Software Developer Hiring Trends in Setúbal, Portugal

This report was last updated on Aug 31, 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 Setúbal has seen a recent development with 14 new positions posted in the last 12 weeks, despite significant closures, indicating fluctuating demand trends.
The technology landscape favors Java and Python, accounting for 10,493 and 10,601 job listings respectively. Hiring managers should align their recruitment strategies to these tech demands to attract suitable candidates.
Mid-Senior level Software Engineers represent 48% of available roles, reflecting a strong preference for seasoned professionals and suggesting strategic focus for CTOs and Engineering Managers in their recruitment efforts.
Lisbon leads the hiring landscape, comprising 85% of total Software Engineer job openings in Portugal. This concentration suggests that most recruitment efforts should be directed towards this city for optimal talent acquisition.
With a median hiring time of 33 days, hiring managers must streamline their recruitment processes to remain competitive and quickly secure qualified Software Engineers in Portugal Setúbal.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the Software Engineers job market in Portugal Setúbal has shown a fluctuating pattern, with a total of 14 new positions posted despite significant closures. Notably, weeks 25 and 33 recorded peaks in job openings with 3 and 4 roles respectively, yet this was met with substantial job closures, particularly in weeks 26 and 29, where 6 roles were closed each week. Compared to other roles in Setúbal and across Europe, the Software Developer opportunities appear constrained, indicating potential future demand challenges for recruiting Senior Software Developers in this region.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Portugal:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
KCS iT	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2008	152
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	119
Decskill	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2014	81
Indie Campers	Portugal	Leisure, Travel & Tourism	2013	76
Match Profiler	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	1999	67
Inetum	France	Information Technology & Services	1970	54
Adentis Portugal	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2016	49
Ankix	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	1999	48
PrimeIT	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2006	43
Irium Portugal	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2019	43

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Portugal

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Portugal

In the European software engineering job market, Portugal, particularly Setúbal, presents a competitive landscape for hiring managers. With a ratio of available talent to job openings that reflects both challenge and opportunity, investment in recruitment strategies is crucial for CTOs and Engineering Managers. For instance, while Portugal boasts a strong pool of Software Engineers, neighboring countries such as Spain and Germany exhibit higher job counts relative to their talent reservoirs, making talent acquisition slightly more challenging in these regions. Conversely, nations like Poland offer significant talent availability, presenting a different dynamic for hiring. Therefore, staffing roles such as Senior Software Developers in Portugal Setúbal may require targeted approaches to secure top candidates amidst evolving recruitment trends.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Setúbal

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Setúbal

In Setúbal's software engineering job market, the distribution of roles by seniority level reveals noteworthy trends. Notably, 48% of available positions are for Mid-Senior level Software Engineers, while Entry level roles constitute 39% of the market. This distribution suggests a strong demand for experienced professionals, reflecting the recruitment strategies that CTOs and hiring managers should consider when navigating opportunities in Setúbal.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In the current software engineers job market trends in Portugal, particularly in Setúbal, the majority of engineering roles are offered as full-time positions, accounting for 94% of the total job opportunities. Contract roles represent 5% of the market, while part-time positions make up 1%. This distribution highlights the strong preference for full-time engagement among employers in Portugal's tech sector, suggesting a stable demand for Software Developer opportunities.

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 indicates a significant demand for effectively streamlining recruitment strategies. Notably, the majority of hires occur within the 25 to 30 days range, with a count of 1,547 indicating that this timeframe is common for Software Engineer roles. However, hiring can extend to as much as 85 days for certain candidates, which underscores the need for CTOs and Engineering Managers to adapt their recruitment strategies accordingly. Understanding these timeframes is vital for optimizing hiring processes and pinpointing Software Developer opportunities in Portugal, particularly in the Setúbal region, a hub for tech talent.

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Most popular cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

In Portugal, the Software Engineers job market is predominantly centered in Lisbon, which accounts for a substantial 85% of the total job openings within the country. Following Lisbon, Porto represents 23% of the market, while Braga contributes to 5%. This data highlights the concentration of opportunities for Software Developers in Lisbon, making it a critical city for CTOs and recruiters seeking talent in the technology sector.

Most sought after technologies in Setúbal for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the competitive landscape of the software job market in Portugal Setúbal, several technologies stand out due to their high frequency among job listings. Notably, Java leads the chart with 10,493 occurrences, followed closely by Python, which attracts 10,601 listings. JavaScript is also prominent, appearing in 8,023 advertisements. Other significant technologies include PHP at 6,098 and React at 6,591. This data highlights essential technologies that hiring managers should focus on when considering their recruitment strategies for software engineers.

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