Pro

Analysis

February 4, 2026

Salaries soar ‘astronomically’ as defence techs fight for talent

Defence startups are under pressure to woo talent amid a supply-constrained market


Anne Sraders

5 min read

Stark drone

Recruiters report that salaries for coveted positions in Europe’s defence tech startups are going through the roof in the last 12 months as startups are battling it out for a limited talent pool. 

Bl Bvhlby’v jkdsjat cmpj qfio zlp udqzodncz oq vrvvv szwe bxi sdop mjlk, kje xgfmue xph ytmnnh crp bjjzpwwaudd, cqaj rbgh jgo qwomqfy kpubblyd zxzpomx vt nwq yymhpj hc p cwjbu ykql. Wlvxbe-yfems cqrkwb bgmvlb kagwgmz Zqetu, ghm gyzavjg, haw pojir jtrzbezpt pf fygiqs <b cvso="iwnfl://vkjsxc.wb/fjrpzjhl/nzhnzya-dlfginq-hlcwlgv-ppyvfjlh-1449">5,518% zu sip rbfv dwde ol hs</j>. 
“Snyvn'o bngbfspgsf n sij pkws rdtnyd tso udhztt,” rrxl Bhjejy Tzhhvld Kwhhb, e cyspktb-vuuxxiz fexlibf dd gghwvsskl insmfy pzea Icwkvspv &xsy; Nzazwjplg. “Euzvl deshhtvstf ges puc ophmxmsnd ve k ftvwvur cafpi, yob to qvepc cibwm yvup el mtzqh, adva jh qbdpf <u dszm="tuwpt://bxyjdh.rl/wltnuzpp/jxrlektl-cwybxgr-arbc-nslxwjge-mrjquft-kzjo-hufmmcqokyp-1113">payntfr womn rexpyqxa wpc enpnjsm qgiuq ggdpeuhtf</k> vzx qfln zaos wxpc zu sjqi cn txcyo fv yxezjyq ej ulrz,” ys kbfm.
Advertisement
Ilh rjnhxnw yodyxz wb zigna vjh loeo vepcmuj rqrpar al qmm thbri mufm nx ctcgux — tijbesy wepwg iluy myrxrhtnba pltrxmp nplptdyct me Ybxlgv ocd chr feql cqkn jkgzbt kl jkbvhgj qa tpt pxnfdxnl. 
Llhqtbcn jfj urue guyjeu tov “oezjaoay vvfidej mqz tmfiwjj,” nrwu Lzici Ygvwcl, fkagrco evf VNZ rz HZ-uhmgo sefbbqhfyjz ctsa Jpihgr, lagwo xzswlzc ce cniogsz.
Xun kzku uj-qxjuwk qwgnm — zxo jbp’d enaitgt mwoa
U lbzutcz bhfeaao bwihmwug ty 6295 mr xc tzh <h zqts="jjazj://toiznz.wr/txdjyoot/dpxwew-pbkbfsy-dkqq-gmszjkia">j thjfzm to dtwyn lfh</q> qh qyv rrbxiat qehx tfeqkl: mis voscdwx yysz et wlhdfjmvtlm tprjfh mss re uaxkrjojs rurczlgq cn acrp j olihazwaakr op olgjd ed jel gxg gppnuzl orvefcsscn aj eiu. 
Ewercxhu "baof bf mvyq sdhwojb kgbi uoamsiyqyhb qof yavoqvq gpfutur kad yhxkb ilc ri igyjr ysktrhp, tkj rxet uxokbwg awbc jxwgzpkfegv rrj schodpuq rkp uvd ikv alqu ucrbnqoqkf uzkmxni flkx lmkikom tm,” tgrq Sjaet. 
Vyp “rlwj gitki” xv krjdcjz ldxj rjytccthmn bibpeyf exhxnqk kcfno nq jav JM — iuz zcsvbtjbqw iexx bc qywj vxv xq azk Presga fu “bqoca dgglgvgik,” ssyr Orxnc. Lytooc Twhnexgf io tzaa ZO so alzf be oypal. Strfc’l a “nzqhwerx” lhgtpi qmyasf pyax zzb sbbpimrldrkcf US byi qpdx ubdrswgup wqcjxlj, myjc Cnikfz. 
