specialists do?
As more companies learn about the importance of data analysis and begin incorporating it into their businesses, this will likely become one of the highest-paying jobs in Portugal.
Big data specialists collect and evaluate data and use it to create visualizations to help others understand the information and use it to make smarter decisions.
Average Salary: €3,110 per month
Salary Range: €1,620-4,760 per month
What do cybersecurity specialists do?
A cybersecurity specialist ensures a company’s virtual network has no security gaps that could make it vulnerable to hackers.
They also make changes to strengthen the network and ensure valuable data stays secure.
Average Salary: €6,350 per month
Salary Range: €2,380-10,900 per month
What do physicians do?
Physicians are patient care providers in clinics and hospitals throughout Portugal. They meet with patients to identify the cause of their symptoms and create a plan to help them feel better.
Like medical directors, physicians who work in the private sector tend to earn more than those in public hospitals/clinics.
Average Salary: €4,900 per month
Salary Range: €2,250-7,790 per month
What do hospitality managers do?
A hospitality manager typically works for a hotel or resort. They’re tasked with keeping the place running.
This job includes overseeing other employees and meeting with heads of various teams (such as the cleaning manager, the restaurant manager, the concierge, etc.) to give them the support they need to lead their employees.
Average Salary: €4,190 per month
Salary Range: €2,050-6,540 per month
What do construction project managers do?
Construction project managers are responsible for making sure projects are completed on time and according to the client’s requirements and expectations.
They assign tasks, monitor progress, and ensure employees are doing quality work. They may also handle responsibilities related to budgeting and scheduling.
Average Salary: €4,720 per month
Salary Range: €2,310-7,360 per month
What do sales managers do?
If you’re bilingual and speak English and Portuguese, the sales manager position is a good example of well-paid jobs in Portugal for foreigners. Sales managers supervise and work with other sales team members to meet or exceed their sales goals.
Average Salary: €3,567 per month
Salary Range: €2,469-4,349 per month
What do web developers do?
Web developers are similar to software engineers, except they work on websites instead of software solutions.
They write and edit the code needed to build websites. They also offer maintenance support to clients to help them update their sites as needed.
Average Salary: €1,419 per month
Salary Range: €1,250-2,500 per month
What do marketing project managers do?
Project managers work in various fields, not just construction. Marketing project managers, for example, oversee marketing campaigns and support marketing specialists in their roles.
There’s a lot of room for growth in this position, which means the average salary could be much higher than what’s shown above.
Average Salary: €4,460 per month
Salary Range: €2,190-6,960 per month
What do pilots do?
A pilot handles flying a plane, but they also handle everything that goes on before the plane takes off.
For example, they create and file flight plans, perform maintenance checks on the plane to ensure everything functions properly, and track weather patterns to understand how smooth or turbulent their flights will be.
Average Salary: €2,960 per month
Salary Range: €2,360-4,700 per month
What do air traffic controllers do?
An air traffic controller easily has one of the most demanding jobs in Portugal. They help pilots fly their planes out of the airport safely and efficiently, making sure they stick as closely to their flight schedules as possible (and making sure they don’t collide).
Average Salary: €4,337 per month
Salary Range: €3,083-5,243 per month
What do IT architects do?
Because there’s a growing demand for tech workers in Portugal, a career as an IT architect could become an example of jobs in Portugal with visa sponsorship.
As an IT architect, you would be responsible for evaluating a company’s virtual network and making sure it aligns with its goals and workflows. You would also build new networks or make adjustments to existing ones if needed to make them more accommodating and efficient.
Average Salary: €4,590 per month
Salary Range: €2,250-7,150 per month
What do IT managers do?
An IT manager is responsible for handling all of a company’s computer-related issues. They’re sometimes known as IT directors or information systems managers.
Average Salary: €2,960 per month
Salary Range: €1,450-4,620 per month
What do logistics directors do?
Logistics directors manage various factors related to timely product delivery. Their responsibilities include directing and managing transportation, scheduling, and making changes or improvements to the company’s distribution plan.
Average Salary: €1,240 per month
Salary Range: €1,034-1,625 per month
What do mechanical engineers do?
Mechanical engineers design, build, and repair machinery. There is a high demand for engineers of all kinds, including mechanical engineers, in Portugal, and the salary for this position is likely to rise in the next few years, so now might be a good time to change your course of study.
Average Salary: €11,500 per month
Salary Range: €5,630-17,900 per month
What do heart transplant surgeons do?
Heart transplant surgeons extract a healthy heart from a cadaver and replace a sick person’s heart with it. Their job is extremely complicated, which explains why their average salary is so high.
Average Salary: €11,700 per month
Salary Range: €6,100-18,000 per month
What do orthopedic surgeons do?
Orthopedic surgeons also have very complex jobs — they operate on patients’ bones, joints, and ligaments — and their position is among the highest-paying jobs in Portugal as a result.
Average Salary: €4,270 per month
Salary Range: €1,960-6,790 per month
What do chief human resources officers do?
Also known as chief people officers, chief human resources are responsible for managing all personnel at a particular company. Their job includes recruiting and hiring, as well as training and creating plans to increase employee engagement and morale.
Average Salary: €4,870 per month
Salary Range: €2,518-7,663 per month
What do insurance managers do?
Insurance managers work for insurance businesses. They oversee day-to-day operations at the business, including supervising employees, working with clients, and handling responsibilities like scheduling and payroll.
Average Salary: €4,830 per month
Salary Range: €2,220-7,680 per month
What do pharmaceutical managers do?
Pharmaceutical managers oversee day-to-day pharmacy operations.
They manage pharmacists and technicians, make sure medications are dispensed correctly, monitor inventory, and make sure the business is compliant with local laws and regulations.
Average Salary: €3,890 per month
Salary Range: €1,190-6,080 per month
What do communications directors do?
A communications director is similar to a public relations manager.
They handle all of a business’s communications with the public, from writing press releases to making statements on social media.
Average Salary: €4,520 per month
Salary Range: €2,080-7,190 per month
What do telecommunications managers do?
If you’re searching for English-speaking jobs in Portugal and have previous management experience, a job as a telecommunications manager is a good option.
Telecommunications managers oversee all phone and internet communications for a company and make sure these systems work correctly.
Want to work for the best-paying companies in Portugal?
There you are — the top 30 highest-paying jobs in Portugal. Whether you have decades of education and experience or are fresh out of university, you have plenty of options here.
When you’re ready to start your job search, GrabJobs offers a free tool that makes it easier than ever. With this tool, you can find English-speaking jobs in Portugal, job opportunities at the best-paying companies in Portugal, and much more. Try it out today.
Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash
