C Developer Hiring Trends in Lisbon, Portugal

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 current Software C Engineers job market in Lisbon, Portugal, showcases a highly competitive environment, with skilled candidates being in high demand given the fluctuating number of job openings over the past 12 weeks.
Lisbon emerges as the leading city for Software C Engineer job opportunities, accounting for 68% of the market with 6,264 positions available, significantly outpacing other cities such as Porto and Braga.
Talent competition remains fierce, with a jobs-to-talent pool ratio suggesting that hiring managers must adopt innovative recruitment strategies to attract top-tier Software C Engineers in Portugal Lisbon.
The market is currently characterized by a notable demand for mid-senior level candidates, who comprise 69% of available jobs, while entry-level positions present substantial opportunities for new entrants into the tech sector.
With a median time to hire standing at 32 days, it is crucial for hiring managers and CTOs in Lisbon to act swiftly in their recruitment efforts to secure the best candidates in a tightening job market.

Number of roles opened and closed for C Engineers in Lisbon in the last 3 months

Over the past 12 weeks, the Software C Engineers job market in Portugal Lisbon has exhibited fluctuating activity, with a peak of 8 new positions posted in week 25, contrasting sharply with weeks showcasing minimal openings such as week 24 which saw only 1 new job listed. Notably, the closed job rates have introduced a competitive dynamic, as 5 roles were closed in week 22 compared to only 3 new postings that week, indicating a tightening market. When compared to other regions in Europe, the hiring landscape in Portugal Lisbon displays a unique rhythm, suggesting that recruitment strategies for CTOs and engineering managers need to be agile and responsive to these fluctuations to capture emerging talent effectively.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Portugal:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
KCS iT	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2008	137
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	100
Indie Campers	Portugal	Leisure, Travel & Tourism	2013	70
Decskill	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2014	68
Adentis Portugal	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2016	53
Irium Portugal	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2019	48
Inetum	France	Information Technology & Services	1970	43
PrimeIT	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2006	42
Mindera	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2014	32
Cloudflare	United States	Computer & Network Security	2009	31

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 Portugal

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Portugal

The talent market for Software C Engineers in Europe presents a compelling landscape, particularly when examining key countries. In Portugal, the ratio of available talent to job openings suggests a challenging hiring environment, with a jobs-to-talent pool ratio that indicates competition for skilled candidates. For instance, when compared to Spain, where the availability of Software C Engineers exceeds demand, and Germany, which boasts a more balanced ratio, Portugal's situation highlights the need for effective recruitment strategies tailored for CTOs. Similarly, the Netherlands shows a robust talent pool but faces an influx of job opportunities, further complicating the hiring process. This scenario indicates that while there are Software C Developer opportunities in Portugal Lisbon, attracting and securing top talent will require innovative approaches to recruitment.

Seniority distribution of C Engineer job openings in Lisbon

Seniority Distribution of C Engineering Jobs in Lisbon

In the software C engineering job market in Lisbon, the distribution of roles based on seniority reveals a clear trend. Mid-Senior level positions account for 69% of available jobs, indicating a strong demand for experienced professionals. Entry level positions make up 26% of the market, showcasing opportunities for newcomers. Additionally, Associate roles constitute 4% of the job market, suggesting a niche area for early career developers in Lisbon.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In the Portuguese engineering job market, the most prevalent employment type is Full-time, accounting for 94% of job opportunities. This is followed by Contract positions which comprise 5% of the market share. Part-time roles represent a smaller fraction at 2%, highlighting a strong preference for stable, full-time employment among Software C Engineers in Portugal, particularly in Lisbon.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Portugal

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Software C Engineers in Portugal reveals key trends that hiring managers in Lisbon should consider. The most prevalent hiring duration is between 25 to 30 days, accounting for a significant portion of the total counts, with 1,116 and 1,409 positions respectively. A noteworthy gap appears in the 15 to 20-day range, which, while widely represented, sees a drop at the 20-day mark, suggesting a competitive environment for attracting talent. Moreover, hiring times extending beyond 60 days are notably less frequent, indicating that employers must act swiftly to secure skilled Software C Developers. Given these insights, recruitment strategies that leverage these trends can enhance hiring efficiency for CTOs and tech leads in Lisbon's dynamic software landscape.

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 Portugal to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

In Portugal, the software engineering job market is predominantly concentrated in Lisbon, which accounts for 68% of the total job openings, with 6,264 positions available. Following Lisbon, Porto represents 18% of the market with 1,784 job openings, while Braga contributes a smaller 2% share with 206 available positions. This data underscores Lisbon's critical role as a hub for Software C Engineers, making it imperative for hiring managers to prioritize this capital in their recruitment strategies.

Most sought after technologies in Lisbon for C

Key technologies for C Engineers

In the competitive landscape of the Software C job market in Portugal, particularly in Lisbon, several technologies emerge as critical for aspiring candidates. C/C++, with a frequency of 382, remains a foundational skill set for Software C Engineers. Strong knowledge in C, recorded at 729, further underscores its prominence. Complementing these, developers are also expected to be proficient in C++, which boasts a significant frequency of 1483. Additionally, technologies like SQL and Embedded Systems, noted at 422 and 349 respectively, play essential roles in project implementations. These trends are visualized in the accompanying chart, providing a clear perspective on the technologies that drive Software C Developer opportunities in the region.

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.