What Jobs Are In-Demand in Austria in 2023?

Getting a job in Austria as a foreigner isn’t easy. It’s a small country with just 9 million people and a pretty small economy where English speakers might be limited in their career chances. Fast-growing fields with high demand for workers offer the best job opportunities for locals and expats. Therefore, if you are thinking about getting a job in Austria, you should know what professions are in demand at the moment.

Top in-demand jobs in Austria are in the following areas:

1. Tourism and gastronomy
2. IT
3. Health
4. Retail, trade, and e-commerce
5. Media, culture, and entertainment

Are you new in Austria or just planning your relocation? Job search might be your highest priority, and you don’t want to waste months looking for a dream job. Your best bet is to inform yourself about high-demand, high-growth job fields in the Austrian labor market so you can pick an area with the best outlook. This article explains the in-demand and shortage professions in Austria in 2023.

Also read our guide on getting a job in Vienna.

Top in-demand jobs in Austria in 2023

Austria is a thriving European country, with the magnificent capital Vienna where one can only dream of living and working in. However, even this prosperous place has its difficulties, for example, significant demand for workers and skill shortages.

The majority of unfilled vacancies are in construction, healthcare, tourism, hotels, restaurants, vehicle, and vehicle parts production, banking, and insurance. The demand for workers is also high in IT and engineering.

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1. Restaurant and hotel workers

The Austrian economy is highly service-orientated, with a constant demand for workers in tourism and gastronomy (COVID was an exception). The tourism and leisure industry are the main drivers of money in Austria.

The country receives more than 20 million visitors every year; hence, there is a constant demand for workers in that industry. Whether you are looking for a long or short-term position, Austrian tourism has endless job opportunities.

The majority of jobs are available in resorts, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and travel agencies. Applicants fluent in German and English have excellent chances.

Keep in mind that those jobs are typically pretty low-paid and less prestigious. Consequently, only a few Austrians are willing to take on such jobs making these sectors highly relying on foreigners.

In-demand jobs in tourism and gastronomy include:

• Cooks
• Waiters
• Bartenders
• Receptionists
• Tourism clerks
• Event managers
• All types of hotel jobs
• Jobs in wellness

In addition, there are a variety of career opportunities in other sectors related to tourism, e.g., hotel business, IT and tourism, management, marketing, travel organization, event management, and tourist transportation.

2. IT professionals

IT is a number one field with a high number of in-demand jobs in almost every country. In Austria, you can easily find a job in all IT areas, including:

• Software
• Databases
• Hardware
• IT management
• IT consulting
• Support
• System software and system support
• And even sales, distribution, and marketing of IT products

3. Health professionals

Plenty of health and medical jobs are on the in-demand list in Austria. The healthcare field includes not only medical professions but also medical-technical staff and jobs in health promotion and preventive care.

In-demand jobs in health include:

• Nurses
• Doctors
• Medical-technical staff
• Nurse assistants
• Paramedics
• Massagists
• Wellness and fitness jobs

4. Retail, trade and e-commerce

Not only do various retailers need workers, but the online shopping industry has been transformed by new technologies and requires more professionals knowing this field.

Employees are needed in all areas of the retail industry, from marketing and advertising to logistics. In the future, there will be even more demand in areas of e-business and e-commerce, purchasing and logistics, information and media, and advertising.

You can find great career changes in those areas of trade:

• E-business and e-commerce
• Purchasing and logistics
• Export
• Information and media
• Marketing
• Sales and distribution
• Advertising and public relations

5. Media, culture and entertainment

Like e-commerce, online media is becoming widely relevant in the Austrian economy, creating countless new jobs.

These include everything from web designers to social media managers. The advantage of these jobs is the ability to work in English. Moreover, Austria is well known for its cultural scene; hence, there are always jobs to be filled. Here are some areas to work in:

• Film, video, and sound recording
• Graphics and photography
• Cultural and event management
• Media and art
• New media
• Radio and television
• Theatre and music
• Advertising and public relations
• Newspapers and publishing houses

6. Technicians

Technicians are needed almost in all Austrian industries. For instance, this can be in medical or electrical engineering.

7. Assistants and office workers

Assistants and office clerks are needed everywhere. Whether it’s a university, a law firm, or an industrial corporation, every business depends on office staff who conscientiously complete administrative and organizational tasks.

However, you most likely will need to be fluent in German for such a job.

Skills you need to master

Particular jobs require you to master specific skills. For instance, soft skills are needed in all areas. You also need to know German on some level to get and keep a job in Austria successfully.

While working in Austria, you must have decent communication skills, customer focus, the ability to handle stress, take responsibility, and meet deadlines.

