Hire in Romania
Romania is one of Eastern Europe’s strongest tech talent markets, with Cluj-Napoca emerging as a major European engineering hub alongside Bucharest. A significant IT income tax exemption makes Romania exceptionally competitive for attracting senior talent.
Country Snapshot
Field
Details
Capital
Bucharest
Currency
RON (Romanian Leu). EUR equivalent provided for reference.
Status
EU Member State — Full GDPR applies
Timezone
EET (UTC+2 / UTC+3 DST)
Tech Hub Cities
Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași
Why Hire in Romania?
Romania is one of Eastern Europe’s strongest and fastest-growing tech markets. Cluj-Napoca — sometimes called the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe — alongside Bucharest, Timișoara, and Iași host a deep pool of engineering, data, CS, and operations talent with strong international client exposure.
Romania offers a compelling combination of low employer costs (~122% of gross salary) and a unique IT sector income tax exemption: Romanian IT professionals pay 0% income tax on salaries up to RON 10,000/month. This makes Romania highly competitive for attracting and retaining senior talent.
Full EU and GDPR compliance. Stable regulatory environment. Strong English proficiency in the tech
sector. One of Perpetum’s core CEE markets with strong availability across engineering, data, CS, and
operations roles.
Employment Risk & Compliance
Contractor vs Employee Risk
MEDIUM — Romania’s tax authority ANAF has increased scrutiny of PFA (freelancer/sole trader) arrangements in IT since 2023. Single-client PFA relationships are at highest risk of reclassification. EOR significantly reduces this risk.
Backdating Warning
Contracts must be registered in the REVISAL system on the day of hire or before work commences. Backdating is illegal.
Total Employment Cost
~122% of gross salary. Romania’s structure is unusual: most social contributions are borne by the employee (~37.25%), with the employer contributing ~2.25% (health fund). However, total employer cost including gross salary is ~122%. IT workers benefit from 0% income tax on salaries up to RON 10,000/month — a major competitive advantage for talent attraction.
Hiring Timeline
5–10 business days. REVISAL registration required on or before the day of hire. EU citizens: no work permit. Non-EU nationals: 4–8 weeks.
Main hub Cities
Bucharest
Cluj-Napoca
Timișoara
Iași
Salary Ranges — 10 Key Roles (2025–2026 Averages)
Base salary only — equity and bonuses additional. Last reviewed: June 2026.
Engineering Roles
Role
Mid (USD)
Mid (EUR)
Senior (USD)
Senior (EUR)
Tech Lead / CTO
$6,300
€5,730
$8,800
€8,000
Software Engineer
$2,877
€2,615
$4,538
€4,125
AI Engineer
$3,200
€2,900
$5,000
€4,550
Data / ML Engineer
$2,877
€2,615
$4,093
€3,720
DevOps / SRE
$2,544
€2,313
$4,093
€3,721
QA Engineer
$2,102
€1,911
$3,098
€2,816
Business & Operations Roles
Role
Mid (USD)
Mid (EUR)
Senior (USD)
Senior (EUR)
App / MCP Support Eng
$1,980
€1,800
$3,100
€2,820
Customer Success Mgr
$2,102
€1,911
$3,098
€2,816
Digital Marketing
$1,660
€1,509
$2,433
€2,212
HR / Talent Acquisition
$1,660
€1,509
$2,433
€2,212
Finance / Accounting Mgr
$1,991
€1,810
$2,877
€2,615
*Minimum Wage: RON 3,700/month (~EUR 745) as of January 2025. Rises annually.
Mandatory Benefits
- 20 working days annual leave minimum
- Sick leave: employer pays days 1–5 at 75%, state pays from day 6
- Maternity leave: 126 calendar days, state-paid at 85% of average income
- Paternity leave: 5–15 days
- Full social insurance
Optional/ Market-Norm Benefits
- Meal vouchers up to RON 40/day (tax-exempt — extremely common in Romanian IT)
- Private health insurance — standard in tech sector
- Gym / wellness card
- Performance bonus
- Training and conference budget
Working Hours, Holidays & Leave
Field
Details
Standard Hours
8h/day, 40h/week
Overtime
Max 8h OT/week. +75% weekday premium, +100% public holiday
Night Work
22:00–06:00: +25% premium
Public Holidays
15 days per year
Statutory Leave Types
01
Annual leave: 20 working days minimum
02
Sick leave: employer pays days 1–5
03
Maternity: 126 calendar days
04
Paternity: 5–15 days
05
Parental leave: up to 2 years
Termination, probation & Notice
Notice Periods
Scenario
Notice Required
Employee resignation
20 working days
Employer (standard roles)
20 working days
Employer (senior/specialist roles)
Up to 45 working days
*Probation period: Up to 90 days standard; 120 days for management roles; 30 days for unskilled roles. No
severance during probation
Severance
No statutory severance for employee resignation. On employer-initiated redundancy: notice period pay. Senior IT sector contractual packages with additional severance provisions are common.
