How to find a remote tech job in Europe
To find a remote tech job in Europe, search only listings that name your country, “Europe” or “EMEA” as eligible, not everything labeled remote. On PickedJobs today 6,746 remote tech jobs are open to people in Europe and 3,860 to people in the UK, out of 21,301 remote listings overall.
Then check three things before you apply: how you would be employed, which hours the team works, and whether the pay is set for your country.
By PickedJobs · Updated · Live figures from 62,231 open jobs, as of (method)
Where the remote jobs are
| Hiring region | Remote jobs | All open jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 6,746 | 12,471 |
| UK | 3,860 | 6,894 |
| US | 11,707 | 35,303 |
A job counts once for every region it hires in, and “all open jobs” includes hybrid and onsite roles. US-only remote listings outnumber European ones, which is why filtering by eligibility first saves so much time. Browse remote jobs in Europe or remote jobs in the UK.
Step 1: Check you can be hired where you live
“Europe” on a listing rarely means every European country. Companies hire where they can legally pay people, so the real list is often five to fifteen countries. Look for the country list in the description or the application form's location field, and if it isn't there, ask before you spend time on a take-home test.
Your own right to work matters too. EU and EEA citizens can live and work in any member state, but the employer still has to be able to employ someone in the specific country you live in. The UK is separate since Brexit, and listings name it separately. If you aren't an EU citizen, a remote job doesn't give you a residence permit; you need the right to live and work in the country you work from. Several EU countries, including Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Greece, offer digital nomad or remote-work permits, which generally require income from employers or clients outside that country and a minimum income. Check the official immigration site of the country concerned.
Step 2: Know how you would be employed
| Setup | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Local employee | The company has an entity in your country. You get a local contract, social security, paid leave and statutory notice. |
| Employer of record (EOR) | A third party employs you locally on the company's behalf. Legally you are an employee, with the same local rights. |
| Contractor (B2B, freelance) | You invoice the company and handle your own tax and social security. More take-home per invoice, no paid leave, and easier to end. |
Contract setups are common in some markets and avoided in others: several countries, Germany among them, can treat long-term, full-time work for one client as disguised employment, so companies there often prefer employees or an EOR. Before accepting a contract, work out the rate that matches a salary; our contract vs full-time guide shows how.
Step 3: Match the hours
European teams usually work on Central European Time. US companies hiring in Europe often want a few hours of overlap with US Eastern time, which suits the UK, Ireland and Portugal best and means late afternoons further east. A listing that names a time zone range is telling you its real location limit.
Step 4: Read the pay correctly
Pay is usually set by country, and European ranges are lower than US ranges for the same title. Listings in euros or pounds show their range on the job page. PickedJobs' published salary medians use only US-dollar listings, so we don't quote a European median here; see the market statistics for the US figures. If a US company hires you in Europe, ask whether you're paid on a local band or a global one.
Step 5: Apply where the job lives
Apply on the employer's own careers page, ideally within the first week or two after the job opens. Our guide on applying on the company website or LinkedIn explains why. If you are open to US employers, read how to get a remote US job from another country and what “Remote (US)” means before applying.