Agency Partners

PHP Developer Hiring Trends in Netherlands

This report was last updated on May 24, 2025

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 PHP Engineers job market in the Netherlands is characterized by a talent pool size of approximately 30,000, with around 1,500 job openings, resulting in a competitive jobs-to-talent pool ratio of 20:1.
  • Over the past three months, there have been notable fluctuations in hiring activity, with peaks in new job postings reaching a high of 38 in week 15, while hiring closure rates also surged, indicating challenges in retaining talent.
  • Amsterdam dominates the market, hosting 56% of the total job openings, followed by Utrecht at 22% and Rotterdam at 15%, highlighting key cities for Software PHP Developer opportunities.
  • The majority of job openings, constituting 93%, are full-time positions, suggesting a strong demand for stable employment within the Software PHP job market in the Netherlands.
  • The median time to hire for Software PHP Engineers in the Netherlands currently stands at 32 days, emphasizing the need for effective recruitment strategies to navigate the competitive landscape.
Number of roles opened and closed for PHP Engineers in Netherlands in the last 3 months

Number of roles opened and closed for PHP Engineers in Netherlands in the last 3 months

Over the past 12 weeks, the Software PHP Engineer job market in the Netherlands has shown notable fluctuations in hiring activity. There have been significant spikes in new job postings, particularly in weeks 14 and 15, with counts reaching 26 and 38, respectively. However, this surge contrasts sharply with the hiring closure rates, which peaked at 23 in week 19 and 20, indicating a growing challenge in retaining talent in this role. Compared to other roles within the Netherlands and across Europe, this volatility suggests that the demand for Software PHP Engineers remains inconsistent, presenting both challenges and opportunities for hiring managers and CTOs looking to navigate recruitment strategies in the tech sector.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Netherlands:

Company name Country Industry Founded # Job openings
TieTalent logo TieTalent Switzerland Information Technology & Services 2017 84
Jobster logo Jobster Netherlands Information Technology & Services 2023 46
SVO vakopleiding food logo SVO vakopleiding food null null null 33
Karwei logo Karwei Netherlands Retail 1975 29
Canonical logo Canonical United Kingdom Information Technology & Services 2004 27
ASSET Rail logo ASSET Rail Netherlands Transportation/trucking/railroad 2007 23
Doghouse Recruitment logo Doghouse Recruitment Netherlands Staffing & Recruiting 2015 22
Capgemini logo Capgemini France Management Consulting 1967 22
CIMSOLUTIONS logo CIMSOLUTIONS Netherlands Information Technology & Services 1992 22
DEKRA Nederland logo DEKRA Nederland Netherlands Public Safety 1925 20

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Netherlands

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Netherlands

The European software development job market presents a varied landscape for Software PHP Engineers, particularly highlighted in the Netherlands. With a talent pool of 30,000 and approximately 1,500 job openings, the jobs-to-talent pool ratio stands at 20:1, indicating a competitive hiring environment. In contrast, countries like Germany and France show ratios of 15:1 and 18:1, respectively, suggesting more accessible talent compared to the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Poland, with a ratio of 10:1, reflects a tighter market. This analysis demonstrates that while opportunities for Software PHP Developers abound in the Netherlands, hiring managers may face challenges due to a limited available talent pool relative to growing demand.

Seniority distribution of PHP Engineer job openings in Netherlands

Seniority Distribution of PHP Engineering Jobs in Netherlands

The seniority distribution of Software PHP Engineering jobs in the Netherlands reveals a notable composition: Mid-Senior level positions constitute 52% of the job market, followed by Associate roles at 21%, and Entry level positions representing 16%. This distribution highlights the demand for experienced Software PHP Engineers, providing hiring managers with insights into talent availability for effective recruitment strategies.

Chart about preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Netherlands

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the employment type distribution for software engineering roles reveals a strong preference for full-time positions, comprising 93% of the available jobs. Contract roles account for 6% of the market, while part-time positions make up just 1%. This data underscores the demand for stable, long-term employment in the software PHP job market in the Netherlands.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Netherlands

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The data reveals a significant variation in the time to hire for Software PHP Engineers in the Netherlands, indicating key trends relevant for recruitment strategies. The most prominent hiring interval is between 25 and 30 days, accounting for 638 positions filled, which implies a steady demand for Software PHP Developers in this timeframe. Following closely are hiring periods of 35 days with 546 counts and 15 days with 247, highlighting a competitive market. Notably, only a small fraction of opportunities, such as those taking 100 days or more to fill, showcases a growing challenge in sourcing talent. This analysis serves as a vital tool for CTOs and Engineering Managers to optimize their recruitment processes and to understand the software PHP job market's dynamics.

Most popular cities in Netherlands to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Netherlands to hire Software Engineers

In the Netherlands' competitive software PHP Engineers job market, Amsterdam leads with a significant 56% of the total job openings, showcasing the capital's dominance in the tech sector. Following Amsterdam, Utrecht accounts for 22% of the openings, while Rotterdam contributes 15%. This distribution underscores the concentration of software PHP Developer opportunities in key urban centers, making them critical areas for tech talent acquisition in the region.

Most sought after technologies in Netherlands for PHP

Key technologies for PHP Engineers

In the Software PHP job market in the Netherlands, PHP remains the predominant technology, with a frequency of 2,272. Close behind are JavaScript and MySQL, with frequencies of 1,160 and 647, respectively. Other notable technologies include Python (626), Java (612), and SQL (597), all of which are frequently utilized in conjunction with PHP for developing robust applications. Trends indicate a growing reliance on frameworks such as Laravel and Symfony, which support PHP-based development. These insights, illustrated in the accompanying chart, provide valuable data for recruitment strategies targeting Software PHP Engineer roles.

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