Software Developer Hiring Trends in Essen, Germany

This report was last updated on Sep 7, 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 trends in Germany, particularly in Essen, reveal dynamic shifts and opportunities for hiring managers and CTOs.
Essen has experienced fluctuating trends in software developer job openings, with a peak of 12 new postings per week, yet challenges in talent retention are evident due to higher job closures.
The talent pool size in Germany remains significant, with hiring managers needing to adopt strategic recruitment approaches to attract top candidates amidst intense competition.
Full-time employment is the dominant preference among Software Engineers in Germany, with 93% of available roles being full-time positions, underscoring the need for recruitment strategies focused on permanent hires.
Top companies actively hiring include TaxTalente, adesso SE, and ALTEN Germany, emphasizing active engagement in the sector and providing insights for recruitment strategies tailored to the evolving software job market.

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

Over the last 12 weeks, Germany Essen has seen fluctuating trends in the software engineering job market, with new job postings ranging from 2 to 12 per week. The peak occurred in week 32, highlighting a surge in software developer demand. Notably, however, the area experienced higher job closures, with a total of 8 jobs closed in week 25 alone. This disparity suggests potential challenges in talent retention within the region, as indicated by the significant number of roles filled compared to those created. When compared to other European countries, the hiring landscape in Germany Essen reflects a dynamic environment, particularly for senior software developers, as organizations adapt their recruitment strategies to retain top talent amidst intense competition.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Germany:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
TaxTalente	Germany	Information Technology & Services	null	319
TieTalent	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2017	254
adesso SE	Germany	Information Technology & Services	1997	174
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	131
Optimus Search	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2005	96
ALTEN Germany	Germany	Information Technology & Services	1988	60
Instaffo	Germany	Information Technology & Services	2014	56
HIT Handelsgruppe GmbH & Co. KG	Germany	Retail	1901	45
Deloitte	United States	Management Consulting	1845	35
STACKIT	Germany	Information Technology & Services	2019	33

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 Germany

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Germany

The software engineer job market in Germany, particularly in Essen, exhibits a competitive landscape marked by a significant number of job openings and a limited talent pool. With a current job count of X and a talent pool size of Y, this results in a jobs-to-talent ratio of Z, indicating a challenging hiring environment for CTOs and hiring managers. In contrast, countries like Poland, France, and the Netherlands show varying ratios, with Poland being notably easier to hire talent due to its lower ratio. Hence, recruitment strategies for software engineers must consider the unique challenges posed by the tight market in Germany, especially in cities like Essen where demand continues to outpace the available workforce.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Essen

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Essen

In the software job market in Germany Essen, the seniority distribution reveals that 40% of positions are held by Mid-Senior level engineers, followed by 24% for Entry level roles and 23% for Associate positions. This data highlights the significant presence of experienced engineers amidst a competitive landscape, indicative of the recruitment strategies necessary for CTOs and hiring managers targeting software developer opportunities in this region.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Germany

In the Software Engineers job market trends in Germany, the employment type distribution reveals that full-time positions dominate with 93% of available roles. Part-time roles make up a mere 4%, while internships account for 2% of the job opportunities. This data underscores the strong preference for full-time employment in the software job market in Germany, particularly in cities like Essen.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Germany

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire for software positions in Germany reveals significant insights into the current job market trends for Software Engineers. A notable concentration of hiring occurs around the 30-day mark, accounting for 2,491 out of the total hires, indicating it as a pivotal timeframe for recruitment strategies. Additionally, positions requiring 25 days to hire also show substantial numbers, with 1,662 instances recorded. For hiring managers and CTOs in Germany, understanding these timeframes is critical for aligning their recruitment processes with market realities, particularly in the dynamic tech sector of Essen. Overall, hiring trends depict a considerable demand for efficiency, with an observable preference for completing the hiring process within 45 days.

Expolore reports from other European Developer talent pools

Insights for hiring Software Engineers in Barcelona

The software engineers job market trends in Spain, particularly in Barcelona, indicate a competitive hiring landscape characterized by a talent pool ratio of 3.5 candidates per job opening.

View Report

Insights for hiring Software Engineers in Veldhoven

The software engineering job market in Netherlands Veldhoven is characterized by a total of 23 new software developer roles posted in the last 12 weeks, resulting in a net gain of only 2 positions after accounting for closures.

View Report

Insights for hiring Ruby on Rails Engineers in Italy

The Software Ruby on Rails Engineer job market in Italy exhibits a notable talent pool size with a significant number of job openings; recent trends indicate a fluctuating landscape with 11 new positions emerging, contrasted by a closure rate of 14 roles, revealing recruitment challenges.

View Report

View All Job Reports

Most popular cities in Germany to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Germany to hire Software Engineers

In the analysis of the Software Engineers job market trends in Germany, the top three cities for job openings are Berlin, with 4219 positions (45%), followed by Munich with 2134 positions (22%), and Hamburg with 1143 positions (12%). Notably, Berlin stands out as the capital city, highlighting its significance in the software job market. This distribution provides valuable insights for hiring managers and recruiters seeking to navigate the software job market in Germany Essen, as depicted in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Essen for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In examining the software job market trends in Germany, particularly in Essen, the prominence of several key technologies is evident. Java leads with a frequency of 10,875, followed by Python, which appears twice with a collective frequency of 10,977. JavaScript ranks next, boasting a frequency of 8,244, while React and PHP also demonstrate significant traction with frequencies of 6,854 and 6,396, respectively. The attached chart illustrates these statistics, reflecting the technologies in demand for software developer opportunities in Germany, which are essential for hiring managers when formulating recruitment strategies.

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.