From 60 to 150 thousand euros per year; from Logistics to CFO. New study highlights the 10 highest-paying positions in the country for this year.
In a statement sent to ZAP, the Manpower Group highlights, in analysis, the highest paying positions in 2026.
Technology and cybersecurity are dominant trends on the list, which features functions with a direct impact on financial health, strategy and the execution of complex operations.
1. CFO (between 90 thousand and 150 thousand euros per year)
At the top appears the Chief Financial Officer (CFO)with annual salaries between 90 thousand and 150 thousand euros. The financial director is no longer just responsible for budget control and accounting, but rather takes on an increasingly decisive role in corporate strategy.
The CFO’s duties include daily management of the financial area — cash-flow, reporting, compliance — and long-term planning, with a focus on risk management and defining sustainable financial goals. He is also a key advisor to the CEO and the board of directors, participating in the evaluation of investments and the identification of growth opportunities.
The requirements are high: advanced training in management and finance, mastery of compliance and reporting and behavioral skills such as leadership, communication and strategic thinking.
2. CTO and CIO (between 70 thousand and 150 thousand euros per year)
Technology leaders are in a similar salary range: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO), with values between 70 thousand and 150 thousand euros per year.
As technology became the central axis of competitiveness, these functions gained prominence and became decisive for the modernization of organizations, notes the Manpower Group.
Responsibility includes defining the digital vision, driving technological transformation programs, overseeing critical systems, managing data and cloud solutions, ensuring digital security and fostering innovation initiatives.
In addition to a solid technical base, a deep understanding of the business, the ability to align technology with corporate objectives and leadership and communication skills are required.
3. Engineering Director (between 90 thousand and 130 thousand euros per year)
The position of Engineering director (or technical director) appears as one of the best paid, with salaries between 90 thousand and 130 thousand euros per year.
This is a leader responsible for technical vision, strategy, execution and management of teams and projects, who must ensure quality, deadlines and budget.
In Portugal, the demand for this type of profile remains constant, with opportunities in various sectors from construction to technology multinationals. The position requires advanced training — a bachelor’s or master’s degree in areas such as electrical, mechanical or civil engineering —, experience in project and team management and transversal skills such as problem solving, communication and strategic thinking.
4. Director of Investment Banking (between 75 thousand and 120 thousand euros per year)
Director of Investment Banking, with annual salaries between 75 thousand and 120 thousand euros, is a role associated with mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and debt issues, with a strong commercial component.
The professional leads financial modeling and evaluation processes, captures new business, manages relationships with clients and investors and supervises teams that execute projects.
The high remuneration reflects the need for a long and specialized background — typically 10 to 15 years of experience —, as well as resilience and interpersonal skills to negotiate and lead under strong pressure.
5. CISO (between 70 thousand and 120 thousand euros per year)
Cybersecurity appears in the study as one of the most valued areas. The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is on the list with salaries between 70 thousand and 120 thousand euros.
The role focuses on protecting data, systems and infrastructures, through the definition of a security strategy and risk management. It also includes responsibilities in regulatory compliance — with references to frameworks such as NIS2, CRA and ISO 27001 —, supplier management and incident response.
6. Cloud Architect (between 60 thousand and 95 thousand euros per year)
Migration to the cloud remains a strategic priority, and this supports the demand for Cloud Architects, who can receive between 60 thousand and 95 thousand euros annually.
This professional designs, implements and maintains cloud infrastructures and systems, using platforms such as AWS, Azure or Google Cloud. The mission is to translate business requirements into scalable, secure and cost-efficient architectures, ensuring privacy, compliance, performance and continuous monitoring. The role requires close work with IT teams and business areas, at a time when the cloud is seen as a tool to reduce operational costs, increase scalability and accelerate innovation.
7. Engineering Manager (between 65 thousand and 90 thousand euros per year)
The Engineering Manager has salaries between 65 thousand and 90 thousand euros per year. Leads development teams — software, hardware or product —, ensuring that technical execution meets business needs.
Supervises projects, promotes integration of solutions, ensures technical architecture, develops and monitors teams.
8. Platform Engineer and Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) (between 60 thousand and 90 thousand euros per year)
The Platform Engineer and Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) positions have salary ranges between 60 thousand and 90 thousand euros per year. Although close, they have different focuses.
The SRE focuses on the reliability of systems in production, while the Platform Engineer creates internal platforms that increase the productivity of development teams.
Both automate tasks, accelerate software delivery and work with cloud-native ecosystems, often with tools like Kubernetes and CI/CD pipelines.
In Portugal, according to the market study, companies find it difficult to find professionals with solid experience in cloud, automation and observability, with opportunities existing in national and multinational organizations with a presence in the country.
9. Data Engineering Lead and Principal Data Engineer (between 60 thousand and 85 thousand euros per year)
Professionals with roles such as Data Engineering Lead and Principal Data Engineer are responsible for designing and managing infrastructures, platforms and data pipelines at scale, ensuring that information is reliable and accessible to generate value. The role evolves into a more strategic dimension: defining standards, building the data platform roadmap and serving as a bridge between technology and business objectives.
Sectors such as banking, industry, retail and Software as a Service (SaaS) stand out as being especially active in the search for these profiles.
10. Logistics Director (between 60 thousand and 80 thousand euros per year)
The role covers planning and supervision of the entire distribution chain, from the acquisition of raw materials to final delivery to the customer. The complexity of supply chains, the pressure for efficiency and the need for quick response make the role critical for competitiveness.
The Logistics Director manages teams, transport, warehouses and management technologies, seeking to optimize costs without compromising service quality.
And for those who are just starting their career? ZAP wrote an article about this two days ago:
