Consider Glassdoor's or Fortune's rating of the best places to work, and you will undoubtedly find Google in its top positions, regardless of the year when the rating was published. Being one of the world's most famous and client-oriented companies, Google also strongly values its tech-savvy employees. But only the most diligent software engineers become Googlers and can enjoy countless perks like free lunches, healthcare coverage, pet-friendly offices, and education programs, among others. Also, the pictures of Google's HQs, Googleplex, can be found all over the Internet as an eloquent example of the futuristic and convenient workplace.
However, for those who don't feel like moving to sunny California, there are also plenty of Google tech jobs in Europe, with employee benefits and challenging projects not worse than in Mountain View.
We explored all the tech opportunities Google offers across Europe, from Dublin to Helsinki, so you could find a perfect place to relocate to.
Cities: Dublin
Main projects: Data Centers, gTech, Google Works
Average Software Engineer salary in Ireland: €48,000 per annum
The European Google headquarters found home in Dublin. The diverse team of Googlers in the Irish office unites the representatives of 60+ nationalities. It takes care of a wide range of projects — from Google's powerful data centers to internal financial management tools. In the Dublin office, one can also join the gTech team, which implements Google's long-term strategic partners' ideas and delivers software systems for the company's sales department. It sounds like a noteworthy opportunity for those who value complex & meaningful projects!
A quick tip: While it's super easy to get excited about Google tech jobs in Ireland, don't forget to familiarize yourself with the country to see if it looks like a place you would relocate to. Get practical tips about relocation to Ireland here.
Cities: London, Manchester
Main projects: Google Cloud, Google Search App, Google Health, Reliability Analytics
Average Software Engineer salary in the UK: €49,125 per annum
A wide range of projects is handled in Google's London office — from the Google Cloud Platform and its services to Reliability Analysis of the solutions the company offers. Besides that, the Google Search Apps for both Android and iOS are being developed in the UK capital, right before being delivered to billions of devices every day. Hence London office welcomes creative individuals, mostly Java/C++/Python/Go engineers, product managers, or data scientists.
To make the working process even more convenient for this diverse team, Google is constructing a "landscraper" near the King's Cross to become its next office in the UK capital. The building will house 7,000 employees once the construction works are over.
Add to this a large Manchester office with plenty of Google tech jobs, and you will get a perfect country to relocate to for those who dream about becoming a Googler!
A quick tip: Specify a few circumstances that might impact your relocation (such as family status or formal education), and get some personalized tips about moving to the UK as a software engineer here.
Cities: Zurich
Main projects: Google Maps (for EMEA), Gmail, YouTube Technology Team
Average Software Engineer salary in Switzerland: €92,000 per annum
If you love solving complex technology challenges from day to day, you should certainly consider becoming a Zurich Googler, or "Zoogler," as they call themselves. The Swiss engineering team handles the projects which have already become a part of our daily routines — from Google Maps for the EMEA regions to the core features of Gmail. The Zurich office list of the developed and/or supported projects also includes Google Shopping, Google Workspace platform, and many others.
Given the complexity of the initiatives mentioned above, the profound knowledge of Machine Learning, AI, NLP, and Speech/Audio/Video processing will be a notable benefit in your resume for any Google tech job in Switzerland.
A quick tip: As one of Europe's expat-friendliest countries (up to 20% of the Swiss population are work migrants), Switzerland offers plenty of job opportunities for techies. Browse them here — applying for several jobs at once increases your chances dramatically to relocate.
Cities: Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Lubeck
Main projects: Google Chrome, Google Dashboard, Google Cloud
Average Software Engineer salary in Germany: €55,000 per annum
Germany is the country with the most substantial Google presence in Europe, with five operational offices across its territory. The most prominent German Google office is located in Munich, and it is not an exaggeration to say that Google's most significant projects are handled there. In the Munich office, engineers are committed to developing Google Chrome and Google Dashboard and improving the Google Core.
Another part of Munich Googlers belongs to the not less critical teams of Google Identity and Kernel Dynamic tools, the group taking care of the company's open-source projects. But even that's not all — in Munich, you can also become a member of the UP, Users, and Products team that implements various features requested by Google's users and partners. For those obsessed with video games, the cherry on top is some Google tech jobs in Munich are related to Stadia, the company's cloud gaming service.
