Java Developer Hiring Trends in 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 Java job market in Portugal has experienced dynamic fluctuations over the past three months, with a significant decrease in job openings, highlighting the need for innovative recruitment strategies for CTOs in Portugal's tech sector.
A total of 6,950 Software Java Engineer positions are particularly concentrated in Lisbon, where demand is substantially higher compared to other cities like Porto and Braga.
Currently, Portugal's job market features a promising talent pool, yet hiring remains moderately competitive, necessitating tailored approaches for effective talent acquisition.
Java continues to be the predominant technology within this market, with a considerable usage frequency of 8,671, positioning it as a critical component for businesses seeking to enhance their software development capabilities.
The median time to hire for Software Java Engineers in Portugal stands at 33 days, emphasizing the importance of accelerated recruitment processes to secure talented professionals.

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

The Software Java Engineer job market in Portugal has demonstrated a dynamic trend over the past 12 weeks. An initial peak was observed in week 27, with 51 new positions posted, but recent weeks have shown a decline, culminating in just 13 new openings in week 34. In stark contrast, the weekly closure of Java positions has fluctuated significantly, peaking at 90 jobs closed in week 26, leading to a concerning net decrease in available roles as compared to other tech roles in Portugal. This trend highlights the need for recruitment strategies focused on attracting talent amidst an increasingly competitive landscape in Europe’s technology sector.

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

The European software engineering job market presents a varied landscape, notably for Software Java Engineers. Portugal shows a promising count of job openings, making it an attractive location for recruitment. However, compared to other countries, such as Germany, which boasts a higher number of available talent relative to openings, hiring in Portugal may present some challenges. The talent pool, although substantial, suggests a ratio that indicates moderate competitiveness. Similarly, countries like France and Spain also exhibit high demand for Software Java Developers, impacting the ease of hiring across this sector. As such, recruitment strategies for CTOs in Portugal's tech sector should consider tailored approaches to effectively attract and retain top talent amid these emerging trends.

Seniority distribution of Java Engineer job openings in Portugal

Seniority Distribution of Java Engineering Jobs in Portugal

The seniority distribution for Software Java Engineering jobs in Portugal reveals a predominance of Mid-Senior level roles, comprising 86% of the total openings. Entry level positions account for 12%, while Associate roles make up 2% of the market. This distribution highlights the substantial demand for experienced professionals in the Software Java job market in Portugal.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In Portugal's software development job market, a significant 92% of positions are full-time, illustrating the preference for stable employment among Java Engineers. Contract roles account for 5% of the market, while part-time positions make up 2%. This distribution is critical for CTOs and hiring managers to consider when formulating recruitment strategies in Portugal's 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 Java Engineers in Portugal reflects a varied landscape, with significant responses captured across different timeframes. Notably, the period of 30 days recorded the highest number of hires, totaling 1,547, suggesting that this is an optimal timeframe for attracting suitable candidates. A substantial drop is observed at 25 days with 1,192 hires, indicating a tapering interest as time extends. Meanwhile, hiring becomes increasingly challenging at the 40-day mark, where 601 candidates are reported, showcasing the critical importance of speedy recruitment strategies. For tech leads and CTOs in Portugal, understanding this distribution is essential for shaping effective recruitment strategies to secure top talent in a competitive software development job market.

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Most popular cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Software Engineers

In the Software Java job market in Portugal, Lisbon stands out as the leading city, accounting for 86% of job openings, with a significant total of 6,950 positions. Following Lisbon, Porto captures 25% of the market, with 1,957 job listings. Braga contributes to the landscape with 3% of openings, totaling 231 positions. This data indicates a concentrated demand for Software Java Engineers in the capital, which is further illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Portugal for Java

Key technologies for Java Engineers

In the Software Java job market in Portugal, Java consistently emerges as the dominant technology, with a significant usage frequency of 8,671. Following closely are Spring and Spring Boot, with frequencies of 1,933 and 2,161, respectively, highlighting their importance in developing robust enterprise applications. Additionally, Microservices, with a frequency of 2,276, reflects the ongoing trend towards modular architectures in software development. The accompanying chart illustrates these popular technologies, underscoring the prominence of Java and its associated frameworks in the hiring landscape.

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