How much do developers and QA engineers earn in Kazakhstan

Kolesa Group conducted a new market research study on IT specialists in Kazakhstan to understand how the market is changing, which areas are developing faster than others, and what factors are currently important to developers and QA specialists when choosing an employer.

The study was conducted in the format of an online survey and salary data analysis. It involved 575 specialists of various levels, from junior to head and director.

According to the results, more than half of the survey participants have significant professional experience. Specifically, 55% of specialists have been working in IT for more than three years. Men accounted for 83% of the respondents. Meanwhile, 67% of the study participants work in Almaty. The company emphasizes that these data reflect the profile of the study respondents, not the entire developer market in Kazakhstan.

The study also showed in which types of companies IT specialists most often work. Product companies are in first place, cited by 41% of respondents. Next come companies in the finance and banking sector — 28%. The third place is taken by outsourcing — 11%. Meanwhile, the share of product companies has increased by 3% compared to last year. Overall, 66% of specialists work in Kazakhstani companies.

Special attention in the study was given to work formats. According to the survey results, 37% of specialists work on hire in the office, and 35% work in a hybrid format, combining remote and office work.

The study also covered the topic of career structure and grades in companies. Today, 59% of companies use a grading system to evaluate and develop employees.

Compared to last year, the number of companies where grades are formed and used has increased by 5%. At the same time, the share of Middle-level specialists has increased by 9%. Additionally, there are more Middle-level specialists with more than five years of work experience.

Salary analysis showed that the income of most specialists is concentrated in the range of 600,000 to 900,000 tenge per month. At the same time, the highest salaries are observed among specialists in Backend and DevOps directions — they can reach and exceed 4 million tenge.

The study also notes an increase in companies' attention to bonuses and professional development of employees. Compared to last year, the number of companies offering annual bonuses has increased by 10%.

Furthermore, 38% of specialists undergo training during working hours at the company's expense, and another 16% study outside of work but with financial support from the employer.

Analysts also found out which factors are most important for developers and QA specialists when choosing an employer. First place went to salary and social package — this factor was noted by 83% of respondents. Second place was taken by the opportunity for remote work, which was indicated by 52% of specialists. The third most important factor was a strong team — noted by 45% of study participants.

The study also allowed determining the most common programming languages in different areas. In Backend development, Go and PHP lead, while in Frontend — JavaScript. In the DevOps direction, Python is most often used. For Android development, the main language is Kotlin, and for iOS development — Swift. In the QA sphere, Web testing is most often associated with Python and JavaScript, Mobile QA — with Kotlin, and Fullstack QA — with Python.

Based on the study results, analysts note that the market for developers and QA specialists in Kazakhstan is becoming more competitive. The number of experienced specialists on the market is growing, and candidates are increasingly carefully evaluating working conditions and development opportunities. Among the key factors in choosing an employer remain the salary level, work format, strong team, engineering culture, learning opportunities, and an interesting product. Companies that take these factors into account have a better chance of forming strong teams and developing competitive products.