Software Developer Hiring Trends in Croatia

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 engineering job market in Croatia has seen an average of 86 new software developer roles opening each week over the past three months, indicating dynamic hiring trends crucial for CTOs and hiring managers.
Zagreb continues to dominate the software engineering landscape, with 89% of job openings concentrated in the capital, highlighting the need for companies to focus their recruitment strategies in this key area.
The current median time to hire for Software Engineers in Croatia is 33 days, emphasizing the necessity for hiring managers to optimize their recruitment processes to attract and secure top talent efficiently.
Java and Python are the most sought-after technologies, with significant job listings, making these insights valuable for tech leads and engineering managers looking to align hiring preferences with market demands.
In the midst of these trends, 42% of open roles are classified as Mid-Senior level, underscoring the increasing competition for experienced Software Engineers and the importance of adaptive recruitment strategies.

Number of roles opened and closed for Software Engineers in Croatia in the last 3 months

In recent weeks, the software engineering job market in Croatia has shown notable fluctuations. Over the past 12 weeks, an average of 86 new software developer jobs have been opened weekly, with a peak of 179 jobs in week 21. Conversely, the number of positions closed per week experienced significant variation, with a maximum of 149 closings in week 24. This indicates a potentially competitive environment, with hiring managers needing to adapt their recruitment strategies to attract talent. Compared to other European countries, where the job openings have been steadier, Croatia's staffing dynamics suggest a unique challenge for CTOs and engineering managers focused on addressing the future demand for software developers.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Croatia:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	113
EPAM Systems	United States	Information Technology & Services	1993	26
GlobalLogic	United States	Information Technology & Services	2000	23
ENT - Ericsson Nikola Tesla	Croatia	Information Technology & Services	null	19
EY	United Kingdom	Professional Training & Coaching	1989	10
Abysalto	null	null	null	10
Endava	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2000	9
Bugatti Rimac	Croatia	Automotive	null	9
Q agency	Croatia	Information Technology & Services	2013	9
IBM iX DACH	Germany	Management Consulting	2015	8

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 Croatia

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Croatia

The software engineer job market in Croatia, alongside several European counterparts, reveals a competitive landscape marked by varying ratios of job openings to available talent. For instance, Croatia currently shows a talent pool to job openings ratio that suggests hiring may be more challenging compared to countries like Poland and Hungary, which boast a higher availability of software engineers relative to the number of open positions. This indicates that while there are opportunities in the software job market in Croatia, recruitment strategies for CTOs and engineering managers must be more proactive. Conversely, destinations such as Germany and the Netherlands experience a more balanced dynamic, potentially offering a smoother recruitment process for senior software developers. Ultimately, understanding these nuances is crucial for effectively navigating the software developer opportunities and hiring trends within Croatia and across Europe.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Croatia

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Croatia

In the Croatian software job market, the seniority distribution reveals that 42% of positions are categorized as Mid-Senior level, while Entry level roles account for 27%. Associate roles make up a smaller segment at 5%. This distribution indicates a robust demand for experienced Software Engineers, which should inform recruitment strategies for CTOs and hiring managers navigating Croatia's tech sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Croatia

In the context of the software engineers job market trends in Croatia, full-time positions dominate with 93% of the opportunities available, reflecting the preference of companies for stable and committed talent. Contract roles represent 6% of the market, catering to businesses seeking flexible staffing solutions. Part-time positions, although less common, account for 1% of the employment distribution, indicating niche opportunities for those seeking to balance work and other commitments.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Croatia

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Software jobs in Croatia presents a noteworthy insight for hiring managers navigating the competitive landscape. The most prevalent hiring duration is between 25 to 30 days, accounting for 512 positions filled. Notably, the total demand for profiles that exceed 30 days continues to emphasize the prolonged hiring cycles, particularly evident with 294 positions requiring up to 30 days and 151 taking up to 35 days. This data suggests a trend where organizations must refine their recruitment strategies to align with the realities of the software job market in Croatia, thus enhancing their chances of attracting top talent efficiently.

Expolore reports from other European Developer talent pools

Insights for hiring C++ Engineers in Stockholm

The Software C++ job market in Sweden, particularly in Stockholm, has experienced notable fluctuations in job openings over the last 12 weeks, with a peak of 16 new positions posted during week 23, followed by an average of 3 jobs per week by week 32.

View Report

Insights for hiring PHP Engineers in Poland

The Software PHP Engineer job market in Poland is exhibiting notable fluctuations, with a peak of 188 new positions in week 21, but also a low of just 10 postings in week 25, indicating volatile demand for Software PHP Developers.

View Report

Insights for hiring Rust Engineers in Vilnius

The Software Rust Engineers job market in Lithuania, particularly in Vilnius, is currently experiencing a net decrease in available roles, with 12 new positions opened against 40 closures over the past 12 weeks. This trend underscores the challenges in retaining Software Rust talent and suggests an adjustment in recruitment strategies may be necessary for hiring managers.

View Report

View All Job Reports

Most popular cities in Croatia to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Croatia to hire Software Engineers

In analyzing the Software Engineers job market trends in Croatia, it is evident that Zagreb dominates the landscape, accounting for 89% of the job openings with 1,937 positions available. Following Zagreb, the city of Croatia itself represents 10% of the market with 226 opportunities. Split, with 4% of the total job openings at 93, and Osijek and Remote positions make up the remainder, illustrating a strong concentration of opportunities in the capital. Please refer to the accompanying chart for a visual representation of these statistics.

Most sought after technologies in Croatia for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

The software job market in Croatia is characterized by a diverse set of technologies that drive demand for Software Engineers. Java stands out as the most sought-after language, with a frequency of 10,261, followed closely by JavaScript at 8,026. Python, highly favored for its versatility, also ranks prominently with 10,261 listings. React and PHP maintain strong positions with frequencies of 6,433 and 5,625 respectively. The accompanying chart illustrates these trends, offering valuable insights into the prevalent technologies shaping Software Developer opportunities in Croatia.

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.