Software Developer Hiring Trends in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

This report was last updated on Jul 20, 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 engineering job market in United Kingdom Edinburgh has experienced significant fluctuations in job openings and closures, with a notable peak of 50 openings in week 21, reflecting a robust hiring environment despite a drop to 8 openings in week 26, highlighting the need for enhanced recruitment strategies.
Key technologies driving demand for Software Engineers in Edinburgh include Java and Python, which lead the market with 9,722 and 9,067 mentions respectively. Familiarity with these technologies is imperative for hiring managers formulating effective recruitment strategies.
Mid-Senior level positions dominate the software engineering job landscape in Edinburgh, making up approximately 51% of the total offerings, while Entry level roles account for around 32%. This distribution should inform hiring strategies to target the right talent pool.
London remains the leading market for Software Engineers in the United Kingdom, representing 87% of job openings, followed by Manchester at 9%. With a total of 544 software positions available across the country, cities like Edinburgh must strategically position themselves to attract talent.
The median time to hire for software roles in the United Kingdom is 30 days, with a strong volume of placements occurring within this timeframe, emphasizing the importance for hiring managers in Edinburgh to act quickly and efficiently in their recruitment processes.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the software engineering job market in United Kingdom Edinburgh has showcased notable fluctuations. An increase in job postings peaked at 50 openings in week 21, indicating a strong hiring demand, despite recent declines to just 8 openings in week 26. Concurrently, job closures have seen a consistent rise, reaching 26 closures by week 27. This disparity suggests a competitive landscape for software developers, where hiring managers may need to enhance their recruitment strategies. Comparatively, engagement in the software job market in Edinburgh is dynamic, which can provide insights for CTOs and recruiters navigating similar trends across Europe.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in United Kingdom:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
TieTalent	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2017	79
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	77
Bending Spoons	Italy	Information Technology & Services	2013	77
targetjobs UK	null	null	null	36
Oliver Bernard	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2010	35
e-Careers	null	null	null	31
GRAYCE	United Kingdom	Management Consulting	2012	30
JPMorganChase	United States	Financial Services	null	27
Arm	United Kingdom	Semiconductors	1990	26
Mindrift	United States	Information Technology & Services	null	25

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in United Kingdom

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in United Kingdom

The software engineer job market in Europe showcases distinct trends across various countries. For instance, the United Kingdom offers a competitive landscape with a notable number of job openings compared to its available talent pool. In countries like Germany and France, the ratio of available talent to job openings signifies a tighter market, making recruitment more challenging for CTOs. In contrast, Eastern European nations such as Poland are experiencing a surge in available talent, suggesting a more favorable environment for hiring software developers. Consequently, hiring managers in the United Kingdom may find it moderately difficult to secure top-tier software engineering talent, particularly in cities like Edinburgh, where the demand is rapidly increasing.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Edinburgh

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Edinburgh

In the Software Engineers job market of United Kingdom Edinburgh, the seniority distribution reveals a clear trend. Mid-Senior level positions dominate the landscape, comprising approximately 51% of the total job offerings. This is followed by Entry level roles at around 32%, while Associate positions represent a mere 4%. Understanding this distribution is crucial for hiring managers looking to tailor their recruitment strategies for success in Edinburgh's competitive tech sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

The employment type distribution within the software development sector in the United Kingdom reveals a predominance of Full-time roles, accounting for 91% of the total job offerings. Contract positions follow, constituting 9% of the market, while Part-time roles make up a mere 4%. These statistics underline the strong preference for Full-time employment among Software Engineers, a critical insight for hiring managers exploring the software job market in United Kingdom Edinburgh.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in United Kingdom

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire for software jobs in the United Kingdom illustrates significant trends that hiring managers should consider. The largest volume of hiring occurs within a 30-day window, with 2,085 placements recorded. Notably, 1,442 software positions were filled in 25 days, indicating strong recruitment strategies that can be leveraged. Conversely, the hiring slowdown becomes evident after 60 days, where counts drop considerably, suggesting a critical window for talent acquisition in the competitive tech landscape. Recognizing these patterns can enhance recruitment strategies for CTOs and engineering managers in the United Kingdom, particularly in cities like Edinburgh, where software developer opportunities continue to evolve.

Expolore reports from other European Developer talent pools

Insights for hiring C++ Engineers in Stockholm

The Software C++ job market in Sweden, particularly in Stockholm, has experienced notable fluctuations in job openings over the last 12 weeks, with a peak of 16 new positions posted during week 23, followed by an average of 3 jobs per week by week 32.

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Insights for hiring PHP Engineers in Poland

The Software PHP Engineer job market in Poland is exhibiting notable fluctuations, with a peak of 188 new positions in week 21, but also a low of just 10 postings in week 25, indicating volatile demand for Software PHP Developers.

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Insights for hiring Rust Engineers in Vilnius

The Software Rust Engineers job market in Lithuania, particularly in Vilnius, is currently experiencing a net decrease in available roles, with 12 new positions opened against 40 closures over the past 12 weeks. This trend underscores the challenges in retaining Software Rust talent and suggests an adjustment in recruitment strategies may be necessary for hiring managers.

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Most popular cities in United Kingdom to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in United Kingdom to hire Software Engineers

The location distribution for Software Engineer job openings in the United Kingdom highlights London as the dominant market, comprising 87% of the total job postings. Following London, Manchester represents a smaller yet significant portion of the market with 9%. Meanwhile, the overall representation of job opportunities across the United Kingdom reveals a total of 544 positions, underscoring the concentration within these key cities. This data is visually represented in the attached chart.

Most sought after technologies in Edinburgh for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the competitive Software Engineers job market trends in the United Kingdom, particularly in Edinburgh, several technologies emerge as key players. Java holds a prominent position with a frequency of 9,722 mentions, followed closely by Python at 9,067. JavaScript and React are also critical, boasting frequencies of 7,732 and 5,925, respectively. Other notable mentions include SQL (4,712), TypeScript (4,586), and .NET (4,492). These technologies are essential for hiring managers and CTOs to consider when formulating recruitment strategies for the rapidly evolving software job market. Please refer to the accompanying chart for detailed insights.

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