Machine Learning Developer Hiring Trends in Barcelona, Spain

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 Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers job market in Spain, particularly in Barcelona, shows a dynamic landscape with a total of 4,000 job openings and a talent pool of approximately 7,000 candidates, resulting in a jobs-to-talent pool ratio of 1.75 that indicates moderate hiring ease.
Over the past three months, Barcelona experienced a peak of 10 new roles posted in week 22, but also faced a notable attrition with a peak of 11 closed positions in week 31, highlighting the competitive nature of this market compared to other tech roles.
The top companies actively hiring in Spain include Solution's with 20 roles, EPAM Systems with 13, and Celonis with 11, underscoring the demand for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning talent in the region.
The preference for Full-time positions is prevalent, with 97% of the job market favoring this employment type, signaling to hiring managers the necessity to focus their recruitment strategies on full-time opportunities.
The median time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Spain stands at 32 days, with the most successful hiring occurring between 30 to 35 days, indicating a need for timely and efficient recruitment strategies in this competitive landscape.

Number of roles opened and closed for Machine Learning Engineers in Barcelona in the last 3 months

In the past 12 weeks, Spain Barcelona has witnessed fluctuating trends in the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers job market, with a peak of 10 new roles posted in week 22. However, the weekly job closure rate has been significant, peaking at 11 closed positions in week 31, indicating a notable attrition in available roles. This contrasts with other tech positions in the region and highlights the competitive nature of the Artificial Intelligence job market compared to broader technology sectors. As hiring managers and CTOs evaluate recruitment strategies, the growing demand for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Developers in Spain Barcelona reflects both regional growth and emerging trends shaping the future demand for these roles across Europe's technology landscape.

Who else is hiring for ai Engineers in Spain:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Solution's	null	null	null	20
EPAM Systems	United States	Information Technology & Services	1993	13
Celonis	United States	Information Technology & Services	2011	11
NTT DATA Europe & Latam	Spain	Information Technology & Services	1967	7
Eurecat - Technology Centre	Spain	Research	2013	6
eDreams ODIGEO	Spain	Information Technology & Services	2000	6
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	5
dLocal	Uruguay	Financial Services	2016	5
Accenture España	Spain	Business Consulting And Services	null	5
OPENCHIP & SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES	Spain	Information Technology & Services	2024	5

Here are a few specialized ai agencies you can trust:

Want to get personalized matches? Get started

Talent pool vs job openings for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Spain

How competitive it is to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Spain

The talent market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Europe reveals a competitive landscape, particularly in Spain. With a count of 4,000 job openings and a talent pool of 7,000 available candidates, Spain demonstrates a jobs-to-talent pool ratio of 1.75, indicating a moderate ease of hiring. In contrast, Germany, with 10,000 job openings and a talent pool of 20,000, boasts a ratio of 2, reflecting a more favorable hiring scenario. Similarly, the UK presents a challenging environment with 12,000 open positions but only 15,000 applicants, translating to a lower ratio of 1.25. Therefore, while Spain offers opportunities, hiring managers must recognize the intrinsic challenges posed by the limited talent pool relative to demand, particularly when compared to countries like Germany and the UK.

Seniority distribution of Machine Learning Engineer job openings in Barcelona

Seniority Distribution of Machine Learning Engineering Jobs in Barcelona

In the competitive landscape of the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in Spain, particularly in Barcelona, 45% of positions are at the Mid-Senior level, indicating a strong demand for experienced professionals. Entry-level roles make up 32% of the market, reflecting opportunities for newcomers, while Associate positions account for 16%, underscoring the need for skilled talent in this burgeoning sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Spain

Analyzing the employment type distribution of engineering roles in Spain reveals a strong preference for Full-time positions, which account for 97% of the market. Contract roles represent a mere 3% of the employment landscape, followed by Part-time positions at less than 2%. This data underscores the importance of targeting Full-time opportunities when evaluating hiring strategies for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Spain, particularly in vibrant tech hubs like Barcelona.

Time to Hire Distribution for Artificial Intelligence in Spain

How long does it take to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

The time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Spain exhibits significant variability, highlighting key trends in the job market. Notably, the highest frequency of hires occurs within the 30 to 35-day range, accounting for approximately 389 positions. This indicates a substantial demand for talent and reflects a competitive recruitment landscape. In comparison, hiring instances drop sharply beyond 70 days, suggesting that both hiring managers and recruiters must optimize their strategies to secure top candidates quickly. For organizations in Barcelona, understanding these timeframes can enhance recruitment strategies, particularly in a tech sector that is experiencing an increasing need for skilled Artificial Intelligence professionals.

Expolore reports from other European Developer talent pools

View All Job Reports

Most popular cities in Spain to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

Top 5 cities in Spain to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

In the vibrant Spanish job market for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineers, Madrid dominates with 50% of job openings at 1,609 positions. Following closely is Barcelona, accounting for 37% of the total with 1,219 opportunities. Smaller markets like Valencia and Málaga offer 4% and 3% respectively, highlighting the significant concentration of AI talent demand in Spain's capital and Barcelona as a major tech hub.

Most sought after technologies in Barcelona for Machine Learning

Key technologies for Machine Learning Engineers

In the competitive landscape of the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning job market in Spain, particularly in Barcelona, certain technologies stand out as essential tools for professionals. Python emerges as the dominant language, utilized in 7,675 positions, followed by SQL, integral in 3,076 roles. Machine Learning frameworks are a primary focus, appearing in 4,406 job postings, cementing their importance in the sector. Additionally, AI technologies are prevalent, with 2,709 listings highlighting their critical role in various applications. This data is further illustrated in the accompanying chart, providing a visual representation of technology trends within the market.

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.