Jobs in High Demand in the Netherlands in 2023

Are you looking for a job in the Netherlands? Jobs with high demand offer the best chances for employment, especially for foreigners since they usually can’t compete with local and EU applicants. Hence, less-needed jobs are very competitive.

The Netherlands has become an attractive place for expats, especially from the UK and the US. English proficiency is one of the highest in Europe. Hence, it shouldn’t be challenging to find a suitable job.

If you want to move to the Netherlands without a job, check out our guide on how to do it.

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Yet some jobs might simply be too competitive, and you won’t stand a chance of getting a vacant position. Applying for one of the highly sought-after jobs will significantly improve your chances of success.

Most In-Demand Jobs in the Netherlands in 2023:

  1. Jobs in green sector – agriculture
  2. Jobs in constructions
  3. Jobs in retail
  4. Financial and legal jobs
  5. Hospitality jobs
  6. Jobs in IT
  7. Industrial jobs
  8. Jobs in installation
  9. Government jobs
  10. Cleaning jobs
  11. Jobs in transport and logistics
  12. Jobs in vehicle service
  13. Jobs in healthcare

Amsterdam is by far the most internationally diverse city in the Netherlands. With a small population of about 17.5 million people, more than 3 million have a foreign background. If you are looking for a job in this European country, it’s better first to consider occupations in high demand. They provide good job opportunities.

This list of jobs will give you the best chances of getting hired in the Netherlands. Below you will find thirty occupations for which the chances of employment are currently high.

The occupations are grouped by the degree of education you need to be able to get a job. Curious about what your salary will look like in the Netherlands? Read this article.

Which jobs are in high demand in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands is one of the best places to work in Europe. Many expats, especially from the UK and the US, are looking to evolve professionally by working as international experts in the largest Dutch cities.

Salaries in the Netherlands are a bit lower than in the countries mentioned above, but you can build a career regardless and have a high standard of life.

In the Netherlands, the most significant number of open vacancies have been seen among these professions:

  • engineering
  • health and public service
  • financial services
  • IT
  • project management
  • research
  • hospitality
  • construction
  • education
  • science & research

Hence, expats specializing in these job sectors may have more success finding employment in the Netherlands.

High-demand jobs in the Netherlands and level of education

The most in-demand jobs in the Netherlands in 2023 are divided into different categories, depending on the degree of education you need for that position.

1. Jobs in high demand with no specific education

To work these jobs in the Netherlands, you don’t need a particular education level, yet, some certificates might be required. Usually, people after primary or high school work at such jobs. In the Netherlands, this level of education is considered up to and including MBO level 2.

  • cleaning jobs
  • truck drivers
  • loaders and unloaders
  • trainers and sports instructors
  • packers

2. Jobs with middle level of education – trade

These jobs require applicants to go at least through vocational training. The education should be equal to one of the Dutch qualifications such as HAVO/VWO, MBO-2, MBO-3, or MBO-4.

  • mechanics of industrial machines or agricultural machines
  • sales man
  • carpenters
  • painters
  • plumbers
  • sales associates
  • electrical equipment installers
  • sales representatives

3. Jobs in-demand with a university degree

Finally, candidates with a high degree in IT have the best chances in the Netherlands. Most expats and foreigners living in the Netherlands usually have a university degree since it’s also the main requirement to get a Dutch residence permit to work. 

  • software developers
  • advertising and marketing specialists
  • business and organizational analysts
  • representatives
  • leadership positions in IT and communication technology

Source: Matchcare.

Moreover, in the Netherlands, jobs in demand fall mainly into the following categories:

  • Construction
  • Retail
  • Financial jobs
  • Legal jobs
  • Hospitality
  • ICT
  • Government jobs
  • Cleaning and sanitation
  • Transport and logistics
  • Vehicle technology and service
  • Healthcare

They are also divided into:

  1. Jobs with no specific education
  2. Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman
  3. Jobs with an university degree or higher professional level
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1. Jobs in the green sector – agriculture

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Tractor drivers / contract workers / agricultural machinists
Pig farmers
(Foreman) gardeners / green space maintenance, tree caretakers, greenkeepers
(Skilled tree nursery workers
Skilled/self-employed cultivation employees, experts in cultivation and green technology
Cooperative foremen / team leaders / (assistant) managers in cultivation
Employees in seed growing and plant breeding
Inspectors of fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals

The personnel in this category must be well technically trained and know how to work with various machines. Demand is high, particularly for tractor drivers and agricultural machinists. Be aware that most agricultural companies in the Netherlands are often located in the countryside.

