Software Developer Hiring Trends in Setúbal, 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 software engineer job market in Portugal Setúbal reflects a net decrease of 22 positions over the past 12 weeks, with 20 new roles posted against 42 closures, indicating challenges for hiring managers in this local tech environment.
Java and Python are the predominant technologies in demand, each appearing in 10,261 job postings, highlighting essential skills that hiring managers should prioritize when developing recruitment strategies.
A significant 42% of available positions in Setúbal are for mid-senior level software engineers, indicating a strong demand for experienced professionals amidst a competitive job landscape.
With Lisbon accounting for 64% of software engineering job openings in Portugal, hiring managers in Setúbal should consider the capital's influence on recruitment trends and candidate availability.
The median time to hire for software engineers in Portugal stands at 33 days, underscoring the urgency for CTOs and hiring managers to refine their strategies to attract and secure top talent swiftly.

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

The software engineer job market in Portugal Setúbal has shown significant fluctuations over the past 12 weeks, with a total of 20 new software developer roles posted. However, during the same period, 42 positions were closed, leading to a net decrease in available jobs. This trend contrasts sharply with other European regions, where the hiring landscape remains more stable. Hiring managers in Setúbal should consider these dynamics for effective recruitment strategies, especially with the evident need to fill existing vacancies in the local tech sector.

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 Setúbal reveal a challenging landscape for hiring managers. With a significant number of job openings in comparison to the limited talent pool, Portugal's ratio of jobs to available Software Engineers suggests increased competition for qualified candidates. For instance, while countries like Germany and the Netherlands boast larger talent pools relative to their job openings, Portugal's figures illustrate a more constrained environment. Furthermore, contrasting Portugal with Spain, where the balance between job opportunities and available talent is somewhat more favorable, indicates that recruitment strategies for CTOs in Portugal Setúbal's tech sector need to focus on proactive engagement and retention. Thus, identifying Software Developer opportunities in Portugal Setúbal requires a strategic approach amidst these emerging trends in Software Programmer hiring across Europe.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Setúbal

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Setúbal

In Setúbal, the seniority distribution of Software Engineering jobs reveals a significant representation of Mid-Senior level professionals, accounting for 42% of available positions. Entry level roles comprise 39%, while the remaining job opportunities are held by interns and directors, each making up a mere 1%. This distribution highlights the competitive landscape in Setúbal's software job market, suggesting a strong demand for experienced developers while also providing pathways for newcomers.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In the Portuguese software job market, Full-time positions dominate, comprising 94% of the total employment types, demonstrating a strong preference for stable, long-term roles among Software Engineers. Contract roles account for 6%, indicating a growing flexibility within the workforce, while Part-time positions represent only 2%, suggesting limited availability for candidates seeking reduced hours. This distribution highlights key trends in hiring Senior Software Developers in Portugal Setúbal, emphasizing the importance of tailored recruitment strategies for CTOs in the region.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Portugal

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

Analyzing the time to hire distribution for Software positions in Portugal reveals significant insight into the job market trends in this region. Notably, the largest proportion of candidates, accounting for 1,409 counts, are hired within 30 days, underlining a competitive software job market in Portugal's Setúbal area. Furthermore, while 603 candidates are secured within 15 days, there remains a visible tail with 11% taking over 40 days to hire. This indicates that CTOs and hiring managers should refine recruitment strategies to expedite the hiring process, especially for Senior Software Developers, where agility can impact access to talent in the burgeoning tech sector.

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Most popular cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

The Software Engineers job market trends in Portugal reveal a significant concentration of job openings, with Lisbon accounting for 64% of the total relevant positions. Porto follows with 18% of the openings, while Braga contributes 2%. Notably, the capital, Lisbon, plays a critical role in shaping the software job market landscape in Portugal Setúbal, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Setúbal for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the current landscape of the software job market in Portugal, particularly in Setúbal, several technologies stand out due to their frequency of usage among hiring organizations. Java and Python lead the pack, with 10,261 occurrences each, demonstrating their dominance in software development roles. Following closely are JavaScript with 8,026, and PHP showing strong demand at 5,625. Notably, technologies like C# and .NET remain prevalent, marking their importance in recruitment strategies for CTOs in Setúbal's tech sector. This data, as illustrated in the accompanying chart, provides valuable insights for hiring managers seeking to align their recruitment efforts with market trends.

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