Agency Partners

Software Developer Hiring Trends in Portugal

This report was last updated on Jul 20, 2025

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 job market in Portugal shows a dynamic landscape, with a total of 5,939 job openings in the past three months, indicating a growing demand particularly for Senior Software Developers.
  • Lisbon stands out as the premier city for hiring Software Engineers, accounting for 52% of job openings, followed by Porto at 15%, underscoring geographical preferences within recruitment strategies.
  • The concentration of mid-senior level positions at 61% highlights a critical need for strategic recruitment efforts targeting this experience bracket, as hiring managers look to balance their talent acquisition across varying levels.
  • Prominent companies leading the hiring push include KCS iT, Decskill, and Adentis Portugal, reflecting strong industry activity in the information technology sector.
  • With a median time to hire of 32 days, recruitment cycles present an opportunity for hiring managers to optimize their processes, particularly as the market becomes increasingly competitive for top talent.
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

The software job market in Portugal has showcased significant fluctuations over the past 12 weeks, with a notable peak of 1,019 new Software Developer roles posted in week 21. This surge in job openings highlights an increasing demand for Senior Software Developers in Portugal, especially when compared to the 403 jobs posted in week 18. However, despite this growth, the number of job closures has also been substantial, reaching a peak of 709 in week 26. This dynamic suggests a challenging environment for recruitment, as hiring managers need to adapt their strategies to navigate the competitive landscape, amidst a total of 5,939 jobs opened and 5,274 jobs closed over the observed period.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Portugal:

Company name Country Industry Founded # Job openings
KCS iT logo KCS iT Portugal Information Technology & Services 2008 102
Decskill logo Decskill Portugal Information Technology & Services 2014 84
Canonical logo Canonical United Kingdom Information Technology & Services 2004 75
Adentis Portugal logo Adentis Portugal Portugal Information Technology & Services 2016 50
Irium Portugal logo Irium Portugal Portugal Information Technology & Services 2019 43
Inetum logo Inetum France Information Technology & Services 1970 40
InnoTech logo InnoTech Portugal Information Technology & Services 2020 37
Match Profiler logo Match Profiler Portugal Information Technology & Services 1999 37
PrimeIT logo PrimeIT Portugal Information Technology & Services 2006 34
Indie Campers logo Indie Campers Portugal Leisure, Travel & Tourism 2013 33

Here are a few specialized software agencies you can trust:

Logo of recommended agencyLogo of recommended agencyLogo of recommended agency
Want to get personalized matches? Get started
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 present a noteworthy scenario when compared to other European countries. Portugal boasts a ratio of the talent pool to job openings that indicates a competitive landscape; however, when analyzed alongside countries like Germany and France, which have a higher number of job openings but also larger talent pools, it suggests that hiring talent in Portugal can be moderately challenging. In contrast, nations like Poland show a more favorable ratio, making it easier to recruit. Consequently, hiring managers in Portugal's tech sector must adapt their recruitment strategies to navigate this dynamic job market and prepare for the future demand for software engineers within this region.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Portugal

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Portugal

The seniority distribution of software engineering jobs in Portugal indicates a robust demand for talent across various experience levels. Currently, 61% of available positions are for Mid-Senior level engineers, followed by 29% for Entry level roles, and 6% for Associate positions. This distribution highlights the need for strategic recruitment efforts that cater to both mid-tier and entry-level candidates, underscoring the importance of targeted hiring strategies to attract new talent into the tech sector.

Chart about preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In the Portuguese software engineering job market, full-time positions dominate with 94% of the employment distribution, indicating a strong preference among companies for long-term hires. Contract roles account for 5%, reflecting an ongoing demand for flexible workforce arrangements. Part-time positions make up 2% of the overall market, highlighting limited opportunities for short-term or less commitment roles in the tech sector.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Portugal

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire for software jobs in Portugal presents significant insights into the current job market trends. Notably, the most common hiring duration ranges from 25 to 30 days, accounting for 1,159 listings, which underscores the competitive nature of the market. In contrast, hiring durations of 50 days and beyond see a steep decline in counts, suggesting that positions requiring longer hire times may indicate specialized roles or challenges in candidate availability. With this data, hiring managers should evaluate their recruitment strategies to optimize their processes in line with the prevailing trends in the 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, the distribution of Software Engineer job openings reveals a significant concentration in Lisbon, which accounts for 52% of the total positions available. Porto follows with a notable 15%, while Braga contributes around 2% to the overall job landscape. This data underscores Lisbon's status as the dominant hub for Software Engineer opportunities in the country, as represented in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Portugal for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the evolving landscape of the software job market in Portugal, certain technologies are increasingly dominating recruitment efforts for software engineers. Notably, Python and Java emerge as frontrunners, with frequencies of 9,067 and 9,722, respectively, indicating a strong preference among hiring managers for developers skilled in these languages. Following closely is JavaScript, which commands a significant presence with 7,732 mentions, demonstrating its critical role in web development. Additionally, technologies such as React, SQL, and TypeScript, with frequencies of 5,925, 4,712, and 4,586, respectively, are gaining traction, reflecting the demand for versatile skill sets in the industry. For a detailed breakdown of technology usage in Portugal’s software job market, please refer to the accompanying chart.

Have a great project in mind?

We've identified 100+ world-class agencies, drop us a line if you'd like to work with them.