EU Digital Funds and Bulgaria's Tech Transformation Window

Bulgaria's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, backed by over €6 billion in EU funding, has earmarked significant investment for digital transformation, green energy, and innovation infrastructure. This is creating a genuine policy-driven demand surge for AI specialists, cloud architects, cybersecurity analysts, and data engineers that Bulgaria's domestic talent pipeline — depleted by decades of emigration — cannot fully supply. Companies with EU project funding are offering salaries 20-40% above standard Bulgarian market rates to secure these skills. For technically skilled professionals who choose to remain in Bulgaria, this EU-funded transformation window represents a rare opportunity to earn closer to European norms without leaving the country. The real game-changer, however, is remote work for Western employers: a Bulgarian developer working remotely for a German firm can earn €4,000-6,000 monthly while enjoying Sofia's €400 rents — achieving a purchasing power that exceeds their Berlin-based colleagues.