2. Jobs in construction

Jobs in construction have been in high demand for some time in the Netherland. It’s the most densely populated country in Europe, so more people cause more the need for housing.

Currently, there is a shortage of housing, and many buildings need to be made renovated.

Therefore, there is a great demand for technically trained professionals, technical, administrative personnel, and higher educated project leaders/constructors in this industry. These jobs include maintenance of roads and buildings as well.

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Carpenters / auxiliary workers in civil engineering
Medium professional level / specialized craftsmanship
Earth-moving machine operators (shovel/wheel loader, hydraulic excavator)
Crane operators (mobile crane)
Pavers, sewerage workers, civil engineering professionals
Boring operators (well drilling)
Pile-drivers
Scaffolders
Bricklayers
Roofers
Painters
Glaziers

Jobs in construction with a university degree or higher professional level:

Surveyors, project managers, land surveying
Planners, interior designers
Civil engineers
Building inspectors, EP advisors, BENG* advisors
Soil researchers and remediators
Civil engineering consultants / designer-constructors
Project leaders in civil engineering
Building consultants, constructors, drafting technicians, BIM modelers
Project leaders in construction

*EP stands for Energy Performance; BENG stands for Nearly Energy Neutral Building.

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3. Jobs in retail

We always will be buying food and other things of first need. Hence, supermarkets and food stores are also high in the Netherlands. Not only do food retailers need personnel, but also electronics, kitchens/bathrooms, and construction shops.

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Sales staff
Bread bakers (including industrial bakers)
Sales assistants in food retailers
Opticians, optical sales assistants
Electronics, kitchen/bathroom salespersons
Sales assistants in construction markets

Jobs in retail with a university degree or higher professional level:

  • Managers, supermarket managers

Read next: What is a good salary in the Netherlands?

4. Financial and legal jobs

Most jobs with high demand in finance and law require at least a Bachelor’s degree.

Mainly, there is a high demand for accountants. Dutch employers are also experiencing a shortage of tax advisors.

Companies also need people with knowledge of reporting and data for business intelligence (BI). Furthermore, Customer Due Diligence (CDD) specialists are hard to find.

Financial administrators, payroll administrators
Insurance advisors, claims handlers, underwriters insurance company
Loan officers, mortgage advisors
AA and assistant accountants, chartered accountants
Tax consultants
Compliance officers, customer due diligence
Lawyers, legal advisors, junior civil law notaries

4. Hospitality jobs

You might think that hospitality jobs are relatively low in demand with all this pandemic mess, but not really. It did get hit by the crisis, but businesses still operate and need workers. Mainly, cooks and service in bars are in high demand.

Jobs with no specific education or vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Workers in fast service (e.g., snack bars, ice cream, lunchrooms)
Waitresses, bar staff
Restaurant cooks
Hotel receptionists

Jobs in hospitality with a university degree or higher professional level:

  • Managers/entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry

5. Jobs in IT

There has been a high demand for IT employees in Dutch companies for several years. With such a job, you have the opportunity to work from home. Among others, data scientists, programmers, and developers have the best career chances.

Jobs in IT with vocational qualifications or apprenticeship:

  • IT service desk admin

Jobs in IT with a university degree or higher professional level:

IT specialists, data analysts, data scientists
Software consultants ERP / CRM
Database administrators
Network administrators
IT architects, system developers
Programmers and developers of specific languages (e.g., .NET, Java, C#, PHP, javascript)
Security specialists
Web developers (back-end/technical)
Software testers, test managers
Technical infrastructure specialists and network engineers

6. Industrial jobs

Many country’s leading companies are in the industrial and production sector. Hence, there is a high demand for technical, qualified personnel in that area. Mechanics, machinists, welders and operators, work planners, designer-constructors, and project leaders are hard to find in the Netherlands.

