Agency Partners

Software Developer Hiring Trends in London, United Kingdom

This report was last updated on Jul 13, 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 Engineers job market in the United Kingdom, particularly in London, has experienced a dramatic surge in new job postings, reaching 1,028 openings in week 21, indicating strong demand for Software Developers.
  • The seniority distribution in London highlights a significant preference for Mid-Senior level professionals, who account for 67% of available positions, emphasizing the need for experienced hires in this competitive landscape.
  • London dominates the Software Engineering job market, accounting for 91% of openings, while other cities like Manchester, Leeds, and Cambridge show minimal representation, reinforcing London’s position as the primary hub for tech talent.
  • Despite a robust number of job openings, hiring Software Engineers remains challenging due to a tight talent pool; employers must adopt innovative recruitment strategies to attract and retain skilled candidates effectively.
  • The median time to hire for Software Engineers in the United Kingdom is 29 days, indicating the need for efficient recruitment processes to secure top talent swiftly in this fast-paced job market.
Number of roles opened and closed for Software Engineers in London in the last 3 months

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

The Software Engineers job market in United Kingdom London has witnessed significant fluctuations over the past 12 weeks. Notably, the count of new job postings surged dramatically, peaking at 1,028 openings in week 21, suggesting a robust demand for Software Developers. However, this surge is juxtaposed with a concerning closure rate, particularly in week 23 when 559 positions were closed, indicating a potential challenge in candidate retention or fitting. Comparatively, the hiring landscape for Software Engineers in UK London seems more dynamic than in other European countries, highlighting the region's aggressive recruitment strategies amid a competitive tech sector.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in United Kingdom:

Company name Country Industry Founded # Job openings
Canonical logo Canonical United Kingdom Information Technology & Services 2004 74
TieTalent logo TieTalent Switzerland Information Technology & Services 2017 56
Bending Spoons logo Bending Spoons Italy Information Technology & Services 2013 40
targetjobs UK logo targetjobs UK null null null 29
Mindrift logo Mindrift United States Information Technology & Services null 27
Arm logo Arm United Kingdom Semiconductors 1990 26
JPMorganChase logo JPMorganChase United States Financial Services null 23
Oliver Bernard logo Oliver Bernard United Kingdom Staffing & Recruiting 2010 22
GRAYCE logo GRAYCE United Kingdom Management Consulting 2012 21
Amazon logo Amazon United States Information Technology & Services 1994 21

Here are a few specialized software agencies you can trust:

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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 Engineers job market trends in the United Kingdom, particularly in London, indicate a competitive landscape. With a significant number of job openings relative to the size of the talent pool, the UK's jobs-to-talents ratio suggests a challenging hiring environment. Comparatively, countries like Germany and France exhibit a more favorable balance for recruiters, while Poland showcases a more ample supply of talent per job opening. This imbalance in the UK underscores the necessity for robust recruitment strategies for CTOs in the United Kingdom's tech sector and highlights the urgency to attract and retain skilled Software Developers in this dynamic market.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in London

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in London

The seniority distribution of Software Engineering jobs in the United Kingdom, particularly in London, reveals a significant demand for Mid-Senior level professionals, accounting for 67% of available positions. Entry level roles represent 22% of the market, while Associate positions make up 9%. This distribution highlights the growing trend for experienced Software Engineers, which is critical for hiring managers and recruiters navigating the competitive landscape.

Chart about preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

The employment type distribution for software engineering roles in the United Kingdom reveals a strong preference for Full-time positions, accounting for 91% of the market. Contract roles comprise 8% of the landscape, while Part-time jobs represent just 3%. This trend highlights the need for hiring managers in London's tech sector to focus primarily on Full-time Software Engineer hiring strategies to meet the demands of the competitive job market.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in United Kingdom

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The data on the time to hire distribution for software jobs in the United Kingdom reveals significant insights for hiring managers. With a notable count of 1,960 placements requiring 30 days, companies can expect average hiring timelines to reflect this peak. Additionally, 1,399 candidates were hired within 25 days, indicating that swift recruitment strategies may yield strong results. It is essential for CTOs and Engineering Managers to align their recruitment strategies with these trends, particularly in the competitive software job market in London, where the demand continues to rise.

Most popular cities in United Kingdom to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in United Kingdom to hire Software Engineers

In the United Kingdom, the distribution of Software Engineer job openings is predominantly centered in London, which accounts for 91% of the total relevant positions. Following London, Manchester represents 8% of the job market, while Leeds and Cambridge contribute a relatively smaller share at 1% and 1%, respectively. This data underscores London’s critical role as the leading hub for software engineering talent, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in London for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the competitive landscape of the software job market in the United Kingdom, particularly in London, several technologies emerge as critical for job seekers. JavaScript leads the way with a frequency of 7,682, closely followed by Python, which shows a strong presence at 8,771. Other notable technologies include Java with a frequency of 9,703, C# at 5,465, and React, which stands at 5,922. The accompanying chart visually represents these trends, spotlighting the most commonly sought-after technologies in today's recruitment strategies for CTOs and hiring managers across London's tech sector.

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