The quality of the higher education system in Spain offers career opportunities you might have never considered. The universities in the country have a global reputation for providing some of the best courses in Europe, with many Spanish universities also ranking among the world’s best universities.
How to Choose a Career in Spain
Choosing a career in Spain follows a similar pattern as in every other country. The first step is finding something you are passionate about. Suppose you still have not found your passion. In that case, you can start by identifying your skills, seeking professional resources, and exploring sectors and industries to make a more informed decision.
Once you have completed these steps, you will gain information that should help you decide your career path and set achievable goals. Remember that when choosing a career, your job’s potential salary is essential; however, your career choice should not be based solely on how much money you can make.
Upon choosing your career path, you can start browsing universities in Spain and decide which one fits your goals and interests best. Spain is home to some of the best universities in the world, so, regardless of your chosen field of study, be assured that you will receive a high quality of education.
On top of that, by the time you graduate, you will have earned an internationally recognized qualification that allows you to work in Spain and other countries worldwide.
In-Demand Careers in Spain
Finding the right job when moving to Spain can be challenging. If you are an EU national, you have freedom of movement, meaning you will not need a visa to enter or work in the country, so you can live and work in Spain easily. However, if you come from a third country, you must apply for a permit and get a visa to work in Spain.
Currently, Spain has raised its minimum wage from €965 to €1,000, and the number of job seekers in the country has dropped due to a significant increase in vacancies. Only in June, around 783,500 permanent contracts were signed.
If you are wondering who are the job candidates that are the most in-demand in Spain, consider the following:
- Site Reliability Engineer
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Software Applications Engineer
- Infrastructure Engineer
- Data Engineer
- Clinical Trial Manager
- Supply Chain Planning Manager
- Sustainability Manager
- Business Development Representative
- Cloud Architect
- User Experience Researcher
- Clinical Site Specialist
- Mortgage Loan Officer
- Back-end Developer
- Mechanical Supervisor
- Cyber Security Specialist
Highest Paying Careers in Spain
In Spain and worldwide, some professions have what can be called ‘more privileged salaries’. Among these professions are the following:
| Careers | Field of Study | Average Monthly Salary |
| Surgeon | Medicine | €8,540 |
| Orthodontist | Dentistry | €8,090 |
| Radiologist | Radiology | €7,210 |
| Judge | Law | €7,020 |
| IT Director | Information Technology | €6,665 |
| Dentist | Dentistry | €6,570 |
| CEO | Business | €5,960 |
| Commercial Director | Business or Life Sciences | €5,760 |
| Pilot | Aviation | €4,680 |
| Engineer | Engineering | €2,750 |
Easy High-Paying Careers in Spain
There is a myth that high-paying jobs come with a load of stress and responsibilities, but that is not always the case. While many high-paying jobs in Spain require advanced education, you can still break into one with a bachelor’s degree.
Here are some of the easy high-paying jobs in Spain:
| Careers | Field of Study | Average Monthly Salary |
| Pharmacy Technician | Pharmacy | €2,750 |
| Technical Writer | Journalism, English, Communications | €2,520 |
| Personal Trainer | Sports Sciences | €2,310 |
| Purchasing Officer | Business, Logistics | €2,200 |
| Cosmetologist | Cosmetology | €2,040 |
| Flight Attendant | Tourism, Human Relations, Communications | €1,960 |
| Cardiac Technician | Cardiovascular Technology | €1,950 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Officer | Tourism and Hospitality | €1,880 |
| Sales Representative | Business, Marketing, Communications | €1,860 |
| Massage Therapist | Massage Therapy | €1,860 |
| Baking and Pastry Chef | Baking and Pastry Arts | €1,690 |
Popular Careers in Natural Sciences
Natural sciences graduates in Spain pursue a wide range of careers after completing their degrees.
Some of the most popular careers in natural sciences in Spain are the following:
Biological Technician
If you would like to assist in the tests and experiments of biological and medical scientists, becoming a biological technician allows you to do so. Spain has plenty of universities that offer training to prospective biological technicians.
Park Naturalist
Do you love the outdoors and are looking for a career that does not involve sitting in the office all day long? If yes, you can study natural sciences in a country full of picturesque parks and wonderful outdoors.
Industrial Ecologist
Your duty as an industrial ecologist is to perform various tests to monitor and investigate pollution sources affecting the community’s health. A career as an industrial ecologist in Spain allows you to work in offices, laboratories, and in the field.
Aquaculturists
Some of the best universities offer aquaculture programs in Spain, giving future aquaculturists development and research opportunities. In Spain, you will have the chance to choose between several universities offering aquaculture programs.
Natural Sciences Teacher
Natural sciences studies allow you to pursue a career as a teacher. Teachers in Spain enjoy excellent working conditions and a wide variety of career opportunities.
