PHP Developer Hiring Trends in Sofia, Bulgaria

This report was last updated on Sep 6, 2025

Bence Gedai

Founder

I analyze live hiring data and tech job trends across Europe to give CTOs and Product Leaders a strategic edge. By tracking tens of thousands of open roles each week, I uncover which skills, roles, and locations are in highest demand — potential competitors, typical time to hire, talent pool sizes, and more to help you prioritize hiring, benchmark and stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

Key learnings from this report

The Software PHP Engineers job market in Bulgaria, particularly in Sofia, is witnessing a positive trajectory, with job openings peaking at 17 positions in week 30 despite a backdrop of 32 closed positions in week 27.
Sofia stands as the primary hub for Software PHP Engineers, commanding an impressive 6067 job openings, accounting for 88% of the total market share in Bulgaria.
A robust demand for Mid-Senior level professionals is evident, comprising 55% of available roles, while 29% of openings cater to Entry level positions, indicating a healthy influx of new talent.
The preferred employment type remains predominantly full-time, constituting 96% of available roles, signaling a strong trend towards stable employment opportunities for Software PHP Engineers in Sofia.
The median time to hire for Software PHP Engineers in Bulgaria is 34 days, reflecting various hiring durations that hiring managers must navigate to effectively fill positions.

Number of roles opened and closed for PHP Engineers in Sofia in the last 3 months

Over the past 12 weeks, the Software PHP Engineer job market in Bulgaria Sofia has shown a positive trajectory, with job openings peaking at 17 positions in week 30. However, this growth has been accompanied by a significant number of closed positions, reaching a high of 32 closures in week 27, culminating in an overall increase of only 1 net job in the last week of data. Compared to other technology roles in the region, the demand for Software PHP Engineers remains robust, indicating a competitive landscape. Moreover, when examining trends across Europe, the hiring rates for Software PHP Developers in Bulgaria Sofia suggest a strategic advantage for CTOs and engineering managers looking to fill such roles amidst fluctuating job closures in other regions.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Bulgaria:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	116
wherewework Bulgaria	null	Human Resources	null	78
Job- og Erhvervsservice \| Jobcenter Gentofte	null	null	null	43
Happy Bar & Grill	Bulgaria	Restaurants	1994	39
Exadel	United States	Information Technology & Services	1998	34
BairesDev	United States	Information Technology & Services	2009	30
Rabota.bg	Bulgaria	Media Production	null	30
Sofia Stars	Bulgaria	Management Consulting	null	30
EPAM Systems	United States	Information Technology & Services	1993	26
Experian	United States	Information Services	1980	23

Here are a few specialized software agencies you can trust:

Want to get personalized matches? Get started

Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Bulgaria

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Bulgaria

In evaluating the software development landscape in Europe, we observe a significant divergence in the availability of Software PHP Engineers across various countries. In Bulgaria, the ratio of the talent pool to job openings indicates a competitive market for hiring, particularly in Sofia, where the demand is intensifying. Comparatively, countries like Poland, Romania, and Germany showcase varying talent pool sizes and job openings, reflecting differing hiring challenges. Poland exhibits a favorable ratio that suggests easier recruitment efforts, whereas Germany's high job openings versus talent pool may indicate a more challenging environment for hiring managers. This analysis underscores the importance for CTOs and hiring managers in Bulgaria to refine their recruitment strategies to effectively tap into the Software PHP job market in Sofia.

Seniority distribution of PHP Engineer job openings in Sofia

Seniority Distribution of PHP Engineering Jobs in Sofia

In the Software PHP job market in Bulgaria Sofia, the seniority distribution reveals significant insights for hiring managers. The Mid-Senior level positions constitute 55% of the available roles, indicating a robust demand for experienced professionals. Meanwhile, Entry level positions make up 29%, showcasing a steady influx of new talent into the market. Associate roles account for 7%, reflecting a smaller segment but essential for team growth.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria's engineering sector, the employment type distribution reveals a significant preference for full-time positions, comprising 96% of available roles. Contract positions account for 2%, while part-time roles constitute 1% of the job market. This data indicates a strong trend towards stable, long-term employment opportunities for Software PHP Engineers in Bulgaria, particularly in Sofia.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Bulgaria

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire for Software PHP Engineers in Bulgaria demonstrates a diverse range of hiring durations, reflecting both candidates' availability and organizational hiring processes. A significant number of positions, totaling 779 roles, are filled within 30 days, suggesting a dynamic recruitment environment. However, the data indicates that hiring can also extend beyond this timeframe, with 355 positions taking up to 15 days and 501 taking up to 25 days. For Tech Leads and CTOs considering expansion in Sofia, understanding this distribution can aid in refining recruitment strategies and managing candidate expectations. Overall, the software PHP job market in Bulgaria, particularly in Sofia, presents varied timelines that hiring managers need to navigate strategically.

Expolore reports from other European Developer talent pools

Insights for hiring Software Engineers in Barcelona

The software engineers job market trends in Spain, particularly in Barcelona, indicate a competitive hiring landscape characterized by a talent pool ratio of 3.5 candidates per job opening.

View Report

Insights for hiring Software Engineers in Veldhoven

The software engineering job market in Netherlands Veldhoven is characterized by a total of 23 new software developer roles posted in the last 12 weeks, resulting in a net gain of only 2 positions after accounting for closures.

View Report

Insights for hiring Ruby on Rails Engineers in Italy

The Software Ruby on Rails Engineer job market in Italy exhibits a notable talent pool size with a significant number of job openings; recent trends indicate a fluctuating landscape with 11 new positions emerging, contrasted by a closure rate of 14 roles, revealing recruitment challenges.

View Report

View All Job Reports

Most popular cities in Bulgaria to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Bulgaria to hire Software Engineers

In Bulgaria, the distribution of Software Engineer job openings reveals a clear concentration in Sofia, which boasts 6067 positions, representing 88% of the total job market share. The next leading city is Plovdiv, with only 442 openings, capturing a mere 6% of the market. Varna follows with 3% of the openings at 240 jobs. This data highlights Sofia as the primary hub for Software PHP Engineers, indicating high demand in the capital compared to other cities in the country.

Most sought after technologies in Sofia for PHP

Key technologies for PHP Engineers

In the Software PHP job market in Bulgaria, particularly in Sofia, several technologies stand out due to their widespread usage and relevance. The most commonly employed technology is PHP, with a significant frequency of 6,396, serving as the foundation for many applications. Following PHP, JavaScript is also prevalent, with a frequency of 3,423, showcasing the importance of dynamic front-end development. Additionally, SQL and MySQL stand out with frequencies of 1,850 and 1,874 respectively, indicating that database management skills are essential for PHP Engineers. Other notable technologies include HTML and CSS, which are vital for web development, with frequencies of 1,508 and 1,248 respectively. For a comprehensive overview of these technologies, please refer to the accompanying chart.

Have a great project in mind?

We've identified 100+ world-class agencies, drop us a line if you'd like to work with them.