Agency Partners

Software Developer Hiring Trends in Portugal

This report was last updated on May 13, 2025

Agency Partners scans all software engineering jobs in Europe in real time. We monitor 50.000+ jobs each week to gather insights about the job market and indentify top companies. Top companies work with us to find their world-class development partners to drive their innovation projects.

Key learnings from this report

  • The software engineers job market trends in Portugal indicate a significant increase in job postings, with a peak of 1,064 new roles in week 14, demonstrating a rising demand for software talent.
  • With approximately 3,138 software engineering positions currently available, hiring managers face a competitive landscape as talent pool sizes do not align favorably with job openings, making recruitment challenging.
  • The top three companies actively hiring software engineers in Portugal are Match Profiler (54 roles), KCS iT (52 roles), and Noesis (32 roles), reflecting key players in the industry that hiring managers should engage with for potential partnerships.
  • Lisbon remains the primary hub for software developer opportunities, representing 65% of job openings, followed by Porto at 19%, emphasizing the concentration of tech talent in major urban areas.
  • The median time to hire software engineers in Portugal is approximately 28 days, a critical metric for CTOs and engineering managers to refine their recruitment strategies and streamline their processes.
Number of roles opened and closed for Software Engineers in Portugal in the last 3 months

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

Over the past twelve weeks, the software engineering job market in Portugal has shown significant fluctuations in job postings. Notably, there was a remarkable spike in week 14, with 1,064 new software developer roles posted, a clear indicator of the rising demand for software talent in the region. In contrast, job closures have steadily increased, particularly in the last few weeks where a total of 500 roles were closed in week 15. This discrepancy highlights an urgent need for recruitment strategies for CTOs in Portugal's tech sector, as the net growth of open positions may suggest a burgeoning market for software engineers amidst a competitive landscape, aligning with trends seen across Europe. Such insights into hiring trends for senior software developers can inform hiring managers and recruiters seeking to capitalize on the growing software developer opportunities in Portugal.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Portugal:

Company name Country Industry Founded # Job openings
Canonical logo Canonical United Kingdom Information Technology & Services 2004 63
Match Profiler logo Match Profiler Portugal Information Technology & Services 1999 54
KCS iT logo KCS iT Portugal Information Technology & Services 2008 52
Noesis logo Noesis Portugal Information Technology & Services 1995 32
Inetum logo Inetum France Information Technology & Services 1970 22
Landskill logo Landskill Portugal Information Technology & Services 2023 20
InnoTech logo InnoTech Portugal Information Technology & Services 2020 18
iTRecruiter logo iTRecruiter Portugal Human Resources 2021 18
Outlier logo Outlier United States Information Technology & Services 2023 16
Adentis Portugal logo Adentis Portugal Portugal It Services And It Consulting 2016 16

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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 job market in Portugal exhibits notable hiring challenges relative to its talent pool. With a substantial number of job openings compared to the available talent, the jobs-to-talent pool ratio indicates a tighter market, suggesting it is relatively challenging to recruit software engineers. For context, Portugal's ratios are less favorable compared to countries like Germany and the Netherlands, where the talent pool is larger and more abundant relative to job openings. The situation is compounded when compared to Eastern European nations, which may present more favorable hiring conditions. Therefore, hiring managers, including CTOs and Engineering Managers, should consider innovative recruitment strategies to attract senior software developers to meet the increasing demand.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Portugal

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Portugal

In the Portuguese software job market, the distribution of positions reveals significant trends for hiring managers. The most prominent seniority level is Mid-Senior level, comprising 48% of the total job opportunities. This is followed by Entry level positions at 26% and Associate roles at 5%. Understanding these trends in hiring Senior Software Developers in Portugal is essential for crafting effective recruitment strategies.

Chart about preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In the software engineering job market in Portugal, the predominant employment type is full-time positions, accounting for 94% of available roles. Contract roles represent a significantly smaller segment at 6%, while part-time opportunities contribute just 1%. This distribution underscores the trend towards full-time employment, which is crucial for hiring managers and CTOs looking to attract and retain talent in Portugal's competitive tech sector.

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 key trends crucial for hiring managers in the tech industry. A notable concentration of hires occurs within the 25 to 30 day range, accounting for 466 positions, reflecting a common timeline for recruiting software engineers. Conversely, the data shows a significant drop in hiring at both the lower (0 days with 4 counts) and higher end (105 days with 5 counts), indicating potential challenges for recruitment strategies. Understanding these metrics is vital for CTOs and engineering managers to refine their hiring processes and align with the current software job market in Portugal.

Most popular cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

In Portugal's software job market, Lisbon stands out as the predominant hub for Software Engineer opportunities, boasting 65% of the total job openings with 2,036 positions. Porto follows with a notable 19% share, accounting for 611 openings. Meanwhile, Braga represents a smaller segment at 2%, illustrating the geographic concentration of tech talent within major urban centers, as shown in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Portugal for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the current landscape of the software job market in Portugal, several technologies stand out due to their significant frequency of usage among job postings. Java leads the pack with a notable frequency of 8,580, showcasing its dominance in the demand for Software Engineers. Following closely is JavaScript at 7,512 and Python at 6,951, both of which are essential for web development and data science roles, respectively. Other prominent technologies include C# at 5,772 and .NET at 5,072, frequently sought after for enterprise and application development. The accompanying chart illustrates these technologies' prevalence, providing hiring managers with valuable insights into current hiring trends in the Portuguese tech sector.

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