PHP 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 PHP Engineers job market in Portugal, specifically in Porto, has seen significant fluctuations, with 20 new job openings peaking in week 21 and a total of 26 closed positions in week 24, emphasizing the need for effective recruitment strategies.
With 1,784 roles available, Porto ranks as the second-largest market in Portugal for Software PHP Engineer opportunities, following Lisbon, which claims 6,264 listings, indicating competitive hiring landscapes in these cities.
Mid-Senior level roles dominate the talent distribution, comprising 60% of available positions, necessitating focused recruitment efforts on attracting this skill level to sustain growth within Portugal Porto's tech sector.
Hiring timelines for Software PHP Engineers average around 33 days, with a concentration of hires occurring within a 25 to 30-day period, suggesting a preference for efficient recruitment cycles that hiring managers should incorporate into their strategies.
Despite a moderately challenging hiring environment, Portugal's talent pool remains robust, with competition comparable to Spain while providing an attractive resource for global tech companies seeking software PHP engineering talent.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the Software PHP Engineers job market in Portugal Porto has exhibited notable fluctuations, with a peak of 20 new job openings in week 21, followed by a significant drop to just 1 opening in week 24. In contrast, job closures averaged 7 per week, culminating in a total of 26 closed positions during week 24 alone. This discrepancy in the Software PHP job market in Portugal Porto indicates a challenging environment for hiring managers, as the gap between open and closed positions highlights the urgent need for strategic recruitment strategies. Compared to other roles in the region, the Software PHP Developer opportunities demonstrate a unique cycle of demand and availability, reflecting broader trends in hiring Senior Software PHP Developers across Europe.

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 talent market for Software PHP Engineers in Portugal reveals a competitive landscape when compared to several European countries. With a significant number of job openings and a moderate talent pool, Portugal presents a jobs-to-talent ratio that suggests a moderately challenging hiring environment. For instance, Poland and Germany have larger talent pools relative to their job openings, making it relatively easier for hiring managers in those countries to recruit top talent. Conversely, countries like Spain also face stiff competition for PHP engineers as they experience similar job market dynamics to Portugal. Overall, hiring talent in Portugal remains feasible, but CTOs and Engineering Managers may need to deploy targeted recruitment strategies to attract qualified Software PHP Engineers in this competitive environment.

Seniority distribution of PHP Engineer job openings in Porto

Seniority Distribution of PHP Engineering Jobs in Porto

In the Software PHP Engineering job market in Portugal, particularly in Porto, the seniority distribution reveals significant insights. The Mid-Senior level roles account for 60% of available positions, making them the most sought-after category. Entry-level positions follow, comprising 35% of the job listings, while Associate roles represent a mere 4%. This distribution underscores the importance of focusing recruitment strategies on attracting mid-level talent to meet the growing demand in the Porto tech landscape.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

The employment landscape for software engineering roles in Portugal predominantly favors full-time positions, accounting for 94% of the total opportunities. Contract roles represent 5% of the job market, while part-time positions make up 2%. This data underscores the preference for stable employment, suggesting that hiring managers may encounter challenges in filling flexible roles.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Portugal

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Software PHP Engineers in Portugal demonstrates significant variability, with a notable concentration in the 25 to 30-day range, where 1409 positions were filled within 30 days. Additionally, hiring managers should be aware that there are 1116 positions filled in approximately 25 days. The largest share of hires was completed at the 15-day mark with 603 placements, indicating a preference for rapid recruitment cycles. In contrast, fewer positions extend beyond 50 days, highlighting a potential area of improvement for recruitment strategies in the competitive landscape of the Portugal Porto tech sector. These insights into the Software PHP job market in Portugal Porto can guide CTOs and hiring managers in optimizing their recruitment processes and aligning their timelines with industry standards.

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Most popular cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

In examining the location distribution for Software PHP Engineer job openings in Portugal, Lisbon stands out with a significant 75% share of the total job listings, boasting 6,264 relevant positions. Porto follows as the second largest market, representing 21% with 1,784 roles available. Other cities, including Braga and Lisboa, contribute a combined 4% to the overall data set, underscoring the dominance of Lisbon and Porto in the Portuguese tech labor market.

Most sought after technologies in Porto for PHP

Key technologies for PHP Engineers

In the competitive landscape of the software PHP job market in Portugal, particularly in Porto, several technologies emerge as foundational to successful recruitment and training. With PHP leading the pack at a frequency of 5,625, it remains essential for developers in this field. Other prominent technologies include MySQL (1,649), JavaScript (2,983), and Laravel (1,168), all of which play crucial roles in the development ecosystem. Furthermore, HTML and CSS are necessary skills for front-end integration, while SQL remains fundamental for database interactions. The accompanying chart illustrates these trends, providing hiring managers with a clear view of the technologies that candidates are expected to be proficient in, helping shape strategic recruitment initiatives.

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