Average CMS Developer Salary in Croatia for 2026
An CMS developer in Croatia earns about 146,200 HRK a year. That's 17% below the national average of 175,900 HRK.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Croatia sit around 67,020 HRK a year, while the very top stretches to 231,000 HRK. Everything on this page is in Croatian kuna (HRK, symbol kn), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Croatia, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does an CMS developer make in Croatia?
A typical CMS developer working in Croatia brings home around 12,183 HRK a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 67,020 HRK, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 231,000 HRK for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior CMS developer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How CMS developer pay ranges in Croatia
A good way to think about salary in Croatia is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all CMS developers in Croatia earn less than 158,700 HRK a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 98,960 HRK (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 208,600 HRK (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of CMS developers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 67,020 HRK. The highest stretch to 231,000 HRK, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
CMS developer pay by experience in Croatia
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an CMS developer in Croatia, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical CMS developer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years73,820 HRK
- 2-5 Years+39% from previous102,460 HRK
- 5-10 Years+48% from previous151,800 HRK
- 10-15 Years+21% from previous183,600 HRK
- 15-20 Years+8% from previous197,600 HRK
- 20+ Years+8% from previous214,000 HRK
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 48%. That is the point at which a CMS developer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
CMS developer pay by education in Croatia
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving CMS developer pay in Croatia. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average CMS developer salary in Croatia broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Certificate or Diploma87,000 HRK
- Bachelor's Degree+57% from previous136,200 HRK
- Master's Degree+68% from previous228,500 HRK
CMS developer gender pay gap in Croatia
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Croatia is no exception. Male CMS developers in Croatia earn an average of 151,800 HRK a year, while female CMS developers earn around 138,200 HRK. That works out to a 10% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
CMS Developer gender pay gap
9%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Croatia.
Pay raises for an CMS developer in Croatia
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Croatia sees a raise of about 11% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 7% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Croatia, the national average raise is around 9% every 17 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Croatia:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
CMS developer bonus rates in Croatia
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
58% of CMS developers in Croatia reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an CMS developer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 42% of CMS developers reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Croatia
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
CMS developer: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Croatia is about 9% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
8%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Croatia on average.
CMS developer salary by city in Croatia
CMS developer pay is not even across Croatia. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Zagreb
- Zadar
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zagreb | City | 152,300 HRK | 164,200 HRK | 69,040-243,000 HRK |
| Zadar | City | 152,000 HRK | 148,300 HRK | 77,860-233,600 HRK |
CMS Developer in Croatia: FAQs
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How much does an CMS developer make per month in Croatia?
An CMS developer in Croatia earns about 12,183 HRK a month before tax, based on an annual average of 146,200 HRK.
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What's the salary range for an CMS developer in Croatia?
Entry-level CMS developers in Croatia start near 67,020 HRK. Top-end pay reaches around 231,000 HRK. The middle 50% of earners sit between 98,960 and 208,600 HRK.
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Is the median CMS developer salary in Croatia higher or lower than the average?
The median is 158,700 HRK, higher than the average of 146,200 HRK. Half of CMS developers in Croatia earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for CMS developers in Croatia?
Men working as an CMS developer in Croatia earn around 10% more than women on average (151,800 vs 138,200 HRK a year).
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Do CMS developers in Croatia get bonuses?
About 58% of CMS developers in Croatia reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.
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Do CMS developers earn more in the public or private sector in Croatia?
In Croatia, the public sector pays an CMS developer about 9% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do CMS developers in Croatia get a pay raise?
An CMS developer in Croatia sees a raise of around 11% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.