Laboratory Technician
If you love laboratory work, you can consider a career as a laboratory technician. In Spain, during your studies, you will be involved in different laboratory-based research and testing.
Popular Careers in Engineering and Technology
Careers in engineering and technology might be some of the most popular in today’s job market and some of the highest paid.
In Spain, some of the most popular careers in engineering and technology are the following:
Computer Systems Analyst
Computer systems analysts are some of the most in-demand professionals in today’s job market, and the job outlook for computer systems analysts in Spain is quite promising.
Robotics Engineer
If your dream career includes working with robots, you can choose to pursue the truly interdisciplinary field of robotics. Spain has plenty of universities that offer programs in robotics, giving you plenty of choices.
Programmer
As a programmer, you will need the necessary skills to create software for computers and mobile devices. Programming courses in Spain provide the training and knowledge required to perform your tasks efficiently.
IT Engineer
IT engineers are becoming necessary in a wide range of sectors. Being exposed to such high demand, Spanish universities prepare their IT students for various career options.
Food Engineer
The food production industry has quality control and assurance as its primary goals. In Spain, food production is one of the most important industries in the country’s economy. Being one of the main sectors in Spain, graduating with a degree in the field provides stable employment.
Artificial Intelligence Engineer
Are you interested in becoming an AI Engineer? If yes, why not pursue a degree in AI in a country that offers some of the best study programs in the field.
Biochemist
A biochemist career can allow you to make fundamental changes in preventing and curing different diseases. In Spain, you can receive an excellent education in biochemistry.
Agricultural Engineer
Your tasks as an agricultural engineer include making plans and designs to advance the agricultural sector. Spanish agricultural programs teach you exactly how to develop infrastructure that helps this particular sector.
Popular Careers in Medical and Health Sciences
Spain is one of the best countries in the world to study medical and health sciences.
Some of the most popular medical and health sciences careers in Spain include the following:
Doctor
Medicine studies in Spain offer opportunities to study in some of the world’s best medical schools in an international environment. A medical degree in Spain allows you to find a job as a doctor in different countries apart from Spain.
Pharmacist
If you are interested in earning a degree that provides a wide range of professional opportunities, consider studying pharmacy in Spain. Pharmacy students in Spain graduate with a hard-to-beat education and embark on a financially rewarding career.
Veterinarian
The veterinary profession is quite demanding and can be filled with long days of hard work. In Spain, veterinary studies take five years of full-time study to complete; however, the long years of study promise a satisfying career.
Psychologist
As psychology deals with the human mind and behavior, your task as a psychologist will be to teach people how to better deal with life. Psychology graduates in Spain find work in academic institutions, offices, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and not only.
Nursing
A Spanish nursing degree will allow you to acquire academic and professional skills in many subjects. In Spain, you will also have the opportunity to choose the area where you wish to specialize and practice your profession as a nurse.
Biotechnologist
The field of biotechnology is technology that uses biology to solve problems and make products useful to living organisms. Regarding biotechnology, Spain is a top-notch competitor, the most common use of the industry being in human health.
Epidemiologist
In Spain, a degree in epidemiology allows you to research the community’s health and safety and trains you to identify public health concerns and find realistic solutions to them. On top of that, Spain pays its epidemiologists’ generous salaries.
Dermatologist
Dermatology studies in Spain are extensive and require utmost dedication. Dermatology programs in the country teach you how to treat skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes problems.
Popular Careers in Agricultural Sciences
Statistics show that during the year 2021, the Spanish labor market generated 58,000 jobs in the agriculture sector. In Spain, 3% of the country’s wealth comes from agriculture, and more than 50% of the country’s land is suitable for cultivation.
Some of the most popular careers in agricultural sciences in Spain include the following:
Agricultural Consultant
As an agricultural consultant, you will provide technical and business assistance to farmers and not only. In Spain, you can study to become an agricultural consultant alongside some highly-talented professionals and peers.
Food Inspector
A career as a food inspector in Spain allows you to find an ideal job while also ensuring the safety of your community. There are study programs in Spain that teach you everything you need to know to become a successful food inspector.
Pest Control Manager
Pest control managers oversee the activities of different individuals within a pest control company. In Spain and worldwide, employment opportunities for pest control managers have kept growing steadily over the years— giving you plenty of job opportunities after earning your degree.
Agronomist
An agronomist is concerned with soil management and crop production. As an agronomy student in Spain, you will learn different methods to ensure that the quality and production of crops increases. Agronomists in Spain also earn pretty high salaries.
Popular Careers in Social Sciences
Social sciences are concerned with the study of societies. The field also studies the relationships that different individuals have within these societies. In Spain, you can pursue a large number of disciplines within the field of social sciences — all offered in great universities by excellent teaching staff.
