International applicants who come to study in Czechia find themselves in a favorable position: the Czech labor market is one of the most stable in Central Europe and has a personnel shortage in several profitable segments at once. Below are five fields with the highest demand and some of the highest starting salaries in the region. We look at each field from three angles: what the profession involves, why it is being headhunted and where to study.
1. IT: Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The IT field in Czechia is divided into two highly sought-after specializations: designing and training neural networks (AI / Machine Learning) and protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks (Cybersecurity). The development of autonomous systems — from self-driving cars to industrial robots — is also closely related.
Why it is in demand:
- Prague and Brno are the largest IT hubs of Central Europe. Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Red Hat, Avast, JetBrains, ŠKODA Digital and dozens of local startups have offices here.
- The shortage of AI and cybersecurity specialists in Czechia exceeds 12,000 vacancies and continues to grow.
- Salaries for Senior developers start from CZK 100,000 (≈ €4,000) gross per month, and AI/ML specialists easily reach CZK 130,000–180,000 just 3–5 years after graduation.
Where to study: ČVUT in Prague (FIT and FEL), Masaryk University in Brno (FI — Faculty of Informatics), Charles University (MFF — Faculty of Mathematics and Physics). All these universities participate in European grant programmes — students from the 2nd–3rd year already do part-time work on real projects.
2. Medicine: General Practice and Dentistry
Classical medicine is a "long investment in the future": 6 years of a Master's programme in Czech, mandatory clinical practice, serious competitions at the start. But the result is worth it: the Czech medical diploma is recognized throughout the European Economic Area without additional nostrification.
Why it is in demand:
- A systemic shortage of doctors: the population is aging, and young professionals actively emigrate to Germany and Austria where starting salaries are 2–3 times higher.
- A doctor in Czechia enjoys a respected social status and practically guaranteed employment immediately after graduation; deficit regions offer relocation bonuses.
- Dentistry is a separate story: the possibility of private practice makes the specialty one of the highest-paid in the country (from CZK 200,000 within a few years after graduation).
Where to study: Charles University — all five medical faculties (1.LF, 2.LF, 3.LF in Prague, LF UK in Hradec Králové and LF UK in Plzeň), Masaryk University (LF MU in Brno), Palacký University in Olomouc (LF UP), University of Ostrava (LF OU). For dentistry — 1.LF UK, LF MU and LF UP.
3. Engineering: Energy and Robotics
Czechia is one of the most industrial countries of the European Union. It concentrates the region's largest automotive (ŠKODA Auto, Hyundai), engineering (Bosch, Siemens) and energy plants (ČEZ Group, Westinghouse). These factories critically need engineers with two key competencies: designing automated production lines and working with modern energy systems, including renewable sources.
Why it is in demand:
- The European "Green Deal" obliges Czechia to switch to 32% renewable energy by 2030. Huge demand for engineers in solar, wind and hydrogen energy.
- Automation is accelerating: ŠKODA Auto plans to robotize 70% of assembly lines by 2027 — each such project requires dozens of robotics engineers and system integrators.
- Graduates of technical universities have almost 100% employment in the first year after graduation; a design engineer's salary starts at CZK 60,000.
Where to study: ČVUT in Prague (FEL, FS, FBMI), VŠCHT (chemical engineering and green technologies), VUT in Brno, ZČU in Plzeň (power electronics and energy), VŠB-TUO in Ostrava (mining engineering, energy, industrial IT).
4. Psychology and Clinical Therapy
Over the past 5 years there has been an explosive growth in demand for psychological support in Czechia. The pandemic, economic instability and the mental health trend have made psychology one of the most sought-after social professions. Psychotherapy, neuropsychology, organizational psychology and HR consulting for large corporations also belong to this group.
Why it is in demand:
- The Czech healthcare system has included psychotherapy in the list of services partially covered by insurance — sharply increasing demand for certified specialists.
- Competitions for psychology faculties are among the highest in the country (up to 20–30 candidates per place), making graduates an elite group on the job market.
- Private practice in Prague and Brno is a high-income business: a session with a qualified psychotherapist costs CZK 1,500–3,000, and popular specialists are booked months in advance.
Where to study: Charles University (FF — psychology, PedF — education), Masaryk University in Brno (FSS — the strongest psychology faculty in the country), Palacký University in Olomouc (FF UP). These three universities offer the full path to a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist.
5. Economics: Data Analytics and FinTech
Classical accounting is fading away — its place is being taken by specialists at the intersection of economics, statistics and programming. Today banks and corporations need people who can equally well read tax reports and work with Python / SQL / R to analyze big data. FinTech also belongs to this group — the development of digital banking products, cryptocurrency solutions and payment platforms.
Why it is in demand:
- Czechia is a regional fintech hub: offices of ČSOB, Komerční Banka, Raiffeisen, neobanks (Air Bank, mBank, Revolut Europe) and blockchain startups.
- Big Data and predictive analytics have penetrated all segments: e-commerce, insurance, telecoms, the public sector. Companies critically lack people who can formulate hypotheses and test them on data.
- A Senior analyst in Prague earns from CZK 90,000, a data scientist — from CZK 110,000, the head of an analytics department — from CZK 180,000; this is 1.5–2 times more than a classic economist.
Where to study: VŠE in Prague (FIS and FFÚ), Charles University (IES — Institute of Economic Studies, one of the strongest in econometrics in Eastern Europe), ČZU ("Economics and Management" with a data-driven focus), Masaryk University (ESF).
What to consider when choosing
All five fields require subject preparation already at the admission stage. Medicine will not accept you without biology and chemistry in Czech; IT — without mathematics and logic; economics — without mathematics and often English. Therefore, if your goal is one of these specialties, a C1 language course will not be enough: you need parallel preparation in profile subjects. KOVER education offers separate tracks within Smart Intensive for this — where together with the Czech language you prepare for exams in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics or OSP/ZSV, reducing the risk of "not getting in on the first try" by 2–3 times.
And finally: when choosing a profession, look not only at the starting salary but also at the 10-year horizon. All five fields in this overview are specialties with growing demand, not seasonal trends. In 10 years AI engineers, doctors, robotics engineers, psychologists and data scientists will be needed by Czechia and Europe even more than today.