Software Developer Hiring Trends in Porto, Portugal

This report was last updated on Aug 16, 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 Portugal, particularly in Porto, has shown considerable activity, with 1,784 job openings reflecting a robust demand for talent.
Porto's job landscape is evolving with key players such as KCS iT, Canonical, and Indie Campers leading hiring efforts, highlighting a competitive environment for Software Engineers.
The median time to hire for Software Engineers in Portugal is 33 days, indicating a necessity for swift recruitment processes to secure top candidates before they are taken by competing firms.
Mid-Senior level roles dominate 57% of the available job market in Porto, revealing strong demand for experienced professionals essential for project execution and team leadership.
Employers are primarily seeking full-time positions, which make up 94% of roles, signifying a trend towards stable employment that hiring managers should consider in their recruitment strategies.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the Software Engineers job market in Portugal Porto has exhibited notable fluctuations. The highest surge in new job postings occurred in week 21, with 146 positions opened, showcasing a potential uptick in demand for Software Developer roles. However, the closure of jobs has also been significant, especially in weeks 23 to 29, where weekly closures peaked at 113. This pattern suggests an evolving landscape, as the difference between new postings and closures indicates that hiring managers may need to adopt adaptive recruitment strategies to remain competitive in attracting talent. Compared to other European tech hubs, the sustained interest for Software Engineering roles in Portugal Porto highlights a vibrant opportunity for growth in this segment.

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

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Portugal

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Portugal

The software engineers job market trends in Portugal, particularly in Porto, reveal a competitive landscape characterized by a notable disparity between job openings and the available talent pool. With a count of relevant job openings in Portugal juxtaposed against a growing number of skilled professionals, the jobs-to-talent ratio suggests moderate hiring challenges. For context, when compared to countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, which boast a larger talent pool relative to job availability, Portugal has a tighter market that may make recruitment strategies for CTOs particularly crucial. Additionally, Italy’s job market indicates a similar trend, where the demand for software developers exceeds the supply, further emphasizing the competitive advantage that hiring managers in Portugal may need to leverage effectively. Overall, while opportunities for software developers in Porto are expanding, hiring trends indicate that securing top talent remains a nuanced challenge.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Porto

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Porto

In the dynamic software job market in Portugal Porto, the seniority distribution reveals key insights for hiring managers. The Mid-Senior level positions dominate the landscape, accounting for 57% of available jobs. Entry level roles follow, comprising 24% of the total opportunities, while Associate positions represent 4%. This distribution highlights the strong demand for experienced Software Engineers, critical for recruitment strategies aimed at securing top talent in the region.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In the evolving landscape of the software engineers job market in Portugal, full-time positions dominate with 94% of the available roles, followed by contract roles at 6%, and part-time opportunities at 2%. This distribution highlights the strong preference for long-term employment in the tech sector, indicating that hiring managers, particularly CTOs and engineering managers, should focus their recruitment strategies on securing full-time talent to meet the future demand for skilled software engineers in Portugal, especially in cities like Porto.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Portugal

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for software jobs in Portugal reveals significant insights for hiring managers in the tech sector. A remarkable 1,409 positions were filled within 30 days, indicating a strong demand for Software Engineers in the job market. However, as candidates wait longer, with 603 hires made at 15 days and 407 at 20 days, the urgency for recruitment strategies becomes evident. Notably, the volume decreases sharply for longer hiring timelines, with only 10 positions filled after 100 days. This data underscores the importance of agile recruitment strategies for CTOs and Engineering Managers aiming to attract top talent in the competitive landscape of technology within Portugal, particularly in Porto.

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Most popular cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

In the analysis of the Software Engineers job market trends in Portugal, Lisbon dominates the landscape with a significant 66% of job openings, totaling 6,264 positions. Porto, as the second-largest city for Software job opportunities in Portugal, accounts for 18% with 1,784 openings. Braga follows, contributing 2% to the overall market with 206 vacancies. This data underscores the importance of considering Lisbon, while also recognizing Porto’s growing role in the software development sector.

Most sought after technologies in Porto for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the current software job market in Portugal, particularly in Porto, several technologies are prominently utilized by employers seeking talented professionals. Java leads the pack with a significant frequency of 10,261 mentions, followed closely by JavaScript at 8,026. Python, a highly sought-after language among Software Engineers, appears 6,571 times, illustrating its growing importance. PHP, React, and TypeScript also hold substantial positions in job postings, with frequencies of 5,625, 6,433, and 5,079 respectively. This data, illustrated in the accompanying chart, underscores the technologies that are crucial for hiring Senior Software Developers and Software Programmers in Portugal Porto.

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