In Spain, some of the most popular careers in social sciences include the following:
Business Administrator
A degree in business administration in Spain will teach you the essential skills for excellent management in several settings. After earning your degree in business administration, you will be able to work in marketing, finance, retail, healthcare, and not only.
Marketing Manager
It is a known fact that marketing graduates have some unique and highly sought-after skills. These skills make graduates of the marketing field highly employable across different work settings. In Spain, a degree in marketing can springboard a career in banks, governments, NGOs, education, etc.
Political Scientist
Political science is one of the most versatile degrees, offering its graduates a wide range of job opportunities across different sectors. As a political science graduate in Spain, you will develop skills like negotiation, the ability to debate effectively, analytical skills, communication, and team building, to name a few.
Hotel Manager
Spain is full of five-star hotels that attract thousands of international individuals to visit the country annually. Additionally, to study hotel management in Spain means having the opportunity to study at some of the highly ranked hotel management universities.
Geographer
Geography degrees in Spain provide the theoretical and technical training needed to practice your profession as a geographer. As geography is an excellent field that brings people of different backgrounds together, you will enjoy researching and studying nature, land, and earth in Spain.
Human Resources Manager
Human resources graduates are some of the most employable since HR managers are needed in almost every industry. In Spain, a degree in human resources allows you to work in firms, offices, IT companies, hospitals, and not only.
Archeologist
Archeology might be one of the most exciting fields of social sciences. It deals with studying the most simple to complex remains or ruins. Spain has plenty of archeological sites you can visit and learn about archeology. Apart from helping you develop as an archaeologist, visiting the archaeological sites of Spain will offer an exciting and unique experience.
Tourism Manager
If you wish to learn how to manage one of the world’s most prominent people industries, a tourism degree might be the right fit. Tourism degrees in Spain take four years to complete, and they prepare you for the job market through internships, placements, and different projects throughout your studies.
Criminologist
The field of law is generally seen as social science as they are closely related. A degree in criminology in Spain typically takes around three-fours years of full-time study. To become a criminologist in Spain is not an easy journey, but it is ultimately both fulfilling and financially rewarding.
Popular Careers in Art and Humanities
The arts and humanities fields of study are the ones that focus on all human cultures from the beginning of time. In Spain, you can pursue each of the fields of art and humanities at some of the best universities in the country.
Some careers in art and humanities you can pursue in Spain include the following:
Educator
Educators are individuals who teach students in different settings and support their academic learning and development. You will need a bachelor’s degree to become an educator in Spain. Plenty of top-notch, high-ranking universities in the country can prepare you to become the best educator with their excellent programs.
Editor
Working as an editor might be your best choice if you aim to pursue a career with excellent prospects! Nowadays, the work of editors is not only limited to print media. In Spain, you can find a job as an editor in publishing, law, education, government, sales and marketing, and not only. The outlook for editor careers in the country is also expected to grow.
Photographer
If you are a curious person, pay attention to details, and have a creative imagination, you should consider a career in photography. Photographers in Spain work in many different settings, both indoors and outdoors. Photography programs at Spanish universities have a worldwide reputation, equipping you with skills to work in wedding, fashion, real estate, travel, architecture, and food photography, to name a few.
Graphic Designer
As the use of social media, advertising, and marketing design is skyrocketing, the demand for graphic designers is also increasing. In Spain, with a degree in graphic design, you can work in marketing firms, ad agencies, web design firms, NGOs, and not only. In addition to that, graphic design courses are offered in some of Spain’s most prominent universities.
Fashion Designer
Spain offers fashion design programs at all study levels in various formats. As such, you will have plenty of options when it comes to choosing the university you will attend and the study mode that suits your interests best.
Historian
Part of the art and humanities field are degrees in history. Spain is a country filled with culture and history, and it also has a reputation for offering history programs that equip students with real-world experience in the field.
Musician
In Spain, you will find renowned music schools, low tuition fees, and a long musical tradition. In addition to this, Spanish music schools offer courses in music education, contemporary music, opera, sonology, and not only.
Writer
If you prefer to communicate in a written format and love to read and tell stories, you can consider a career as a writer. If you do so, why not study in the country that is home to some of the most prominent writers of all time, one of them being Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
Architect
Spain is one of the best countries to study architecture due to its outstanding universities, qualitative architecture programs, and competitive salaries for graduates of the field. Additionally, Spain is full of diverse architectural styles, seen in plenty of the country’s unique cities.
Actor/Actress
Apart from Hollywood, another country becoming the center of the film industry is Spain — its universities offering international qualifications. On top of earning a qualification that is hard to beat, you will also qualify for a pretty satisfying salary.
Non-Degree Careers in Spain
A non-degree career requires hard skills but not extensive work experience or a four-year college degree. In Spain, the jobs you can take without a degree are as diverse and financially satisfying as one requiring a degree.
