If you’ve been following Ukraine’s tech talent market long enough, you already know – it’s chaos with a pattern. And it looks exactly like in that girl who survived the concentration camp photo. Some roles are crashing, others are thriving, and everyone’s pretending to have a “strategic plan.” But behind all the buzzwords and LinkedIn optimism, there’s a simple truth: the market still runs on hands-on tech talent.

So, who’s hiring, who’s hurting, and who’s still making solid money in 2025? Let’s break it down.

Java Developers: The Reliable Backbone That Won’t Quit

Even after the rough majority of 2025, Java developers are still everywhere – product companies, outsourcing firms, startups.

• When other stacks wobble, Java keeps the lights on.
• The demand is steady, not spectacular, but if you know what you’re doing, you won’t be unemployed for long.

So where are the jobs?

• Web and mobile applications (the stable middle ground);
• Enterprise solutions (the steady paycheck zone);
• IoT, ML/AI, and game development (the spicy paycheck gigs with risk baked in);

What about the money?

• Juniors hover as low as $700 for the average minimum. It’s a 15% decrease over 2025. The median is closer to $1200 in most cases but the trend is on the downward inching closer to $1100 and that’s basically a low-tier middle tech talent.
• Middles got a disappointing 25% decrease over 2025. $2600 medium is a distant dream these days as the real median is far closer to $2200 than we would like to admit.
• The senior salary range got wider. A shocker, I know. This only happened for 5 years in a row. But hey, it’s a development. So, the overall widening switched the medium for 20%. It is skating between $4600 and $4900. The top-end $7K roles are mostly in the miltech and AI enterprise sector. .
• Leads got the raw deal with 35% decrease. What was once closer to $7000 is now closer to $6000 and that’s being generous because it is probably $5500. And good luck finding folks who work longer than 18 months for consistent comparative data.

What does it mean for the future?

Java devs have weathered the storm better than most. The tech talent pool is deep, the tech is old but solid, and companies still need it running smoothly. The downside? Competition is fierce, and the salary ceiling’s not moving much.

JavaScript Developers: Still Everywhere, Just Poorer

JavaScript used to be the darling of every startup pitch deck. But these days JavaScript has hit the slowdown era and it just keeps on revving up the other way around (and it doesn’t make any sense thus the gibberish metaphor).

• There’s still endless demand – every app, every frontend, every backend with Node – but the pay’s not what it used to be.
• Oversupply is eroding the demand’s economic incentive.

The most consistent domains for JavaScript tech talent employment are Fintech and online gambling companies.

• Because when times are tough, people either move money or lose it on a bet.

The JavaScript Salary Numbers go like this:

• Juniors: 25% decrease over 2025. $600 bottom rung junior average minimum (say thanks to all the quick learning courses and their substandard tech talent supply). The median dances around  $1000-1100. It will probably go up a little in the coming quarters because the demand for wretched switcher-juniors is waning.
• Middles: 35% decrease over 2025 because these are the disposable heroes of tech hypocrisy. These guys usually get the short straws when it comes to layoffs so the money is not that much and they are still interchangeable enough for that kind of shenanigans. The median hovers around $2500-2600. The trend is going towards further decrease; it would probably be $2400 by 2026.
• Seniors: 40% decrease over 2025 because senior JS migrate into nebulous realms of govtech, miltech and its related domains. Basically, the current median is what used to be at the low end in early 2022 – $4500-4800. Given the demand for JS talent – it’s a joke but given how many businesses underperform and shuffle tech talent around – it is what it is.
• Leads: 30% decrease over the year. Under any other circumstances $6000 are solid money. But it used to be $8000 so yeah – it stings. The good news is that the figure holds steady since 2024 with drastic shifts like every other position.

The reality is not nice but not grim either. The “you can always get a JS job” myth doesn’t hold anymore. But you still can get a JS job and stay employed for longer than if you’re not JS.

• Outsourcing companies are cautious to do much of anything;
• startups are broke because they should probably learn how to operate like a business and not a scam;
• product companies are cutting corners because their stuff doesn’t draw money.

The only consistent offers are from fintechs and casinos – the twin engines of Ukraine’s current tech reality. Ain’t life grand, eh?

Embedded Developers: From Niche Nerds to National Necessity

If there’s one domain that went from zero to hero in record time, it’s embedded development. Drones, robotics, defense tech, smart devices – this is the field that went from obscure to critical.

Where the action is:

• Military and defense projects
• IoT and smart electronics
• Industrial automation and consumer gadgets

The Salary dynamics throughout 2025 going into Q4 look like this:

• Juniors: 15% increase over the year. The range carousels around $500 and $1500. That’s not a lot but there are a lot of places that offer that kind of not a lot. And it’s an increase for once.
• Middles: 25% increase over the year with some instances going as high as 60% (miltech projects don’t make much sense, that’s why it is both 25 and 60 percent). These guys do the heavy lifting and the industry needs more of them and it shows money-wise. 2024 had $2200 median, now it is $2800 and it will be $3000 by early 2026.
• Seniors: 40% increased compared to last year. In some cases it goes even higher but these projects are murky and clandestine. The old median was around $3800, now it is $4200 and it will go upwards to $4500 because expertise is in demand.
• Leads: 15% increase during 2025. The 2024 figures revolved around the $5000 mark. Now it is $5500 and in some cases $5700. The trend is going towards $5700 as the new median.

Why does the demand affect Embedded developer salaries so much?

• The embedded tech talent pool is still relatively scarce. Every company knows it.
• Pay gaps are huge, grading is a mess, and there’s barely a structured tech talent pipeline.
• But defense projects are absorbing engineers fast – and that trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

So, What’s Next for Q4 2025?

The Ukrainian tech market is recalibrating – slower growth, more layoffs, but also clear winners. Defense tech, fintech, and AI-heavy projects are the new gravitational centers of hiring.

Expect:

• More stratification. Veterans get raises; newcomers fight for scraps.
• Selective optimism. Companies still hire – just smarter and slower.
• Fewer “dream projects.” The era of quick startup wins is over; now it’s all about longevity and stability.

For everyone else – adapt, cross-train, and keep your LinkedIn profile honest.