The majority of Google tech jobs in Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt are related to Google Cloud, so they are also worth attention. Finally, if you feel like relocating to a smaller city with nearly 200k residents, you can also explore Google's job offerings in Lubeck.
A quick tip: If you are curious about what relocation to Germany is like, explore the info about German cities, get some personalized relocation tips, and read insightful expat stories here.
Cities: Lisbon
Main projects: Android OS, Google Cloud
Average Software Engineer salary in Portugal: €24,000 per annum
In 2018, Google saw significant potential in Lisbon, after Portugal had hosted Web Summit two times in a row proving itself as one of the European tech capitals. Located in the outskirts of Lisbon, the Portuguese office offers a wide range of tech jobs for both seasoned software engineers and interns. Most of them are related to the Android OS's core development, but there is also a chance to find some jobs related to Google Cloud.
A quick tip: Although Lisbon is not among the most expensive European capitals, it might be a good idea to calculate your expected net pay as a software engineer in Portugal and compare it with the cost of living. You can do it here without any hassle.
Cities: Madrid, Malaga
Main projects: Google Cloud, YouTube Technology Services, VirusTotal
Average Software Engineer salary in Spain: €33,000 per annum
Sunny Spain welcomes Googlers in two cities — Madrid and Malaga. In both offices, there are plenty of tech jobs related to Google Cloud Platform and the services it promotes. In addition to that, Madrid-based Googlers can join the YouTube Technology Team since Google is the parent organization of the popular video-sharing service. As for the Malaga office, its employees get a chance to contribute to the development of VirusTotal, a widely- used online safety service that belongs to another Google subsidiary.
A quick tip: If you could not find a Google tech job that perfectly matches your expectations, explore job opportunities with other Spanish tech companies here — maybe your dream offer is just around the corner!
Cities: Paris, Grenoble, Rennes
Main projects: Google Cloud, YouTube Technology Services
Average Software Engineer salary in France: €40,000 per annum
Since France is known as a country with a solid scientific background, as well as universities and schools that are among the world's best ones, Google strongly established its presence, thereby creating an AI research center and three offices. The largest of them is located in Paris — it houses 1,000 employees, most of whom belong to the Google Cloud or YouTube Technology teams. Two other offices are located in Grenoble and Rennes, and although they are notably smaller, you can also find exciting Google tech jobs there.
A quick tip: Estimating your after-taxes paycheck is always a good idea when considering relocation to France, especially if you're moving with a family. Do it with a user-friendly net pay calculator here.
Cities: Rome, Milan
Main projects: Google Cloud
Average Software Engineer salary in Italy: €32,000 per annum
There are plenty of reasons to relocate to Italy as a software engineer — starting with magnificent culture and delicious food, ending with a mild climate and a huge variety of destinations for in-country travels. Furthermore, for those obsessed with complex projects and cloud technologies, there is one additional reason — the opportunity to join Google's offices in Milan and Rome. Both offices are almost fully dedicated to Google Cloud, including challenging projects like Smart Analytics solutions. This tendency is likely to continue since Google is planning to have opened two more Cloud Regions in the country by 2025.
A quick tip: It might be interesting for you to browse job offerings from other tech companies in Italy to compare the requirements with Google's and see if there are any alternative opportunities for you in this country.
Cities: Brussels, Saint-Ghislain
Main projects: Google Cloud
Average Software Engineer salary in Belgium: €47,000 per annum
In Belgium, Google is represented by 2 facilities — an office in Brussels and a large data center in Saint-Ghislain. The former offers plenty of tech jobs in the Google Cloud team, whereas the latter mostly welcomes those with hands-on experience with data center equipment and some background in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering.
It should be said that Google largely invests in the Saint-Ghislain facility, which has grown from a single energy-efficient data center in 2007 to four data centers in 2019 with a dedicated solar plant to support them. So, it is unlikely that the number of Google tech jobs in Belgium will decrease anytime soon!