To work in healthcare, you will need to get your qualifications recognized by Austrian authorities, which can take some time. In addition to medical expertise, the most important qualities required are the ability to cope with frustration and good communication skills.

For all other jobs, it’s better if you have some experience behind. Austrian employers often ignore foreign applicants due to the steep learning curve they have to go through, so the more you bring to the table, the better your chances are.

Austrian job market

There are about 3.9 million employed people and only 340 thousand unemployed in Austria. Officially, about 650 thousand are currently working, and more than half of them (about 350,000) have European or Swiss passports. Other foreign works belong to non-EU countries, mainly from the Balkans, Turkey, Russia, etc.

The unemployment in the country is about 7%. About 67% of employees work in services, 28% in the industry sector, and 5% in agriculture.

Some trends in the Austrian labor market:

• The number of employees with school-leaving qualifications (e,g. trade) decreases year by year. At the same time, the number of Austrian graduates of universities, colleges, academies, and universities of applied sciences is continuing to grow.

That means, that more jobs where no university degree is needed will be left empty, employers are and will struggling to find qualified workers with vocational skills.

In addition, the shortage of particular workers makes it harder for Austrian employers to fill the vacancies with qualified candidates.

Changes in Austrian immigration law from October 2022

From October 2022, working in Austria has become easier. To make the employment of non-EU citizens more accessible and straightforward, the Austrian government implemented some changes to immigration law in October 2022.

That said, the application process for a Red-White-Red – Card or EU Blue Card will be more quickly in the future.

For example, IT professionals can now work in Austria on EU Blue Card without official related studies; they just need three years of work experience. 

Minimum salary

Previously, Austrian authorities required an EU Blue Card with a minimum salary of at least 66,593 EUR per year for applicants to grant a residence permit. Now, this threshold was reduced to 44,395 EUR gross per year. 

Furthermore, an applicant category Key Workers has two different wage requirements: one is for people below the age of 30 and one for 30 and older. Now, the government has eliminated a higher minimum salary for applicants who are older than 30. Now people of age have to present a salary of 2,835 EUR and above. 

Besides that, the minimum salary for graduates of Austrian universities isn’t longer applicable. Now, they must have a wage that corresponds to related collective agreement and common local pay.

You can read more about these changes on the official website.

Jobs with skill shortage

The shortage of skilled workers in Austria is a serious economic problem. In many sectors, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to fill vacancies with suitable candidates.

Austria is not alone in this boat; several other European countries experience a shortage of workers in particular professions. These are mainly trade jobs that require one to have a vocational qualification. The shortage of highly educated university graduates is less significant.

An official list of skill shortage jobs is published and edited on the state-run website Wko.at. Professionals from that list are qualified for an Austrian work residence permit – Red-White-Red Card. If you are fortunate to possess one of those qualifications, you will benefit from a simplified immigration procedure.

To get a Red-White-Red Card, skilled workers must prove completed vocational training as a minimum and a corresponding job offer. Plus, they need to collect the required amount of points as part of point-based immigration.

The list of nationwide shortage occupations in 2022:

• Blacktopers
• Agricultural machinery builders
• Roofers
• Technicians with higher education (Ing.) for heavy current engineering
• Graduate engineer(s) for heavy current technology
• Plasterers
• Technicians for heavy current engineering
• Concrete builders
• Technicians with higher education (Ing.) for data processing
• Carpenters
• Plumbers
• Graduate engineers for data processing
• Technicians with higher education (Ing.) for mechanical engineering
• Doctors
• Tile layers
• Plumbers
• Certified health and nursing care workers
• Pipefitters, pipe assemblers
• Graduate engineers for light-current and communications engineering
• Electricians, electrician fitters
• Welders, cutting torches
• Accountants
• Lathe operators
• Mechanical engineering graduates
• Millers
• Opticians
• Technicians with higher education not otherwise classified
• Technicians with higher education (Ing.) for civil engineering
• Floor layers
• Construction and furniture carpenters
• Locksmiths
• Bricklayers
• Civil engineers
• Mechanical engineering technicians
• Payroll clerks
• Woodworking machine operators
• Graduate engineers (various)
• Painters
• Motor vehicle mechanics
• Glaziers
• Locomotive drivers and heaters
• Building, sheet metal and construction fitters
• Rough mechanics
• Technicians for light-current and communications engineering
• Technicians for firing and gas engineering
• Restaurant cooks
• Painters, decorators
• Stove fitters, potters, oven fitters
• Technicians with higher education in technical chemistry, chemical technicians
• Plastics processors
• Technicians in economics
• Technicians in the building industry
• Toolmakers, cutters and punchers
• Traders and sellers of iron and metal goods, machines, household and kitchen appliances
• Chartered accountants
• Technicians not otherwise classified
• Butchers
• Bodywork and radiator mechanics
• Machine fitters
• Medical technicians
• Technicians for data processing
• Stonemasons, stone sculptors
• Furniture carpenters
• Nursing assistants
• Nursing assistants

What is the Red-White-Red card?

