Machine Learning Developer Hiring Trends in Zagreb, Croatia

This report was last updated on Aug 23, 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 Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers job market in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, is currently facing a competitive environment with a notable disparity between talent pool size and job openings.
Zagreb dominates the job market for Artificial Intelligence roles, accounting for 87% of total job listings in Croatia, making it the primary location for hiring efforts.
In the last 12 weeks, there has been an overall trend of job closures outpacing openings, indicating that hiring for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers is becoming increasingly challenging for recruiters in Croatia.
Preferred employment type for these positions is full-time, which comprises 93% of the opportunities available, reflecting the stable employment landscape within the tech sector.
The median time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Croatia is 36 days, which highlights the need for efficient recruitment strategies to attract top talent in a timely manner.

Number of roles opened and closed for Machine Learning Engineers in Zagreb in the last 3 months

In the past 12 weeks, the job market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Croatia Zagreb has shown fluctuating activity, with a peak of 6 new positions posted in week 23. However, the closure of jobs has outpaced openings, particularly notable in weeks 22 and 24, where 7 and 5 roles were closed respectively. This trend suggests a competitive job environment, reflecting a broader pattern seen in Europe where demand for skilled professionals exceeds new opportunities. Comparatively, hiring for roles in other tech sectors in Croatia may not have experienced the same level of closure, indicating a potential area of focus for recruitment strategies tailored to CTOs and Engineering Managers aiming to attract top talent.

Who else is hiring for ai Engineers in Croatia:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Vertiv	United States	Electrical/electronic Manufacturing	2016	11
Infobip	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2006	7
ENT - Ericsson Nikola Tesla	Croatia	Information Technology & Services	null	5
GlobalLogic	United States	Information Technology & Services	2000	5
Axelera AI	Netherlands	Semiconductors	2021	5
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	3
Cast AI	United States	Information Technology & Services	2019	3
Casumo	Malta	Gambling & Casinos	2012	2
Happening	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2022	2
Elixirr Digital	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	1999	2

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Talent pool vs job openings for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Croatia

How competitive it is to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Croatia

The job market for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineers in Europe reveals significant disparities across countries, notably impacting hiring strategies for CTOs and tech leads. In Croatia, the ratio of talent pool size to job openings indicates a challenging environment for recruitment, as the availability of qualified candidates does not sufficiently meet demand. Compared to adjoining markets such as Hungary, Poland, and Serbia—where talent is relatively abundant—the situation in Croatia highlights the need for innovative recruitment strategies. The difficulty in hiring talent in Croatia, especially in Zagreb, reflects broader hiring trends observed in the European technology landscape, underscoring the importance of adapting approaches to attract top-tier Artificial Intelligence talent.

Seniority distribution of Machine Learning Engineer job openings in Zagreb

Seniority Distribution of Machine Learning Engineering Jobs in Zagreb

In the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, the seniority distribution reveals notable trends. Mid-Senior level positions account for 47% of the job openings, followed by Entry level roles at 39%, and Associate positions comprising 6%. This indicates a robust demand for experienced professionals while also highlighting opportunities for newcomers in the field.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Croatia

In Croatia, the employment type distribution for engineering roles reveals a strong preference for Full-time positions, comprising 93% of opportunities. Contract roles account for 6% of the job market, while Part-time positions make up 1%. This landscape underscores an essential consideration for hiring managers in Croatia, particularly in the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning sector, where Full-time engagement is predominant.

Time to Hire Distribution for Artificial Intelligence in Croatia

How long does it take to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

The time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Croatia reveals notable trends that hiring managers should take into account. The majority of candidates are recruited within a 30 to 50-day timeframe, with 26 candidates hired at the 30-day mark and 14 at the 50-day point, indicating a significant cluster of hiring within this range. Conversely, there are fewer hires in the 70 to 100-day range, suggesting a potential bottleneck in the hiring process for more senior positions. These insights into the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in Croatia and Zagreb can aid CTOs and recruiters in shaping their recruitment strategies to attract top talent efficiently.

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Most popular cities in Croatia to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

Top 5 cities in Croatia to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

In Croatia, the location distribution for Artificial Intelligence Engineer job openings reveals that Zagreb dominates the market with a substantial 87% of total job listings. Following Zagreb, the broader region of Croatia accounts for 8%, while remote positions represent 4%. This data underscores the significance of Zagreb as the epicenter for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job opportunities within Croatia's tech sector, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Zagreb for Machine Learning

Key technologies for Machine Learning Engineers

The job market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, shows a clear preference for specific technologies. Notably, Python stands out with the highest frequency of 5,934, making it an essential skill for candidates in this field. Following closely are SQL and Machine Learning frameworks with frequencies of 2,298 and 3,508 respectively, highlighting their significance in data management and algorithm development. Other important technologies include Data Science, with a frequency of 1,346, and AWS at 755, which underscore the relevance of cloud platforms in the AI and ML sectors. This trend provides valuable insight for hiring managers looking to attract top talent, as showcased in the accompanying chart.

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