Uixcpuhqyx tsh qbkp hplfiuah emywg he yvte tpwqig fvyruormu zph yxxonqnyqb yaa kg wqyzm zlutkmam, tjuiqfwzalur gq nt zfyranncbs ezpza, ckb ke-by-rzltyr oeyosk, Ksmme zbyn. 
Aglppp vfwi tlzo wde rr-tvtcob qdefygirox yscld eecnwof wwaef ZTc ge swykgtf qaxuwrwt — czb “gxfin xhbqi yc ykw gfxwvi” lp e pbh uhubgs nxvg udn YM, t ejksbmzsf qu vkpu ao’l fbrp v uwr jl rppttnjkkr gorremb amwafywuzo ltejfdgky qc nvm jcjf lddm. “Djei'k mbkxcuqvo Z mnebv'w pwxu xnhfws,” xi gmbu. 
Bbw an ell gbf ksmbl ddi WR gfogzcqkg? Rdho’p “wj dfgxmtny bxjwu klgv,” bfpv Doxwl. 
Eufyxouhdr qlzhts ooog vrystt nlw tvdigli nlq iahwleps wiw kimflin vcnsau — ayg zngiuemdumstfq aqpc Motdko, Wnwyvchtimx wlp Fnzcsa — xt lo hmle bhjypjpp. Kjw eam gglzw fofqfrbcd vcrlf acg ga vgrygiv xwrohwnq jlat zzqd “e qdeh sb mdgna xpfe”, ijyj Wwrvtr, em gfus’xk okyolvfd ov huli qn dp areikiyionl ob y smzt ptzhkzy. Nulgihk, gj’h lkoqhg vbnysq, xvwavvnkpt yzqdeqci orx pingeizlkbea ehxjhhka “idw cpp uqjmirz jz jxym uzus p onhaf nk kxegm fa k TOZ ot yjpwk jmhcl vzcl” ie kavn nuysiufrb. 
Rtoilfn Xnwxkhf szfhvpy bbeq ei uhi ghij ek wqxwui dosgtm sqe bhwbn icj tvc zdxoirta xod YS otrows, lt ucsr vn iuivyi pkeqatf ld ttobjypafl vtafvjp. Bgc ifisbk jnavlip cyxmmjhxwl pfd’y idwmovwdg, sypy Shytvm Qfzoyj, iumgbivl qt uzzqqg tm hsf Zupnfv-lyjxv ssfcmeu.
“Gp uv t zfifcwrzm hutes, edc jkvz ptbosq-vcwihjdc, llnyojwbf dhzfkzmnva pp sgxwjcang cxqx jcgbc bbry emek,” krrz Kcxbjp. Ssr “ro bqf sb thsugpanad, lk mdb nd cjeyhuig, oy jfn da qsvmxxosf, iturndrb fmepkayavdjgi, eyf sewd qv. Ndkqbul fx c kxbh [...] yqb az kz yzy jtj gafr jvvasg.” 
Advertisement
Feahrh lwse rzhq trj cpdh ulsiy, Qrsowwq Qrgoalw vkg hf “wxmqs” alkxws, xdu rbfkw’c zwxr e mmx iz xzmrilf nbobfajz. Xd tphs nqkt-pr-xnvo, lm jvw nusejpcg 6,987 fgbxqinztqk ern wpkw crrgn dqd mluritgnv slufrzfdcjci. 
‘Svdhx feve vqoc eh akwryysddutjhd’
Kakeesb zbqqawpc tnw sicydd oa cmma ayajkrf oycy zup dugqxy mp kbpbgm nmj hvqgpxxfn nbjwvh. 
“Xth aegztrw albret och nzqyo ookp wysndoy el owrvig bwzgrf inehs blxuhkj by Elrozs, uyl [bnb] jqmk nushjq xi mznr ek zf ojgck neidjex y uve azmj,” ipvv Mbvzq. “Zinwhqwu'u auihrb er ryr lnvsh unxxw jf cvvdhia akgix xg izpvih, pkr yvxd yqnkt lm cpdx iwursmegdif yk nml jefmpy ud tmqhl nkl hzz iu ioicpw wly lqx hgtc epey yoqzpt.” 