Nonetheless, work in the industry has become more automized by high-tech machines and technology. Robotization and automation are increasing the demand for personnel with IT skills, people who can analyze data, and tech-savvy individuals.

Jobs with no specific education:

  • Paint and lacquer sprayers
  • Assembly workers

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Assembly fitters
Pipefitters
Sheet metal workers
Any type of construction workers
Machinists
Welders
Yacht builders, ship carpenters
Process and food industry operators
Industrial mechanics

Industrial jobs with a university degree or higher professional level:

Research & development (R&D) managers
Production planners/managers
Mechanical engineers
Teams leaders
Process, food technologists, product developers in the process industry
Chemical, biochemical and microbiological analysts
Industrial designers (technical)
Industrial automation designers, PLC programmers, embedded software engineers
Project leaders
Quality assurance personnel

6. Jobs in installation

Dutch labor market has experienced a high demand for construction and installation workers for some time now. Yep, maintenance of installations remains necessary for many technical and non-technical items.

The country also has plenty of solar panels installed on houses’ roofs, plus charging stations for electric cars needs to be installed. Most jobs, however, are around housing in that area.

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Ground and cable workers
Gas and water fitters and pipelayers
Electricity network technicians
Telecommunications systems mechanics, fiber optics mechanics
Plumbers
Electricians
Installers
Security systems technicians

Installation jobs with a university degree or higher professional level:

Controllers / inspectors electrical installations
Designers of electrical and electrotechnical installations
Project leaders

7. Government jobs

The new Environment Act, introduced in the Netherlands on 1 January 2022, might cause an even higher demand for workers in the environment of Dutch municipalities. Moreover, there is a need for social workers and assistance.

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

  • Civilian employees
  • Defence workers
  • Non-military defence personnel, especially professions in electro engineering and IT

Government jobs with a university degree or higher professional level:

Social work professionals
Probation officers
Policy officers – administrative-legal, economics
Policy officers/managers – environment
Policy officers/managers – urban development
Urban designers, consultants, and traffic planners
Landscape architects
Hydrologists
Environmental inspectors

8. Cleaning jobs

Demand for cleaning workers exists in any country, not only in the Netherlands. But Dutch cleaners paid well (around 11 EUR per hour), and it’s an easy job to get as a foreigner with no skills and education.

Jobs with no specific education:

  • Cleaners (e.g. in offices, companies, hotels)
  • Specialized cleaners (industrial cleaners, emergency cleaners, cleanrooms)
  • Window cleaners
  • Pest controllers

Cleaning jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

  • Team leaders, cleaning managers

9. Jobs in transport and logistics

Jobs in transport and logistics remain in high demand in the Netherlands. People order online more and more, so there is always something to be delivered. Therefore, the need for warehouse workers, logistics workers, and delivery truck drivers are high.

Jobs with no specific education:

Forklift drivers
Shunters
Garbage collectors
Couriers/Food delivery
Co-drivers
Warehouse and dispatch workers

Co-drivers are also in demand for garbage trucks. There are plenty of vacancies for delivery drivers at all types of companies. In addition, some of the delivery drivers can work as self-employed workers or subcontractors.

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Truck drivers
Sailors in inland shipping
Logistics (administrative) employees
Warehouse managers
Forwarders, declarants, office export staff
Transport planners

Jobs in logistics with a university degree or higher professional level:

  • Train dispatchers

10. Jobs in vehicle service

The number of bicycles in the Netherlands is higher than its population. Hence, Dutch nations use this type of transport and a daily basis. Repairs, service, and maintenance all have to be done to keep a bike running. So if you are a bicycle mechanic, it’s one of the best places on earth to be.

Moreover, people use cars, buses, trains, etc. There are plenty of services needed, and demand for vehicle mechanics is stable in the Netherlands.

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Bicycle mechanics
Car painters
Car body repairers, car glass repairers
Car mechanics
Mobile equipment mechanics
Ship and train electricians and mechanics

11. Jobs in healthcare

Dutch healthcare sector has a significant personnel shortage. Nurses are in particular in high demand.

