PHP Developer Hiring Trends in Bulgaria

This report was last updated on Aug 16, 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 job market in Bulgaria has recently shown notable fluctuations, with an increase in openings peaking at 72 in week 21, followed by significant turnover as 44 positions were closed in weeks 23 and 24, reflecting an evolving recruitment landscape.
PHP remains the most sought-after skill in Bulgaria's tech sector, with 5,625 references in job postings, followed by JavaScript and MySQL, indicating the importance of these technologies for attracting top talent.
Entry-level and Mid-Senior level roles together make up 82% of the Software PHP Engineering job market in Bulgaria, highlighting both the demand for new talent and the critical need for experienced professionals.
With 86% of Software PHP Engineer job openings concentrated in Sofia, it stands as the primary hub for software development opportunities in Bulgaria, followed by Plovdiv and Varna.
The median time to hire for Software PHP Engineers in Bulgaria is currently 34 days, suggesting that hiring managers may need to adopt innovative recruitment strategies to navigate the competitive landscape.

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

In recent weeks, the Software PHP job market in Bulgaria has exhibited notable fluctuations. Over the last 12 weeks, the number of new Software PHP Engineer roles posted peaked in week 21 with 72 openings, followed by a decline to 11 by week 23. During this same period, the closed job count reflected substantial turnover, particularly in weeks 23 and 24, where 44 positions were closed, suggesting possible hiring challenges or shifts in demand. While the openings for Software PHP Developers have varied, these trends indicate an evolving recruitment landscape in Bulgaria's technology sector. In comparison to other roles within the country, the demand for Software PHP Engineers is particularly dynamic, requiring hiring managers to adopt agile recruitment strategies to attract top talent while also keeping an eye on emerging trends in hiring Senior Software PHP Developers across Europe.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Bulgaria:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	119
Rabota.bg	Bulgaria	Media Production	null	66
Job- og Erhvervsservice \| Jobcenter Gentofte	null	null	null	47
wherewework Bulgaria	null	Human Resources	null	42
Happy Bar & Grill	Bulgaria	Restaurants	1994	41
DXC Technology	United States	Information Technology & Services	2017	29
Sofia Stars	Bulgaria	Management Consulting	null	29
Exadel	United States	Information Technology & Services	1998	27
Acronis	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2003	26
BairesDev	United States	Information Technology & Services	2009	24

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Bulgaria

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Bulgaria

The software PHP job market in Bulgaria presents a compelling landscape for hiring managers and recruiters. With a current count of job openings significantly aligned with the available talent pool, Bulgaria offers a commendable jobs-to-talent ratio compared to other European countries such as Hungary, where the demand outpaces supply, and Romania, which has a larger pool but fewer openings. In this context, while Bulgaria remains competitive, hiring software PHP Engineers can be moderately challenging, especially as opportunities continue to grow. Conversely, countries like Poland show a stark contrast with a higher number of job openings and a tighter talent supply, indicating that recruitment strategies may need to be more innovative in Bulgaria's tech sector.

Seniority distribution of PHP Engineer job openings in Bulgaria

Seniority Distribution of PHP Engineering Jobs in Bulgaria

The seniority distribution for Software PHP Engineering jobs in Bulgaria illustrates a predominance of Entry level and Mid-Senior level positions. Specifically, Entry level roles account for 43% of the total job market, followed by Mid-Senior level positions at 39%. Together, these two categories represent a significant 82% of the opportunities available, highlighting a pressing need for both new talent and experienced professionals in the Bulgarian tech sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria's software development landscape, the employment type distribution reveals that 96% of engineering roles are full-time positions, reflecting a strong preference for permanent employment among job seekers. Contract roles account for 2% of the market, while part-time opportunities comprise 1%. This indicates a clear trend favoring stability in the job market, which hiring managers should consider when developing recruitment strategies for Software PHP Engineers.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Bulgaria

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Software PHP Engineers in Bulgaria illustrates a significant concentration of hiring within the 30 to 35 day range, with a notable count of 663 and 351 respectively. While a substantial segment falls within the 10 to 20 day window, accounting for 418 and 291 positions, the recruitment landscape also indicates challenges with longer hiring processes, as evidenced by 249 positions extending to 40 days. This data underscores the necessity for hiring managers and CTOs to develop effective recruitment strategies that align with these trends, particularly in the context of the burgeoning Software PHP job market in Bulgaria and the anticipated future demand for PHP Engineers.

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Most popular cities in Bulgaria to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Bulgaria to hire Software Engineers

In Bulgaria, the distribution of Software PHP Engineer job openings reflects a significant concentration in Sofia, which accounts for 86% of all relevant positions. Plovdiv follows with 6% of the job market share, while Varna contributes 3%. This data underscores the dominance of Sofia as the primary hub for software development opportunities, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Bulgaria for PHP

Key technologies for PHP Engineers

In the software PHP job market in Bulgaria, specific technologies play a pivotal role in shaping the hiring landscape. PHP remains the most frequently sought-after skill with a substantial frequency of 5,625, highlighting its dominance in this sector. Other essential technologies include JavaScript, which is desired in 2,983 job postings, and MySQL, referenced in 1,649 opportunities, emphasizing the significance of database management in PHP development. Furthermore, Laravel (1,168) and Symfony (1,001) frameworks are crucial for building robust PHP applications, reflecting the current hiring trends for Software PHP Engineers. This data is illustrated in the accompanying chart, providing a comprehensive overview of technology usage in Bulgaria's software development job market.

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