Software Developer Hiring Trends in Zagreb, 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 Engineers job market trends in Croatia, specifically in Zagreb, reveal a talent pool with exciting dynamics but also notable challenges.
In the last three months, the number of new job openings fluctuated significantly, with a peak of 125 positions in week 21, followed by a decline to 42 openings in week 31, indicating potential hiring challenges for Software Developers.
Zagreb stands out as the primary hub for Software Engineer opportunities, accounting for 86% of the job listings in Croatia, making it essential for hiring managers and CTOs to focus their efforts in this city.
The current employment landscape is competitive, with a talent-to-job openings ratio suggesting that recruiting Software Engineers in Croatia requires innovative strategies due to rising demand and a moderately difficult hiring environment.
Notably, the median time to hire for Software Engineers in Croatia is 33 days, with a significant volume of roles being filled quickly, emphasizing the urgent need for hiring managers to adapt their recruitment practices to stay competitive.

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

In the last 12 weeks, the Software Engineers job market in Croatia Zagreb has exhibited significant fluctuations, with a peak of 125 new jobs posted in week 21. However, the trend reveals an inconsistent pattern as job openings decreased to 42 in week 31, indicating potential hiring challenges. Notably, job closures have surged, peaking at 109 in week 24, which raises concerns about the retention of talent in this competitive sector. Compared to other roles within Croatia and across Europe, the demand for Software Engineers remains critical, necessitating that hiring managers and CTOs refine their recruitment strategies to attract qualified candidates effectively.

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

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Croatia

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Croatia

The software engineers job market trends in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, reveal a competitive landscape when compared to other European countries. Croatia shows a talent to job openings ratio that suggests a moderate hiring difficulty. In comparison, countries like Poland, Hungary, and Romania exhibit similar ratios, indicating a heightened competition for skilled professionals. The demand for software engineers continues to rise, which implies that hiring managers and CTOs in Croatia must adopt innovative recruitment strategies to attract the best talent amidst a growing pool of opportunities within the tech sector. Overall, while the software job market in Croatia’s capital is promising, it reflects a challenging environment for securing top-tier software engineers.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Zagreb

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Zagreb

In the Software Engineers job market trends in Croatia Zagreb, the seniority distribution reveals critical insights for hiring managers. The Mid-Senior level represents 49% of the job market, indicating a strong demand for experienced professionals. Meanwhile, Entry level positions account for 31%, suggesting ample opportunities for newcomers to the field. Additionally, Associate roles constitute 6%, highlighting a smaller pool of applicants in this category.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Croatia

In the Croatian software engineering job market, full-time positions dominate the employment landscape, comprising 93% of available roles. Contract opportunities account for 6% of the market, while part-time roles make up 1%. This distribution highlights the strong preference for full-time employment among software engineers in Croatia, particularly in the Zagreb region.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Croatia

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire for software jobs in Croatia demonstrates a nuanced landscape, particularly evident in Zagreb's competitive market. A significant volume of positions, approximately 294 roles, see a time to hire of 30 days, indicating a robust demand for software engineers. Furthermore, the distribution highlights that 218 positions are filled within 25 days, reflecting the urgency in hiring amid increasing software job market trends in Croatia. On the other hand, longer hiring periods are notable, with 121 positions taking up to 15 days, suggesting that while many roles are filled quickly, others may require more extensive sourcing efforts. For CTOs and hiring managers, understanding this timeline is crucial for aligning recruitment strategies within Croatia Zagreb's evolving tech sector.

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Most popular cities in Croatia to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Croatia to hire Software Engineers

The location distribution for Software Engineers job openings in Croatia is predominantly centered in its capital, Zagreb, which accounts for 86% of the total job listings. Following Zagreb, the next significant areas are Croatia itself, comprising 10% of the openings, and Split, contributing 4%. This data emphasizes the importance of Zagreb as a hub for Software Developer opportunities in Croatia.

Most sought after technologies in Zagreb for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the context of the Software Engineers job market trends in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, certain technologies stand out due to their high frequency of usage among job listings. JavaScript leads the pack with 8,026 mentions, closely followed by Java, which appears 10,261 times. Python is also prominently featured, with a significant count of 10,261. Other notable technologies include PHP with 5,625 mentions, and React, which is present in 6,433 job postings. This data underlines the essential competencies that hiring managers should target when navigating the software job market in Croatia Zagreb, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

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