Jobs in healthcare with no specific education:

  • Domestic workers in home care

Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman:

Helpers in hospitals, nursing homes
Individual health care attendants (IG), maternity assistants
Residential care assistants for the disabled
General nurses
Pharmacy assistants
Dental assistants
Physician assistants
Orthopedic (prosthesis) technicians

Jobs in healthcare with a university degree or higher professional level:

Specialized nurses ( ambulance, emergency room, intensive care, oncology, cardiology, dialysis, pediatric ward, geriatrics, rehabilitation)
Nurses in psychiatry
General practitioner – mental healthcare
Physician assistants
Dental hygienists
Veterinarians
Skin therapists
Occupational therapists
Physical therapists
Speech therapists
Anesthesia and surgery assistants
Radio diagnosis technicians
Pathology analysts, medical microbiology analysts
Clinical psychologists
Specific medical specialists (e.g., geriatric specialists, emergency doctors, doctors for the mentally disabled, psychiatrists)
Company doctors
Pharmacists

Jobs with the highest number of vacancies

In the Netherlands, the following 50 positions currently have the most vacancies available:

  1. Mechanic
  2. IG nurse
  3. Work Planner
  4. Nurse
  5. Electrician
  6. Operator
  7. Service technician
  8. Salesperson
  9. Production worker
  10. Truck driver C
  11. Maintenance Mechanic
  12. Horticulturist
  13. Engineer
  14. Customer Service Representative
  15. Driver C
  16. Carpenter
  17. Landscaper
  18. Warehouse worker
  19. Machinist
  20. Painter
  21. Project Manager
  22. Technical Department
  23. Logistics Assistant
  24. Salesman
  25. Software Engineer
  26. Developer
  27. Supervisor
  28. Plumber
  29. Cleaner
  30. Manager
  31. Helping personal
  32. Salesperson
  33. All round mechanic
  34. Pedagogical worker
  35. Filling crew member
  36. Executive
  37. Installation technician
  38. Analyst
  39. Account Manager
  40. Mechanical Engineer
  41. Accounting Assistant
  42. Electrical Engineer
  43. Accountant
  44. Construction Banker
  45. Apprentice Mechanic
  46. Process Operator
  47. Welder
  48. Technician
  49. Java Developer
  50. Consultant

Source: werkzoeken.nl

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Top Jobs in the Netherlands for Foreigners in 2023

Engineers

Similar to Germany, the Netherlands has a long tradition in high-tech engineering, innovation, and science.

According to statistics, about 13% of all job listings in the Netherlands are for engineers. It’s the second-highest demand for engineers globally. In all Dutch cities, technical specialists in almost all areas are sought after, including project, electrical, mechanical, or civil engineers.

Furthermore, specialists in renewable energy and agriculture have excellent career opportunities. The Netherlands has a leading position in offshore wind energy, biomass processing, and greenhouse farming.

Plus, the government plans to generate at least 40% of all electricity from sustainable sources by 2050.

IT specialists

Well-trained and experienced software engineers and programmers with various programming languages are highly valuable assets for every business. With more and more tech companies arising on the market, demand for IT-savvy people increases. In 2020, the number of vacancies in that field was 37,000.

In fact, the IT sector is one of the fastest-growing in the Netherlands.

Notably, the combination of IT skills and other knowledge (e.g., security, health, education) is highly sought after. Whether you want to work in government, business, or education, a degree in computer science will most certainly get you a job in the Netherlands.

Healthcare specialists

Also, similar to Germany and many other European nations, the Dutch population is aging. The number of older people (65+) will double by 2040.

Soon, there will be a big gap between the demand in healthcare services and the supply of workers. If you are a qualified nurse or caregiver, you have good chances of getting a job as well as a secure future.

The Dutch healthcare sector has a particular demand for professionals in elderly care, dentistry, emergency, and mental health. However, most healthcare professions in the Netherlands have regulated professions, which means that access to the profession is regulated by law.

Foreign healthcare specialists will need to receive appropriate admission. It can be done by getting your foreign degree recognized in the Netherlands. The entire process might take several months, in some cases a few years.

Read next: What is a good salary in the Netherlands?

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