Grounds for Termination
Statutory grounds required. Written warning required for performance or conduct-related dismissal. Employee may challenge within 30 days. Heightened protection for pregnant employees and those on parental leave. Trade union representatives require union consent for dismissal.
EOR Risk Note
Strong employee protections for pregnant employees, those on parental leave, disabled employees, and trade union representatives.
IP, Compliance & Non-Compete
Topic
Summary
IP Ownership
Employer owns works created in scope of employment. Must be explicitly confirmed in the employment contract.
Non-Compete
Enforceable if written, time-limited (up to 2 years), and geographically limited. Employer must pay at least 50% of average salary during the restriction period.
Data Privacy
Full GDPR applies. Supervisory authority: ANSPDCP (National Supervisory Authority for Personal Data Processing).
Labour Compliance
Labour inspectorate oversight. EOR must maintain compliant employment files, payslips, and timesheets.
Confidentiality & NDA
Enforceable. Explicit provisions recommended in all employment contracts.
*Confidentiality & NDA: Confidentiality clauses are enforceable. Explicit provisions recommended in all employment contracts.
When EOR is the Right Choice
EOR is the recommended approach for first Romanian hires and teams up to 5 people. Romania is a strong EOR market. Local entity setup is viable at 10+ person scale and takes approximately 4–6 weeks.
*For larger teams or long-term commitments in Romania, discuss Build-Operate-Transfer or Turnkey Staff Augmentation with Perpetum.
FAQ
1. What is the total employer cost in Romania?
Total employer cost is approximately 122% of gross salary. The employer contributes ~2.25% (health fund), while the employee bears the majority of social contributions (~37.25%). The effective cost to the employer is gross salary plus approximately 2.25%.
2. Does Romania have an IT tax exemption?
Yes — one of Romania’s most significant talent advantages. IT sector employees pay 0% income tax on salaries up to RON 10,000/month. This means Romanian tech professionals take home significantly more net pay than peers in other EU markets at the same gross salary.
3. How long does EOR onboarding take?
Typically 5–10 business days from signed agreement to first day of employment. REVISAL registration must be completed before work commences.
4. Are Romanian developers fluent in English?
English proficiency in the Romanian tech sector is high, particularly in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. Most senior
engineers and CS professionals working with international clients are fully proficient.
5. What is a PFA and when is it appropriate?
A PFA (Persoană Fizică Autorizată) is a sole trader / freelancer arrangement common in Romanian IT. It can be appropriate for short-term project work, but single-client PFA relationships face increasing scrutiny from ANAF for potential reclassification as employment. For ongoing engagements, EOR is the safer structure.
6. Can I hire in Romania without a local entity?
Yes — Perpetum acts as the local employer under EOR, handling all contracts, payroll, and compliance. No entity setup required.
7. What benefits are mandatory in Romania?
20 working days annual leave, sick leave cover (employer days 1–5, state from day 6), maternity leave (126 days at 85%), paternity leave (5–15 days), and full social insurance.
8. How does Romania compare to Bulgaria or Poland on cost?
Romania and Bulgaria are comparable at mid and senior levels. Senior developer salaries average EUR 4,125 in Romania vs EUR 4,080 in Bulgaria and EUR 5,325 in Poland. Romania’s IT tax exemption makes it particularly attractive for talent retention at senior levels
9. What is Cluj-Napoca's tech market like?
Cluj-Napoca is Romania’s fastest-growing tech hub, home to hundreds of tech companies and with a strong university output. It offers a deep pool of senior engineering, data, and product talent, with lower salary pressure than Bucharest. Often called the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe.
10. Is Romania GDPR-compliant?
Yes. Romania is an EU member state and full GDPR applies. The supervisory authority is ANSPDCP.
Hiring in Romania?
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This guide is informational and reflects conditions as of June 2026. Employment laws change frequently. Verify with qualified local counsel before making hiring decisions.