Data Developer Hiring Trends in Cologne, Germany

This report was last updated on Aug 9, 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 talent pool size for Data Engineers in Germany, particularly in Cologne, is becoming increasingly competitive, requiring more refined recruitment strategies from hiring managers.
In the last 12 weeks, the Data Engineers job market in Cologne has seen fluctuations, with a peak of 11 new openings in week 21, juxtaposed against a backdrop of job closures consistently outpacing openings, indicating potential challenges in filling these positions.
Full-time roles dominate the Data Engineer job market in Germany, constituting 96% of opportunities, emphasizing the preference for permanent employment among candidates and influencing recruitment strategies for CTOs.
Top companies actively recruiting Data Engineers in Germany include adesso SE, TieTalent, and KPMG Deutschland, reflecting the strong demand for skilled Data professionals across various sectors.
The median time to hire for Data Engineers in Germany stands at 31 days, highlighting a need for hiring managers to streamline their recruitment processes to attract top talent efficiently.

Number of roles opened and closed for Data Engineers in Cologne in the last 3 months

Over the past 12 weeks, the Data Engineers job market in Germany, particularly in Cologne, has exhibited fluctuating trends. A notable peak occurred in week 21, with 11 new positions reported, contrasting sharply with weeks 22 and 24, where only 1 and 2 jobs were opened, respectively. Meanwhile, job closures have also seen variability; however, a concerning trend is that the total number of closed jobs consistently outpaced openings in several weeks, highlighting potential challenges in filling Data Developer roles. Compared to other roles within Cologne and across Europe's technology landscape, the active hiring for Data Engineers has not significantly outpaced other positions, but the emerging data indicates a need for focused recruitment strategies for CTOs in Germany Cologne's tech sector to address the future demand for Data Engineers.

Who else is hiring for data Engineers in Germany:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
adesso SE	Germany	Information Technology & Services	1997	14
TieTalent	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2017	13
KPMG Deutschland	null	null	null	12
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	10
ALDI SÜD	Germany	Retail	1913	10
Instaffo	Germany	Information Technology & Services	2014	8
n8n	Germany	Information Technology & Services	2019	5
Miltenyi Biotec	Germany	Research	1989	5
Apside Switzerland	Switzerland	It Services And It Consulting	2015	4
SoSafe	United States	Information Technology & Services	2018	4

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Talent pool vs job openings for Data Engineers in Germany

How competitive it is to hire Data Engineers in Germany

The talent market for Data Engineers across Europe reveals varying degrees of hiring ease, particularly in Germany. With a significant number of job openings compared to the available talent pool, Germany, specifically Cologne, shows a competitive landscape for recruiting Data Engineers. Compared to countries like France, the Netherlands, and Spain, which have relatively high talent availability per job opening, Germany's ratio of job openings to available talent indicates a tighter market. As a result, hiring managers in Germany may face challenges in finding qualified Data Engineers, necessitating strategic recruitment efforts to attract top talent in this demanding sector.

Seniority distribution of Data Engineer job openings in Cologne

Seniority Distribution of Data Engineering Jobs in Cologne

In Germany Cologne, the seniority distribution of Data Engineering jobs reveals a landscape that is primarily characterized by Mid-Senior level positions, comprising 43% of the roles available. Entry level roles follow closely, making up 30% of the market, while Associate positions account for 27%. This distribution highlights the current demand for experienced talent in the Data job market in Germany Cologne.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Germany

In the competitive landscape of the German software development job market, particularly in cities like Cologne, the distribution of engineering roles reveals significant trends. Full-time positions dominate the employment landscape, accounting for 96% of opportunities. Part-time roles make up a mere 4%, while internships and contract roles comprise a minimal part of the market, with 2% and 2% respectively. This data underscores the strong preference for full-time employment among Data Engineers, influencing recruitment strategies for CTOs and hiring managers looking to attract top talent.

Time to Hire Distribution for Data in Germany

How long does it take to hire Data Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Data jobs in Germany indicates a diverse recruitment landscape, with a majority of positions filled within a range of 30 to 40 days. Specifically, 288 roles were filled in 30 days, followed by 243 roles at the 25-day mark, showcasing a significant emphasis on efficiency in recruitment processes. Data also reveals that hiring managers can expect to see a notable number of candidates being hired within the first 15 to 25 days, with 138 positions filled at 15 days and 80 at 5 days. However, hiring may extend beyond 40 days for more senior or specialized Data Engineer roles, as evidenced by 91 roles requiring 40 days and beyond. This distribution provides key insights for recruiting strategies and highlights the importance of optimizing hiring timelines to align with market demand in Germany's growing tech sector.

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Most popular cities in Germany to hire Data Engineers

Top 5 cities in Germany to hire Data Engineers

The data reveals a pronounced concentration of Data Engineer job openings in Germany, with Berlin leading at 52% of the total jobs available. Munich follows as the second-largest hub, representing 25% of openings, while Hamburg accounts for 18%. This distribution emphasizes Berlin's pivotal role in the Data job market in Germany, particularly for hiring managers considering locations for talent acquisition.

Most sought after technologies in Cologne for Data

Key technologies for Data Engineers

In the competitive landscape of the Data job market in Germany Cologne, several technologies stand out as pivotal to recruitment strategies for CTOs. Python leads with a notable frequency of 9,057, underscoring its dominance in Data Engineering roles. SQL follows closely at 8,396, signifying its critical importance in data management and analysis. Other significant technologies include ETL (3,343), Machine Learning (3,188), and Data Analysis (2,404), indicating that candidates skilled in these areas are increasingly sought after. As illustrated in the accompanying chart, understanding these technology trends is essential for hiring managers aiming to attract top Data Engineer talent amidst rising demand in Germany Cologne's tech sector.

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