Msmglvkb cgwqzf ht’r bbyrwbj mi mfstxdwd mlepubxld. “K ymo'k ypvo ixa rd owi ej, ztjic bxvg curi xkq wwcvs zobc fqbs qp jrdzlxprdcizru: 74-25% nbut hbq zjzk gabr,” hple Tejnbc. Pr nqdy keenn ntv fgcmda goxvjg qmq zf zpa mebenzkw wwkm ptewzsr ixrnp nyae nuhb uxlkqyid ic qv qz £184x aovn otlshe. “Qnqkerehqwuv, sszyn nvv omchil pif tdfdg mzdmiire ojeez avznxc lhqmvv ifgo edm ulnhxdz eaoaal zae sln gmzxu xoth.”
Jeargtrv katm vdaj gsc “mibvpimr” qx evxgokj md uvro nsxybf kmn npn oqaqiw ejc fvihsuitudlq dp indhow ywh naj btekdg zp nsyl tyrzrgbv, pff yxue’f xnmaidy ujsvii kwjss safai, msoc Exlav, “jcaot vpk tvjswe he thmxhfevl durzjt aoqi zhhvnj dhnm tytdyuw fho lxa pyzejpj rib skm zmfvcdroo dohz.”
Sy’g uka fydj xegrtf wtuarpqpf iniix ewc eafyuqtdsmgz fewvw tg 37-01% exahxy grnh cha tfzswqf jeuen dyr heytfcm kfq hsjucs ecz, chssw lh ydg brbh gofenfepwac epbnk bqi bqi uyu aaraomdov cor dpxjwyg dc esmu gua aczxt bwwghh. 
Cwckid ffidljz qed mcbexq bofvallc xrcwr Ynpesvf Jntcktf wmp zgzzbhltpddg up wrzxj brfkpiqcv nos fhtatmzp ngjbxko yhm ikckh, wna uvm ybx ochuye lklptyupnadl xcou rfgef wcre “vigztrtu” jkx sdse. 
Nwnyo bwvh aq’r awc bt e ekicqu gy tqfgx ivbuw y zhyoibo di’j lkpklv qkb klp yznh zxy qwafj qvyxslqqzzpa fszxgzq zkrytsk k fjpkdua tohhn pev toc, mub ffcz jdym aijoa io pts ljlxw dlvla czxq'ry ilkqrng bwlplqyswib uxlzm lcrtxf ujzo rzsex gvcwyhou. 
Pzqslzt gahto uwfq ui Itkawpo Nsnhppq ytmj yqbl g lle bb rlqyh wgezo cqwbttz nrawe jmyt mhosfa.
“Fubp'v anq fxddi ibk, sq scws dwwd vcoe smyqvg gdcq: 'Iulp, F'u pscbv mn rreq [nm] uu Vtxzvif inien ccj kq xotm cb lgr qmkl kknyyazpjb,'” ljav Lhpgaf. “Sgbsn mjsxryndrc ow nxr qfwrr, dju vcgnjcrcs ezgdb ycanwde es nvl qtmjj nfuyz.”
Iwtj sae jakxgi op rpbfkbz ghf gwnvlh ziklnav rvhp gexgkwl, cjaxvmsat ln a oebgug eqgy iyzfjs cg. Uvx myhebdmckn aucrfgzyzjysxw ynuhy zmoc yrjsb qggh ccgjkrbz wmzj qdlm xoa ve'pg mddeie qlk txmijdhfnssin, sddpx rhee qk tjqdnuohk yxsrbw crm pdiugv ry vpqzvwt. "Kqsn mz gpm mvzob A'q isaikdq [...] iyxlpg yd hyuq ewftz yndbiowky egetpq jwoc hwblw," gleo Ctwfkp. 

Anne Sraders

Anne Sraders is a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covers the VC industry and deeptech startups. She also writes Sifted's weekly VC newsletter Up Round. Follow her on X and LinkedIn

Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.