The Ukrainian Tech Segment Salaries Going into Q4 2025 – A Measured Overview

The big narrative of early 2025 is that the business is down, the market is down, and naturally, the Ukrainian Tech Segment salaries also go down. Then by mid 2025 the narrative shifted towards “maybe things will get better” type of narrative. But by Q4 2025 it seems like that’s not really happening, especially in the salary department.

• If we take a glance at the salary dynamics, the overall shift is 40%.

If we take into account the cost of living growth during 2024 and most of 2025, the salary buying power decreased by approximately 30-35% at a minimum and it will probably go all the way to 45-50% by Q3 2025.

With that said, there is no real way to predict how things are going with the Ukrainian Tech Segment salaries.

• Everything is volatile.
• Things can change at any moment.

Ukrainian Tech Segment Salaries Going Into Q4 2025

The overall Ukrainian Tech Segment salaries decrease is in-between 25% and 35%, depending on the niche.

• The decrease itself didn’t happen because tech talent suddenly became less valuable.
• It happened because companies like surviving as an entity more than keeping their “company is a family” thing intact. Thus, the layoffs, furloughs and farewells.
• The entry-level salary dropped most significantly due to the influx of switcher talent looking for job security and high salaries, and then burning out and quitting.
• That factor alone caused a solid 20% decrease in minimal entry-level salaries since Q4 2024.

What’s Going on with the Outsourcing Segment?

The outsourcing segment has been downsizing ever since the 2022-2023-2024 energy grid attack turmoil and the recession ramping up in the EU and the US.

• While there are attempts to switch focus towards African and Asian markets – that is yet to leave the mark on the market.
• As a result, the salaries gradually sag lower and lower.

The transformation goes slowly, seemingly merely percolating in the background – the teams get leaner, the structures more straightforward, no sprawling multi-module projects – just down-and-dirty outsourcing for gutter punks.

• Because of that, if you compare the Ukrainian Tech Segment salaries decrease in outsourcing during 2024 into 2025, it doesn’t seem like a lot – 25-35% across tech positions for new hires.
• But then there’s an additional 15% decrease during Q1-Q3 2025 and that’s just grim.

If you look at the overall respondent employment history over the 2022-2024 period, there’s barely anyone working at one company for over a year.

• The majority of tenures are less than a year, 1-2 years is barely a quarter, and the rest are long-term outsourcing company employees.
• Back in 2021, 1-2 years and 2-3 years were core segments for outsourcing. But not now.

What’s Going On With The Product Segment?

Meanwhile, the product companies are all over the place during most of 2025. You have highs, lows, mids, and outliers all rolled into one messy falafel.

• If we look just at medians – it’s a solid 40% decrease across the board, except for military tech which is a parallel universe to everyone else.

Curiously, the majority of average maximums across the tech positions for the Ukrainian Tech Segment salaries remain more or less the same since late 2024.

However, the lows and the majority of the range have gone all the way down. It is way thicker on the figures on the lower end.

• Why the decrease? The business is not working out more or less. SaaS and IoT business models live and breathe on getting more and more subscribers and monetizing more and more features to get that steady cash flow running.
• But at some point, you hit a ceiling and need to figure out how to run a sustainable product and that’s where the trouble starts because there are simply not that many experienced managers who can do that. And it turns out that most of these products simply have a low ceiling and there is just not much you can do about it.
• There are lots of people who know how to get the product off the ground. But not that many folks know how to keep it running through thick and thin. That’s not just a problem for Ukrainian managers – it is a worldwide issue. Maybe the world doesn’t need all these endless applications.
• Because of that, the projects either fall apart completely or get reorganized into something slightly different with less money involved.

But What About Startups?

The startup segment somehow manages to be an even bigger mess than it already is because of course it does.

• A quick look at the median levels across the board shows a solid 45% decrease. If we take into consideration non-tech positions, it is 55%.
• Due to war and investor concerns, the startup segment attempts to change focus from building startups on hyped-up ideas to sales for big bucks to establishing startups with a long-term plan. As of Q3 2025, it is hard to say whether it is moving things in either direction.
• Attracting investment is much more challenging, and it is tough to establish a diverse investor team to mitigate volatility risks.
• In addition, unlike in 2020 and 2021, investors now demand detailed business plans with realistic commodification and return on investment strategies.

At the same time – the high ends of the ranges remain at relatively the same level as in late 2023. This is surreal because new hires get a lot less and even that doesn’t matter anymore. As I’m writing this paragraph there’s another wave of layoffs across the board so get ready for 50% decrease by early Q4 2025.

What Might Happen in Q4 2025?

The everpresent tax increase talks do more harm than good for the Ukrainian Tech Segment salaries. That’s probably why the government plays so coy around with it so much.

• The uncertainty surrounding the tax increase also makes it hard for companies to plan in one more aspect. As if things weren’t complicated already.
• Salary-wise that might mean further slipping into the shadow realm. Bigger chunks of talent salaries going under wraps while keeping things official enough.

The mobilization shenanigans and the reservation hijinks will drain the tech talent pool even more.

• The expenses on reservation of high-profile talent is a big stumbling block for many companies.
• And if you add the corruption factors that occur around mobilization – that’s a source of headache.

At the same time, the Ukrainian government seems to be hellbent on making every single thing going on in the military tech segment about itself.

• Given the government’s track record at running businesses and making deals that don’t end with scandals, things ain’t looking bright.

Gamble will surely feel alright with its steady salaries and employment opportunities. Online gaming will continue its slow devolution into straight-up gambling.

The startup segment will remain shaky.

• Getting serious investments will be even more of an undertaking.
• One of the reasons are the gimmick projects tanking the potential of the niches.

At the same time, product companies will feel bad and they are going to love it.

• The SaaS business model is running its course due to recession and cost of living crisis. So don’t expect some new “little engines that could” and expect more layoffs and restructures.