Best Classes Barcelona

An Overview of Thriving Barcelona Industries

• Creative Industries: In a 2024 report, “Creative and Cultural Industries: Barcelona Industry Focus” by the Barcelona City Council, the authors explain that Barcelona is a European cultural hub. According to the report, Barcelona’s creative and cultural industries are made up of more than 4,600 companies and provide more than 43,000 jobs. Publishing is one notable creative employer; Barcelona is home to more than 250 publishers. The video game industry employs more than 4,600 people, with employers including Ubisoft, King, and Larian. The music industry employs about 4,000 people. A number of well-known music festivals take place in Barcelona, including Primavera Sound, Sónar, Cruïlla, BAM, and the Barcelona Jazz Festival.
• Tourism: Tourism is a significant part of Barcelona’s economy. According to Meet Barcelona, a Barcelona City Council website, an estimated 30 million tourists visit the city every year. The website states that tourism employs about 150,000 people and is responsible for approximately 14% of the city’s GDP. It says, “Tourism is one of the most important activities in Barcelona and represents a priority for the municipal government.”
• Tech: As reported by Meet Barcelona, the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Barcelona is composed of more than 2,500 companies and supports more than 64,000 jobs. Catalonia Trade & Investment, the Catalan government’s public agency devoted to assisting international firms in investing in Barcelona-Catalonia, talks about specific tech strengths in this area. It says that cybersecurity companies employ more than 9,000 people and have recently increased by more than 4%; there are 488 AI companies; and there is also a significant robotics industry, with companies including Yaskawa, ABB, Staubli, and Universal Robots.
• Health and Life Sciences: According to Meet Barcelona, the importance of the health sector has increased since the COVID-19 epidemic. It reports that the city’s health sector has more than 3,000 companies and creates more than 95,000 jobs. It says, “Health activity accounts for 82.2% of jobs, health-related social services account for 8.4% of employment, and the pharmaceutical industry accounts for 9.4%. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry constitutes a dynamic cluster with a remarkable capacity for research and innovation.” Catalonia Trade & Investment calls the Barcelona-Catalonia region “a leading innovation hub” for the life sciences sector. The organization finds that overall, the life sciences sector employs more than 69,000 people, or 6.5% of the population.
• Chemicals: The Catalonia region, which includes Barcelona, is a leading chemical manufacturer. According to Catalonia Trade & Investment, there are close to 2,000 chemical companies, which employ more than 61,000 people and generate billions in revenue. It says that Barcelona is one of three chemical hubs in the area and specializes in “intermediate chemical production plants, cosmetics, personal hygiene, and pharmaceuticals.” Many chemical headquarters and sales offices are also located in Barcelona.

Top Barcelona Salaries and Careers

As reported by Payscale:

• Software Engineer: €46,000
• Data Analyst: €31,000
• Marketing Manager: €38,000
• Project Manager: €39,000
• Data Scientist: €40,000
• Operations Manager: €47,000

Barcelona Labor Market Trends

According to a recent article on the Meet Barcelona website, job growth in Barcelona is strong, with the information and communication sector leading in job creation. Furthermore, the authors note that unemployment is at its lowest level since 2008. The article, "Barcelona's economy is growing faster, with a year-on-year GDP growth of 3.8%, " states, “The business climate continues to trend upward. New company creation in Barcelona is vigorous, with a year-on-year increase of 6.3%."

According to another City Council report, "The Labour Market, ” "The Barcelona area is currently offering job opportunities in sectors such as artistic and creative industries, leisure and entertainment, hospitality and tourism, construction, commerce, logistics, telecommunications, and information and communication technologies (ICTs).” Additionally, the report mentions, "There is also high demand for highly qualified and specialized profiles, especially in the technology field.” Work permits are provided for non-citizens who possess the skills to fill positions that local workers are unable to fill.