Some non-degree careers you can pursue in Spain include the following:
Flight Attendant
As a flight attendant, you will provide routine services, respond to emergencies, and assist all passengers as needed. In Spain, you will find plenty of flight attendant schools and training programs to equip you with the necessary skills to work with different airlines. In Spain, a career as a flight attendant will also allow you to travel around the world.
Medical Secretary
As a medical secretary, you will provide administrative support to different health professionals. Some of your responsibilities as a medical secretary include scheduling appointments, processing medical texts, filing patient records, etc. You will need a high school diploma to work as a medical secretary in Spain. However, you can also attend training courses to learn about working as a medical secretary.
Firefighter
Firefighters do more than just put out fires; they also deal with different people’s needs, including medical emergencies, floods, and road traffic incidents, and not only. In Spain, you can work as a firefighter without obtaining a bachelor’s degree, but you can only work at certain levels. To work in non-entry-level positions, you must get a degree.
Security Guard
The work of security guards is quite diverse; however, its main focus is ensuring the safety and protection of people and buildings. In Spain, you can easily work as a security guard without a college degree if you have the skills to do your job successfully. In Spain, as in many other countries of the world, working as a security guard offers quite a lot of flexibility, allowing you to work full-time and part-time.
Sales Representative
The position of a sales representative is another one that does not necessarily require a college degree and one that pays quite well. As a sales representative, your primary responsibility is to sell products and services and meet your customers’ needs. In Spain, you can become a sales representative without obtaining a college degree if you are persistent and determined and can sell products and services, among other skills.
Groundskeeper
A groundskeeper has many responsibilities, including maintaining lawns, trimming trees, fertilizing flowers, eliminating weeds, and not only. As a groundskeeper, you will need the ability to operate various types of equipment like lawnmowers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, etc. In Spain, to work as a groundskeeper, you only need the knowledge and skills to perform your tasks and not a degree.
Recreation and Fitness Instructor
Recreation and fitness are among the most popular sectors in today’s job market. Obtaining a recreation and fitness instructor job allows you to help others enhance their quality of life through different activities. In Spain, recreation and fitness instructors exercise their profession without obtaining bachelor’s or master’s degrees.
Computer Support Specialist
The computer support specialist’s job is to maintain computer networks and provide the necessary technical support. In Spain, not all individuals working as computer support specialists have completed a degree. With extensive computer knowledge and experience, you can also get a job as a computer support specialist in Spain.
Broadcast and Sound Technician
Most broadcast and sound technicians in Spain complete a technical course that gives them the practical knowledge to perform their tasks successfully. Working as a broadcast and sound technician in Spain means completing tasks similar to every broadcast and sound technician worldwide, including operating, monitoring, and adjusting videos, sound, etc.
Taxi Driver
Taxi drivers in Spain do not need a degree to exercise their profession; they only need a taxi license. To get your license, you must first have a driver’s license and pass a theoretical and practical test to get your license. Taxi drivers in Spain must also possess a certain level of Spanish and Catalan.
Vocational Careers in Spain
Vocational education is non-academic in nature. It relates to a specific field or trade and may require a credential, diploma, or certificate. Vocational education also includes hands-on, practical activities. Vocational education in Spain means learning from job placements and professionalization. In Spain, vocational training is divided into three cycles:
- Basic Vocational Training Cycle
- Middle-Grade Cycle
- Higher Degree Cycle
Some vocational careers you can pursue in Spain include the following:
Plumber
As a plumber, you will specialize in fitting and maintaining water systems in different settings, including homes, buildings, commercial buildings, ships, or airplanes. In Spain, you can find plenty of training options on plumbing and work in home maintenance, manufacturing and assembly, heat production installations, maintenance of thermal and fluid installation, and development of thermal and fluid installation projects.
Electrician
Electricians have many responsibilities apart from repairing faults in electrical installations, including maintaining and repairing equipment, preparing budgets and technical documentation, interpreting plans correctly to carry out wiring installations, and not only. You must obtain a certificate from a public or private institution to become an electrician in Spain.
Welder
The primary job of a welder is to join together metal parts. Becoming a welder in Spain is not as tricky: you must take a welding course that allows you to work in sectors such as metal structures, carpentry, and not only. In Spain, the welding sector is quite a safe option for those who want a secure and in-demand career.
Carpenter
As a carpenter, you will use wood or other natural materials to install wooden fixtures and fittings like doors, furniture, floors, and not only. To be a good carpenter, you must possess a series of skills, which you can develop through specific training in Spain. The carpentry sector is one of the oldest in the world, and in Spain, it offers a permanent and well-paid job.
Pipe-Fitter
As a pipe-fitter, your task is installing, repairing, and maintaining piping systems. As with the majority of other vocational careers, pipe-fitting is also an excellent career for those aiming for a career that is both steady and financially rewarding. In Spain, those with a qualification in pipe-fitting can find a job in many sectors and cities.
