Average Computer Scientist Salary in Romania for 2026
A computer scientist in Romania earns about 161,300 RON a year. That's 51% above the national average of 106,960 RON.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Romania sit around 83,020 RON a year, while the very top stretches to 253,400 RON. Everything on this page is in Romanian leu (RON, symbol lei), 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 Romania, 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 a computer scientist make in Romania?
A typical computer scientist working in Romania brings home around 13,441 RON a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 83,020 RON, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 253,400 RON 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 computer scientist 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 computer scientist pay ranges in Romania
A good way to think about salary in Romania is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all computer scientists in Romania earn less than 161,300 RON 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 111,460 RON (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 207,800 RON (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of computer scientists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 83,020 RON. The highest stretch to 253,400 RON, 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.
Computer scientist pay by experience in Romania
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a computer scientist in Romania, 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 computer scientist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years96,520 RON
- 2-5 Years+34% from previous129,000 RON
- 5-10 Years+34% from previous172,400 RON
- 10-15 Years+18% from previous204,000 RON
- 15-20 Years+9% from previous222,300 RON
- 20+ Years+8% from previous239,000 RON
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 34%. That is the point at which a computer scientist 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.
Computer scientist pay by education in Romania
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving computer scientist pay in Romania. 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 computer scientist salary in Romania broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree127,700 RON
- Master's Degree+35% from previous172,400 RON
- PhD+32% from previous227,600 RON
Computer scientist gender pay gap in Romania
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Romania is no exception. Male computer scientists in Romania earn an average of 164,200 RON a year, while female computer scientists earn around 159,100 RON. That works out to a 3% 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.
Computer Scientist gender pay gap
3%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Romania.
Pay raises for a computer scientist in Romania
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 Romania sees a raise of about 12% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 8% 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 Romania, the national average raise is around 8% every 18 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Romania:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare1%
- 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
Computer scientist bonus rates in Romania
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.
53% of computer scientists in Romania reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a computer scientist 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 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 47% of computer scientists reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Romania
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
Computer scientist: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Romania is about 7% 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
6%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Romania on average.
Computer scientist salary by city in Romania
Computer scientist pay is not even across Romania. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Bucharest
- Sibiu
- Cluj-Napoca
- Timisoara
- Brasov
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucharest | City | 181,600 RON | 175,900 RON | 93,100-279,400 RON |
| Sibiu | City | 172,200 RON | 172,200 RON | 87,020-263,900 RON |
| Cluj-Napoca | City | 164,200 RON | 176,800 RON | 79,600-263,100 RON |
| Timisoara | City | 157,600 RON | 142,300 RON | 85,940-233,900 RON |
| Brasov | City | 148,300 RON | 159,400 RON | 66,180-233,600 RON |
Computer Scientist in Romania: FAQs
-
How much does a computer scientist make per month in Romania?
A computer scientist in Romania earns about 13,441 RON a month before tax, based on an annual average of 161,300 RON.
-
What's the salary range for a computer scientist in Romania?
Entry-level computer scientists in Romania start near 83,020 RON. Top-end pay reaches around 253,400 RON. The middle 50% of earners sit between 111,460 and 207,800 RON.
-
Is the median computer scientist salary in Romania higher or lower than the average?
The median is 161,300 RON, higher than the average of 161,300 RON. Half of computer scientists in Romania earn below the median, half earn above it.
-
What's the gender pay gap for computer scientists in Romania?
Men working as a computer scientist in Romania earn around 3% more than women on average (164,200 vs 159,100 RON a year).
-
Do computer scientists in Romania get bonuses?
About 53% of computer scientists in Romania reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.
-
Do computer scientists earn more in the public or private sector in Romania?
In Romania, the public sector pays a computer scientist about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
-
How often do computer scientists in Romania get a pay raise?
A computer scientist in Romania sees a raise of around 12% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.