Software Developer Hiring Trends in Zagreb, Croatia

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 engineering job market in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, has seen a notable increase in job openings, peaking at 143 roles in week 32, indicating a strong demand for software engineers.
Zagreb remains the central hub for software engineering jobs in Croatia, accounting for 78% of all job openings, followed by other regions such as Split and Osijek, which contribute 4% and 3% respectively.
The current talent pool size presents challenges for hiring managers, as the competitive landscape requires innovative recruitment strategies to attract qualified candidates amidst a growing number of roles available in the region.
A significant majority of the software engineering roles in Zagreb are full-time positions (93%), highlighting a strong preference among job seekers for stable, long-term employment in the tech sector.
With a median time to hire of 33 days, hiring managers should prioritize early engagement and adapt their recruitment strategies to ensure swift fulfillment of software developer opportunities, especially as the demand for senior software developers continues to rise.

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

In recent weeks, the software engineering job market in Croatia, especially Zagreb, has experienced notable fluctuations. The number of new software developer jobs posted peaked at 143 in week 32, contrasting significantly with the weekly average of 61 positions across the prior weeks. In comparison to job closures, which reached a high of 109 in week 24, hiring managers may find this discrepancy indicative of emerging opportunities in the local tech landscape. For instance, the net increase in job openings, especially in weeks 32 and 34, signals a robust demand for software engineers that could outpace trends seen in other European markets.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Croatia:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	109
EPAM Systems	United States	Information Technology & Services	1993	53
GlobalLogic	United States	Information Technology & Services	2000	26
Endava	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2000	21
ENT - Ericsson Nikola Tesla	Croatia	Information Technology & Services	null	20
Q agency	Croatia	Information Technology & Services	2013	14
The Flex	United Kingdom	Real Estate	2019	12
Abysalto	null	null	null	12
Happening	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2022	10
Siemens Energy	null	Renewable Energy Power Generation	2020	10

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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 engineer job market trends in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, indicate a competitive landscape for hiring managers. With a talent pool size of X and Y job openings, the ratio of available talent to job vacancies highlights the challenges that recruiters may face. In comparison, countries like Poland, Hungary, and Romania, with similar job opening numbers but larger talent pools, present differing dynamics. The ratios suggest that while opportunities for software developers are growing in Croatia Zagreb, it may be comparatively harder to hire talent locally than in these neighboring countries. Thus, recruitment strategies for CTOs in Croatia's tech sector must be proactive and innovative to attract qualified candidates.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Zagreb

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Zagreb

In the Software Engineers job market in Croatia Zagreb, the distribution of roles reveals that 41% are Mid-Senior level positions, closely followed by Entry level roles at 26%, and Associate positions comprising 5%. This insight into hiring trends highlights the need for effective recruitment strategies, particularly for CTOs and hiring managers looking to attract skilled Mid-Senior level talent within the region's technology sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Croatia

In the software job market in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, the dominant employment type for engineering roles is full-time positions, accounting for 93% of the opportunities. Contract roles represent a modest 6% of the market, while part-time positions make up 3%. This distribution highlights the strong preference for stable, long-term employment among software engineers in Croatia's technology landscape.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Croatia

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for software engineers in Croatia reveals significant insights into the job market trends in this region, particularly in Zagreb. A notable concentration can be observed around the 30-day mark, with 324 candidates hired, followed closely by the 25-day timeframe at 231 hires. Hiring managers should be aware that the majority of roles are filled within the first 40 days, as indicated by the prominent counts of 110 and 109 hires at 20 and 40 days respectively. Moreover, with a total of 153 hires at the 10-day mark, early engagement in the recruitment process is essential for CTOs and engineering managers looking to optimize their hiring strategies in Croatia's competitive tech landscape. Monitoring these trends is crucial for adapting recruitment strategies to attract top talent in the senior software developer market and ensure swift fulfillment of software developer opportunities within Croatia Zagreb.

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Most popular cities in Croatia to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Croatia to hire Software Engineers

In the analysis of the Software Engineers job market trends in Croatia, Zagreb emerges as the predominant hub, accounting for 78% of the total job openings. Following Zagreb, the broader region of Croatia hosts 9% of positions, while Split and Osijek contribute 4% and 3% respectively. The capital's significant lead underscores its importance in the software job market, making it a key area for recruitment strategies for CTOs in Croatia Zagreb's tech sector. Please refer to the attached chart for a detailed view of this distribution.

Most sought after technologies in Zagreb for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the software job market in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb, the demand for key technologies remains robust. Notably, Java leads the way with an impressive frequency of 10,875, followed closely by Python, which showcases a strong presence at 10,977. Other notable technologies include JavaScript, with 8,244 occurrences, and React, at 6,854, illustrating their significance in modern development environments. Additionally, both C# and .NET exhibit considerable frequency, featuring at 5,156 and 5,985 respectively. These insights into technology preferences, illustrated in the accompanying chart, are critical for hiring managers aiming to align their recruitment strategies with current market trends.

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