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.
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:
- Jobs in green sector – agriculture
- Jobs in constructions
- Jobs in retail
- Financial and legal jobs
- Hospitality jobs
- Jobs in IT
- Industrial jobs
- Jobs in installation
- Government jobs
- Cleaning jobs
- Jobs in transport and logistics
- Jobs in vehicle service
- 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:
- Jobs with no specific education
- Jobs with vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, or specialized craftsman
- Jobs with an university degree or higher professional level
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.
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:
- Mechanic
- IG nurse
- Work Planner
- Nurse
- Electrician
- Operator
- Service technician
- Salesperson
- Production worker
- Truck driver C
- Maintenance Mechanic
- Horticulturist
- Engineer
- Customer Service Representative
- Driver C
- Carpenter
- Landscaper
- Warehouse worker
- Machinist
- Painter
- Project Manager
- Technical Department
- Logistics Assistant
- Salesman
- Software Engineer
- Developer
- Supervisor
- Plumber
- Cleaner
- Manager
- Helping personal
- Salesperson
- All round mechanic
- Pedagogical worker
- Filling crew member
- Executive
- Installation technician
- Analyst
- Account Manager
- Mechanical Engineer
- Accounting Assistant
- Electrical Engineer
- Accountant
- Construction Banker
- Apprentice Mechanic
- Process Operator
- Welder
- Technician
- Java Developer
- Consultant
Source: werkzoeken.nl
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?
