Software Developer Hiring Trends in Rotterdam, Netherlands

This report was last updated on Aug 17, 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 in the Netherlands, particularly in Rotterdam, showcases dynamic trends, with 114 new roles opening in week 21, which starkly contrasts a peak of 64 job closures in week 25, indicating a tightening market for hiring managers.
In Rotterdam, there are currently 71 companies actively hiring software engineers, with Jobster leading the market, followed by Capgemini and Canonical, underscoring the vibrant activity within the sector.
The competition for software engineers is intensifying, driven by a low jobs-to-talent pool ratio, which presents challenges for CTOs and hiring managers looking to secure skilled professionals in Rotterdam's tech landscape.
Full-time positions dominate the software engineering job market in the Netherlands, comprising 93% of available roles, suggesting a trend that hiring companies favor long-term commitments from candidates in their recruitment strategies.
The median time to hire a software engineer in the Netherlands is 32 days, highlighting the necessity for efficient recruitment practices in order to keep pace with the rapidly evolving tech demand across Europe.

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

In the Netherlands, particularly in Rotterdam, the software engineering job market has shown fluctuating patterns over the past 12 weeks. Notably, a peak of 114 new software developer roles was posted in week 21, followed by a significant decline to just 19 in week 25. Conversely, job closures have been more consistent, with the highest number of jobs closed reaching 64 in week 25. This trend indicates a tightening market where more roles are being closed than opened, particularly in comparison to other European countries where job openings are seeing steadier growth. Hiring managers and CTOs in Rotterdam's tech sector should strategically adapt their recruitment approaches to attract talent amid fluctuating opportunities.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Netherlands:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Jobster	Netherlands	Information Technology & Services	2023	71
Capgemini	France	Management Consulting	1967	45
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	36
JYSK	Denmark	Retail	1979	34
ASSET Rail	Netherlands	Transportation/trucking/railroad	2007	33
Doghouse Recruitment	Netherlands	Staffing & Recruiting	2015	32
TieTalent	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2017	26
CIMSOLUTIONS	Netherlands	Information Technology & Services	1992	25
Sopra Steria	France	Information Technology & Services	1968	24
Bilfinger België & Nederland	null	null	null	21

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 Netherlands

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Netherlands

The Software Engineers job market trends in the Netherlands, particularly in Rotterdam, indicate a competitive landscape. With a significant number of job openings compared to the available talent pool, the ratio suggests a challenging hiring environment. For instance, the Netherlands has a relatively low jobs-to-talent pool ratio compared to countries like Germany, Sweden, and Poland, where the talent markets are slightly more favorable for employers. This disparity highlights the importance for hiring managers, including CTOs and Engineering Managers, to adapt their recruitment strategies in Rotterdam's tech sector to attract and retain top talent. As the demand for Software Developers continues to rise, understanding these trends in hiring Senior Software Developers is crucial for effective workforce planning.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Rotterdam

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Rotterdam

In the software engineering job market in Netherlands Rotterdam, the seniority distribution indicates a robust demand for Mid-Senior level professionals, comprising 42% of available positions. Entry-level roles account for 27%, while Associate positions make up 9%. This data highlights the key hiring trends for software engineers, suggesting opportunities for targeted recruitment strategies in the region.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the software engineering job market showcases a dominant trend towards full-time positions, accounting for 93% of the available roles. Meanwhile, contract positions represent 6% of the employment landscape, followed by part-time roles at 1%. This distribution highlights a strong preference for long-term commitments among hiring companies, which is essential information for CTOs and Engineering Managers strategizing on recruitment.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Netherlands

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The distribution of time to hire for Software Engineers in the Netherlands reveals significant insights for hiring managers. A substantial 1,554 positions take 25 days to fill, indicating a noticeable preference for candidates who can start promptly. Furthermore, 1,478 roles are filled within 30 days, suggesting a competitive landscape where swift hiring is essential. As time frames extend, the counts decrease, with only 13 positions requiring over 100 days to hire, underscoring the urgency in securing talent. For CTOs and recruitment teams in the Netherlands, particularly in Rotterdam, these trends highlight the need for efficient recruitment strategies to meet the evolving demands in the tech sector.

Expolore reports from other European Developer talent pools

Insights for hiring C++ Engineers in Stockholm

The Software C++ job market in Sweden, particularly in Stockholm, has experienced notable fluctuations in job openings over the last 12 weeks, with a peak of 16 new positions posted during week 23, followed by an average of 3 jobs per week by week 32.

View Report

Insights for hiring PHP Engineers in Poland

The Software PHP Engineer job market in Poland is exhibiting notable fluctuations, with a peak of 188 new positions in week 21, but also a low of just 10 postings in week 25, indicating volatile demand for Software PHP Developers.

View Report

Insights for hiring Rust Engineers in Vilnius

The Software Rust Engineers job market in Lithuania, particularly in Vilnius, is currently experiencing a net decrease in available roles, with 12 new positions opened against 40 closures over the past 12 weeks. This trend underscores the challenges in retaining Software Rust talent and suggests an adjustment in recruitment strategies may be necessary for hiring managers.

View Report

View All Job Reports

Most popular cities in Netherlands to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Netherlands to hire Software Engineers

In the Netherlands, the software engineer job market is prominently centered in Amsterdam, which accounts for 51% of job openings. Following Amsterdam, Utrecht represents 22% of the opportunities, while Rotterdam holds a significant 11% share. The accompanying chart illustrates this city distribution, highlighting the capital's dominance in software job offerings.

Most sought after technologies in Rotterdam for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In analyzing the software job market trends in the Netherlands, particularly in Rotterdam, several technologies emerge as the most sought after by employers. Java leads the chart with a frequency of 10,261, showcasing its strong demand among tech companies. Following closely are Python and JavaScript, both displaying a frequency of 10,261 and 8,026 respectively, indicating their crucial roles in modern software development. Other notable mentions include PHP with 5,625, React at 6,433, and TypeScript with 5,079. The attached chart further illustrates these trends, emphasizing the importance of these technologies for hiring managers looking to fill software engineering positions.

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.