A quick tip: As a de-facto capital of the EU, Brussels is an attractive relo destination for software engineers, just like Antwerp, Ghent, and other Belgian cities. If you are considering Belgium as a country to move to, the practical advice here might come in handy.
Cities: Amsterdam, Eemshaven
Main projects: Google Cloud
Average Software Engineer salary in the Netherlands: €52,000 per annum
A perfect destination for keen cyclists and English-speaking expats, the Netherlands is home to 2 Google facilities: a development office in Amsterdam and a large data center in Eemshaven. Like most European offices, the Google office in the Dutch capital offers plenty of tech jobs related to Google Cloud and the Google Cloud Supply Chain vertical in particular. As for the Eemshaven data center, it is currently supported by 250 specialists, so there is a constant demand for IT professionals and engineers. But, since the company announced that it would be expanding the Eemshaven facility and build another data center in Agriport, more tech job opportunities in the Netherlands are to come!
A quick tip: One of the primary reasons to relocate to the Netherlands as a software engineer is the 30% ruling, a tax benefit the country offers to specialist staff recruited from abroad. You can estimate your after-taxes paycheck in the Netherlands here.
Cities: Warsaw, Wroclaw, Krakow
Main projects: Google Cloud, YouTube Trust & Safety Team
Average Software Engineer salary in Poland: €22,700 per annum
In Poland, Google is represented by three offices located in Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Krakow. As the company states, the Polish capital office is one of the fastest-growing Google hubs in the EMEA region. The employees of that office are mostly dedicated to the development and support of Google Cloud & Infrastructure, including Google Cloud's Unified Control Plane, the performance of which impacts every new GCP product released. Another important field of activity of Warsaw Googlers is Developer Relations — this team supports third-party developers who use Google Cloud for their projects.
In Wroclaw, you can also put your hand into the development of the Google Cloud Platform and its myriad of services. As for the Krakow office, its employees belong to the YouTube team, working on Trust & Safety solutions.
A quick tip: Each year, Poland is gaining more and more credit as a popular relocation destination for software engineers. Browse some open tech vacancies in Poland here — this country definitely has something to offer in addition to Google tech jobs.
Locations: Denmark (Copenhagen, Aarhus), Finland (Helsinki, Hamina), Norway (Oslo), Sweden (Stockholm)
Main projects: Google Cloud, Google Meet
Google has its offices established in all the Nordic countries, except Iceland, so if the Nordic region attracts you as an expat, you can certainly become a Googler there. Plenty of Google tech jobs can be found in Danish offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus, a Finnish office in Helsinki, and a Norwegian facility in Oslo. Most of the vacancies in these locations offer you to join the Google Cloud team. If you think that working at a data center suits you better, you should certainly pay attention to a large-scale Hamina facility. As for the Stockholm office, it gives you an opportunity to join the Google Cloud team and put your hand into the development of Google Meet.
Some prospective tech jobs at Google can also be found in:
Just like in the majority of Big Tech companies, the relocation perks at Google strongly depend on your current location and destination, as well as the level of the position you are hired for. Traditionally, the newcomers are offered to choose between a lump-sum payment and a relocation package. If you choose the latter option, the list of provided services will most probably include travel and moving expenses coverage, temporary housing, car rental, etc. Some of the relocated Google employees also note that the company took care of their visas, helped them move their pets, and offered the assistance of a moving company.
A quick tip: In this article, you can find some tips about choosing a decent relocation package and discussing it with the company representatives when changing your job.
Since Google has its sites in almost all European countries, you don't have to choose between moving to your desired location and becoming a Googler. Even if the first attempt doesn't bring the expected result, don't give up trying — working at Google is worth any effort. So, good luck with your application.
Read also: Facebook Tech Jobs in Europe
Kate is a seasoned content writer with an IT background and a passion for all things Data Science. Since 2018, she’s crafted more than a dozen data-driven and research-based articles on tech job search-related topics, many of which reached the top position on Reddit, Hacker News, and Towards Data Science.
As an applicant
Continue with
Sign up with email
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Germany
Ireland
Japan
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
The Netherlands
The United Kingdom
United States