PHP Developer Hiring Trends in Portugal

This report was last updated on Aug 10, 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 PHP job market in Portugal has experienced a significant decline in openings over the past three months, peaking at 232 new positions before dropping to merely 6, indicating a competitive landscape for hiring.
Currently, there are approximately 1,200 job openings for Software PHP Engineers in Portugal, with a talent pool of about 5,000, resulting in a jobs-to-talent ratio of 4.17, suggesting moderate challenges for hiring managers.
Lisbon is the primary hub for Software PHP Engineer roles, accounting for 58% of job openings, followed by Porto with 17%, highlighting regional dynamics that hiring managers must consider in their recruitment strategies.
KCS iT, Decskill, and Indie Campers are among the top companies actively hiring Software PHP Engineers in Portugal, indicating the organizations that are leading the market in attracting talent.
The median time to hire for Software PHP Engineers in Portugal is approximately 33 days, emphasizing the need for efficient recruitment processes to secure top talent amid shifting market conditions.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the software PHP job market in Portugal has shown a notable decline in openings, with a peak of 232 new positions in week 20, tapering off to just 6 in week 31. Concurrently, job closures have been significant, with 158 positions closed in week 25 alone, indicating a challenging environment for recruitment. Comparatively, while closures have heavily outpaced openings, this trend highlights the escalating competition for Software PHP Engineer opportunities in Portugal relative to other European countries, where hiring patterns may exhibit more stability. For CTOs and hiring managers in Portugal's tech sector, adapting recruitment strategies in light of these trends is critical to attracting and retaining Senior Software PHP Developers.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Portugal:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
KCS iT	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2008	130
Decskill	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2014	70
Indie Campers	Portugal	Leisure, Travel & Tourism	2013	59
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	56
Adentis Portugal	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2016	45
Inetum	France	Information Technology & Services	1970	41
Irium Portugal	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2019	41
PrimeIT	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2006	37
Alter Solutions Group	France	Information Technology & Services	2006	31
Noesis	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	1995	30

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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 PHP Engineer job market in Europe is characterized by varying dynamics, influenced by the ratio of job openings to available talent. In Portugal, there are currently 1,200 job openings with a talent pool of 5,000, yielding a jobs-to-talent ratio of 4.17. Comparatively, countries such as Germany show a more competitive environment with 2,000 openings against a talent pool of 6,000 (3.00), while Spain's ratio is even tighter at 8,000 openings and a 16,000-strong talent pool (2.00). In contrast, Poland's talent market is more favorable for recruitment, presenting 2,500 job openings against 10,000 applicants, resulting in a ratio of 4.00. Given these statistics, hiring talent in Portugal is moderately challenging but remains more accessible than in countries like Spain, where the demand for Software PHP Developers is pressing against a limited supply.

Seniority distribution of PHP Engineer job openings in Portugal

Seniority Distribution of PHP Engineering Jobs in Portugal

The seniority distribution of Software PHP Engineering jobs in Portugal reveals a notable concentration at the Mid-Senior level, which accounts for 46% of the total job market. Entry-level positions represent 25%, while Associate roles make up 5%. This distribution underscores the demand for experienced PHP Engineers, indicating that hiring managers should focus their recruitment strategies on attracting Mid-Senior talent to meet organizational needs.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In the Portuguese software development job market, full-time positions dominate with 94% of engineering roles, showcasing a strong preference for stable employment. Contract roles account for 6%, reflecting a smaller, yet significant, avenue for flexible employment opportunities. Part-time positions represent just 2% of the market, indicating limited opportunities in this employment type for software PHP engineers.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Portugal

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The recruitment landscape for Software PHP Engineers in Portugal exhibits a notable time to hire distribution that hiring managers should carefully consider. The data reveals that a significant proportion of positions, approximately 1,337 vacancies, require around 30 days to fill. Meanwhile, a closer examination shows that 574 positions take about 15 days, and 509 positions require about 10 days. Interestingly, as the time to hire extends beyond 30 days, the numbers gradually decline, with only 15 openings taking 100 days or more to recruit. This information underscores the imperative for CTOs and recruiters to optimize their recruitment strategies, as the demand for Software PHP Developers continues to shape hiring trends within Portugal's technology sector.

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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 distribution of Software PHP Engineer job openings is heavily concentrated in Lisbon, accounting for 58% of the total opportunities. Porto follows as the second major hub with 17% of the openings, while the remaining cities, including Braga and Lisboa, combined contribute less than 10% of the market. This significant concentration in Lisbon highlights the capital's crucial role in the Software PHP job market in Portugal.

Most sought after technologies in Portugal for PHP

Key technologies for PHP Engineers

In the Software PHP job market in Portugal, key technologies shape the demand for professionals in this field. Notably, PHP remains the most prevalent technology, with a frequency of 5,384 occurrences. Following PHP, JavaScript is a critical technology, being highly utilized with 2,846 instances. Other significant technologies include MySQL (1,571), SQL (1,491), and HTML (1,283), which are essential for backend and frontend development tasks. For a comprehensive visualization of these trends, please refer to the accompanying chart.

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