The Red-White-Red card is a residence permit that is based on the points immigration system and issued to non-EU nationals for 12 months. It can also be extended or exchanged on another type of residence permit.

To qualify, you must be highly qualified, a skilled worker in the occupation of listed above (shortage list), a self-employed key worker, or a graduate of an Austrian university.

Largest Austrian employers

The largest employers with the most employees include (numbered respectively):

1. OMV AG (energy supplier)
2. Porsche Holding GmbH (vehicles)
3. Strabag Societas Europa (construction)
4. Rewe International AG (retail of foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals, tourism)
5. Spar AG (foodstuffs, sports and fashion goods)
6. Voestalpine AG (metal)
7. Signa Retail GmbH
8. Borealis AG (plastics)
9. Benteler International AG (automotive)
10. Mondi Group (paper and packaging)

Other prominent players in the Austrian economy are:

• Strabag Societas Europa (construction)
• Trenkwalder Group AG (management consultancy and personnel placement)
• Raiffeisen Bank International AG (banking)
• Erste Group Bank AG (banking)
• ÖBB Holding AG (passenger and freight transport)
• Swarovski AG Gruppe (crystal)
• Novomatic (gambling)
• Wiener Krankenanstaltenverbund (health care)

Place	Company	Revenue (in mil. €)	Employees
1	OMV AG	23.461,00	20.127
2	Porsche Holding GmbH	20.200,00	31.900
3	Strabag SE	16.617,97	76.919
4	REWE International AG	15.290,00	94.764
5	Spar Österreich	13.063,00	85.0006
6	voestalpine AG	12.717,20	49.682
7	Signa Retail GmbH	8.500	46.000
8	Borealis AG	8.102,87	6.869
9	Benteler International AG	7.713,00	26.987
10	Mondi Group	7.268,00	25.900
11	ÖBB	6.945,10	41.147
12	BMW Group Österreich	6.941,00	5.224
13	Andritz	6.673,90	29.519
14	Red Bull	6.066,70	12.736
15	Magna Streyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG	5.783,81	8.138
16	Porr	5.570,30	19.828
17	Novomatic	5.100,00	30.000
18	Telekom Austria	4.565,17	18.344
19	Hofer KG	4.300,00	12.000
20	XXXLutz KG	3.900.00	22.500

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How much will you earn in Austria?

So by now, you have figured out what are the most in-demand jobs in Austria, but what about the pay? Here is some data for you.

In Austria, a good income is considered to be between 2,000 EUR and 3,000 EUR per month, which is about 40,000 EUR and 55,000 EUR before tax. Most jobs where a college degree is needed will provide you with a salary of that level.

Some better-paid employees with years of experience take home 3,500 EUR and more. In 2021, the average gross wage in Austria was 52,000 EUR which is 34,517 EUR after-tax or 2,800 EUR per month.

Here are average salaries in some of the in-demand jobs in Austria:

Job	Average salary per month (gross in EUR)
Hotel receptionist salary	1,650 / month
Cleaner (hotel, restaurant)	1,650 / month
Cook / Chef	1,900 / month
Waiter	1,700 / month
IT Analyst	2,400 / month
Frontend Developer	2,500 / month
Full-Stack Developer	3,500 / month
Project Manager	3,000 / month
Driver (car / truck)	2,000 / month
Civil Engineer	3,000 / month
Architect	3,000 / month
Mechanical Engineer	3,200 / month
Nurse	2,200 / month
Doctor (GP)	5,000 / month
Dentist	6,000 / month
Accountant	2,400 / month
Lawyer	4,000 / month
Real Estate Agent	2,200 / month
Sales Representative	1,800 / month
Financial Manager	3,200 / month
Designer	2,300 / month
Photographer	1,900 / month
Translator	2,200 / month

Average salaries across different Austrian sectors:

• Agriculture – €2,646
• Arts and culture – €2,945
• Banking – €4,227
• Cars – €3,405
• Commerce – €3,420
• Construction – €3,736
• Education – €3,110
• Electrical engineering – €3,580
• IT – €4,677
• Journalism – €3,101
• Law – €4,354
• Management – €5,313
• Marketing, advertising, and PR – €3,779
• Technology development – €4,807
• Textiles – €2,183
• Transport – €2,937

Highest average salaries

These jobs get paid the most in Austria:

• doctors (79,000 EUR)
• managers (73,000 EUR)
• financial experts (72,250 EUR)
• investment advisors or controllers
• lawyers (63,650 EUR)

Read a detailed guide about salaries in Austria.

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