Artificial intelligence is beginning to open a new wage gap within the technology sector itself. In Spain, professionals specialized in developing AI agents charge up to 39% more than traditional programming profiles. This is reflected in the Iwantic Salary Guide, which places the salary of an AI Agent Developer with between two and five years of experience at 60,000 euros per year in Madrid, compared to the average 43,000 euros for programmers with the same experience and in the same city.
This is one of the main data of the study prepared by Iwantic, a firm specialized in the selection of digital and technological talent, which analyzes 1,806 salary bands corresponding to 103 profiles in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Seville and Malaga. For the first time, the company advances the publication of its guide to October, coinciding with the period in which companies close their budgets and plan their teams for the next financial year.
The report depicts a labor market that will continue to grow in 2027, although selectively. The average pay rise will be 3.2%, while almost half of the pay bands will remain unchanged. In this context, AI agents are consolidated as one of the specialties that provide the most value to organizations and that concentrate a greater demand for qualified professionals.
The differences vary depending on the technological area. IT & Cloud leads salary growth, with an average increase of 4.7%, followed by Digital Marketing (+4.4%) and AI & Data (+3.7%). For their part, Development and Programming (+2.2%) and Cybersecurity (+2%) show a more moderate evolution after several years of growth.
More than a general increase in technological salaries, the data reflects greater competition for certain profiles. Professionals specialized in SAP, digital marketing, IT & Cloud and cybersecurity concentrate some of the largest increases expected for 2027. Added to this trend is the growing need to incorporate specialists capable of designing, developing and integrating AI agents into business processes.
In fact, the study incorporates six newly created positions, most linked to artificial intelligence and data. These include AI Agent Developer, AI Solutions Architect, AI Functional Specialist, Data Platform Engineer, and MLOps Engineer. The new functions related to AI agents stand out for their remuneration: an AI Solutions Architect can reach 80,000 euros per year with between two and five years of experience in Madrid, while an AI Agent Developer reaches 60,000 euros.
Salary pressure also extends to the SAP environment. The approaching end of SAP ECC standard maintenance in 2027 is accelerating migrations to S/4HANA and increasing demand for specialized professionals. Thus, a senior SAP S/4HANA Integration Specialist goes from 65,000 to 85,000 euros in Madrid, while a SAP Enterprise Architect increases his remuneration from 65,000 to 90,000 euros. This evolution reflects that the competition for technological talent is not limited to AI, although AI agents are among the new specialties with the greatest projection.
The report also notes changes in the map of Spanish technological talent. Barcelona already pays practically at the same level as Madrid for the same profile and experience, with a salary index of 101.9 compared to 100 in the capital. Furthermore, the Catalan city surpasses Madrid in Cybersecurity and IT & Cloud.
Valencia, Málaga and Bilbao make up a second group, with salaries between 8.6% and 9.8% lower than those in Madrid. Seville maintains the greatest difference of the six cities analyzed, with salaries 12.2% lower. The gap is especially pronounced in AI & Data, where Sevillian salaries are around 16% below those in Madrid. For their part, Valencia and Malaga are the cities that reduce distances the most with the capital compared to 2026, an evolution that can expand companies’ options to attract specialized talent, including professionals capable of developing AI agents.
The report also confirms changes in the map of Spanish technological talent
“Artificial intelligence has opened a war for talent,” says Raúl Romera, CEO of IwanTalent Group, the group to which Iwantic belongs. “Whoever knows how to build with AI can ask for almost 40% more, and companies that don’t move quickly will be left without it.”
For Romera, the key is in specialization and the ability to generate results: “The market no longer pays for volume, it pays for profiles that generate impact. Finding the right professional is today more difficult and more expensive, and that is why we have to anticipate. AI talent and senior SAP profiles must be budgeted for now: whoever waits until January will arrive late and will pay more.”
Regarding the geographical distribution of talent, the manager highlights the opportunities offered by Spanish cities beyond Madrid: “That Seville, Malaga or Valencia pay between 9% and 12% less than Madrid for the same profile is a huge opportunity to create technological teams outside the large capitals. The talent is all over Spain.” In an increasingly competitive market, anticipating hiring needs will be essential to incorporate AI specialists and AI agents without assuming unforeseen salary increases.
