Software Developer Hiring Trends in Oslo, Norway

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 Norway, particularly in Oslo, showcases significant fluctuations with job openings peaking at 176 and job closures reaching a high of 214, indicating a competitive hiring environment.
Oslo dominates the software job market in Norway, accounting for 84% of job openings, followed by Trondheim and Stavanger, each contributing 8%, emphasizing the capital's pivotal role in the tech landscape.
The seniority distribution of software engineering roles reveals a strong demand for Mid-Senior level engineers, constituting 53% of job opportunities, while Entry level positions account for 30%, necessitating tailored recruitment strategies.
With a talent pool estimated at 2,000 against approximately 1,000 job openings in Norway, hiring software engineers has become increasingly challenging, highlighting the need for CTOs and hiring managers to refine their recruitment approaches.
The median time to hire for software engineering roles in Norway stands at 33 days, with 43% of candidates hired within 25 to 30 days, underscoring the importance of an efficient recruitment strategy to secure top talent in Oslo's competitive tech sector.

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

Over the past 12 weeks, the software engineering job market in Norway, particularly in Oslo, has exhibited significant fluctuations. The number of new software developer roles posted peaked at 176 in week 21 but has experienced a gradual decline, reaching a low of 74 by week 24. Conversely, the closing of jobs has been notably high, with a peak of 214 roles closed in week 25, resulting in a substantial gap between posted and closed positions. Such trends indicate a competitive hiring environment for software engineers in Oslo, contrasting with other roles in the region and suggesting that CTOs and hiring managers must adopt proactive recruitment strategies to attract and retain talent in the tech sector.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Norway:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Uloba SA	Norway	Information Services	1991	107
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	103
Akademija Oxford	Serbia	Professional Training & Coaching	2008	84
Sopra Steria	France	Information Technology & Services	1968	27
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace	null	null	null	25
Equinor	Norway	Oil & Energy	1972	24
TELUS Digital	Canada	Information Technology & Services	2005	24
Bane NOR	Norway	Transportation/trucking/railroad	2017	22
Tietoevry	Finland	Information Technology & Services	2019	22
IKM Consultants AS	null	null	null	19

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Norway

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Norway

The software job market in Norway, particularly in Oslo, reflects the broader trends in Europe, characterized by varying ratios of job openings to available talent. In comparison to other countries, Norway has a competitive landscape with job openings possibly outpacing talent in key areas. For instance, while Norway offers 1,000 job openings with a talent pool of 2,000, countries like Germany with 5,000 openings against 10,000 available developers, and the Netherlands with 3,500 openings versus a talent pool of 5,000, show a more favorable hiring environment. This suggests that hiring Software Engineers in Norway may present challenges, as the talent scarcity grows in relation to the increasing demand. On the other hand, tech hotspots like Poland, with 4,000 job openings and a talent pool of 15,000, provide a more accessible recruitment landscape, making it essential for CTOs in Oslo's tech sector to refine their recruitment strategies to attract top talent.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Oslo

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Oslo

In the competitive software job market in Norway, particularly in Oslo, the seniority distribution reveals a prominent demand for Mid-Senior level engineers, making up 53% of job opportunities. Meanwhile, Entry level positions account for 30% of the market, followed by Associate roles at 5%. This distribution underscores the need for hiring managers to adopt tailored recruitment strategies that cater to the varying experience levels of Software Engineers in Oslo's tech sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Norway

In the Norwegian software job market, the employment type distribution for engineering roles indicates a strong preference for full-time positions, which account for 93% of job listings. Contract roles make up 7% of the market, while part-time opportunities represent only 6%. This data highlights the necessity for hiring managers to focus their recruitment strategies on full-time employment to attract top talent in Norway, particularly in Oslo's competitive tech sector.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Norway

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for software roles in Norway illustrates a diverse hiring landscape, essential for CTOs and hiring managers navigating the software job market in Norway, particularly in Oslo. Notably, the majority of candidates, accounting for 43% of hires, complete the process within 25 to 30 days. Substantial numbers continue to be observed at the 20-day mark, indicating that a swift recruitment strategy can be beneficial. However, more than 25% of candidates take up to 50 days, which suggests that employers should refine their recruitment strategies to maintain competitiveness within the fast-evolving tech sector. This data highlights the importance of understanding local hiring trends as hiring managers prepare for future demand in software engineering roles across Norway's vibrant tech landscape.

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Most popular cities in Norway to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Norway to hire Software Engineers

In Norway, the software engineering job market is predominantly concentrated in Oslo, which accounts for a striking 84% of job openings in the country, reflecting the capital's status as a tech hub. Following Oslo, Trondheim and Stavanger contribute 8% and 8% of the overall job listings respectively. The data, illustrated in the accompanying chart, underscores Oslo's significance in shaping the software job market landscape in Norway.

Most sought after technologies in Oslo for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the evolving software job market of Norway, particularly in Oslo, certain technologies stand out as critical for employers seeking to fill developer roles. JavaScript leads with a notable frequency of 8,026, closely followed by Java at 10,261, and Python also making a significant impact with 10,261 occurrences. Other relevant technologies include PHP at 5,625, React at 6,433, and the TypeScript framework with 5,079 usages. For further insights, please refer to the accompanying chart that visually represents these technology trends.

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