Software Developer Hiring Trends in Manchester, United Kingdom

This report was last updated on Jul 6, 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 trends in the United Kingdom, particularly in Manchester, demonstrate significant fluctuations in job openings, with a peak of 100 new roles in week 21, contrasted by only 4 in week 16, indicating a competitive employment landscape.
Key technologies essential for software engineering roles include Java and Python, with frequencies of 9,401 and 8,291 respectively; this information is vital for hiring managers seeking to attract top talent with the necessary skill set.
In Manchester, 61% of software engineering positions are at the Mid-Senior level, revealing a strong demand for experienced professionals, while still accommodating Entry-level opportunities, which account for 29% of the market.
Manchester represents 8% of job openings for software engineers in the UK, while London dominates with 77%, emphasizing its role as a critical city for software developer opportunities and the necessity for targeted recruitment strategies.
The median time to hire for software engineers in the United Kingdom is currently 28 days, highlighting the urgent need for hiring managers to adapt their recruitment strategies in this competitive market.

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

Over the past 12 weeks, the software development job market in United Kingdom Manchester has shown notable fluctuations. A peak of 100 new software developer roles emerged in week 21, contrasting sharply with a low of just 4 in week 16. In comparison, the number of closed positions has risen significantly, with week 26 seeing 52 jobs closed. This increasing trend of job closures highlights the competitive nature of the software job market, where more positions are being filled even as new openings fluctuate. These insights are crucial for CTOs and hiring managers aiming to navigate recruitment strategies effectively within this evolving landscape.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in United Kingdom:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	84
Bending Spoons	Italy	Information Technology & Services	2013	61
TieTalent	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2017	35
Mindrift	United States	Information Technology & Services	null	33
targetjobs UK	null	null	null	31
GRAYCE	United Kingdom	Management Consulting	2012	28
JPMorganChase	United States	Financial Services	null	23
Pepper Mill	United States	Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering	null	23
IBM	United States	Information Technology & Services	1911	20
Arm	United Kingdom	Semiconductors	1990	19

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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 engineering job market trends in the United Kingdom, particularly in Manchester, reveal a challenging landscape for hiring managers. With a job opening count that reflects a high demand for software engineers, this is juxtaposed against the size of the talent pool available in the UK. When compared to other European countries such as Germany, France, and Spain, the UK shows a smaller ratio of available talent to job openings, indicating a tighter market. This suggests that recruiting strategies for CTOs and engineering managers in Manchester must be agile and innovative to attract top talent. Consequently, firms may need to consider enhancing benefits and remote options to stay competitive in a crowded landscape of software developer opportunities.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Manchester

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Manchester

In the Software Engineers job market trends in the United Kingdom Manchester, the seniority distribution reveals that 61% of positions are categorized as Mid-Senior level, followed by 29% for Entry level roles. Additionally, Associate positions account for 7% of the job market. These figures illustrate a strong demand for experienced professionals while still providing opportunities for newcomers in the software development landscape.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

The current employment type distribution for engineering roles in the United Kingdom reveals that 91% are full-time positions, reflecting a strong preference for stable employment among software engineers. Contract roles comprise 8% of the job market, indicating a notable share of flexible opportunities. Part-time and internship roles make up a smaller fraction, at 3% and less than 1%, respectively, highlighting the dominance of full-time contracts in the software job market in United Kingdom Manchester.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in United Kingdom

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire distribution for software jobs in the United Kingdom indicates a significant demand, particularly around the 30-day mark, where 1,762 positions were filled. Notably, hiring within 5 days is also common, with 360 occurrences, demonstrating a quick hiring capability for some roles. However, there is a decline in the counts as the hiring duration increases, with only 4 positions filled within 100 days. This data underscores the competitive nature of the software engineers job market in Manchester and highlights the urgency for hiring managers to refine their recruitment strategies for attracting top talent.

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Most popular cities in United Kingdom to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in United Kingdom to hire Software Engineers

In the current landscape of the Software Engineers job market in the United Kingdom, Manchester accounts for 8% of job openings, positioning it as a key city for Software Developer opportunities. Notably, London dominates the market with 77%, highlighting its status as the capital and primary hub for tech talent. Following Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham hold 4% and 3% of the openings, respectively, indicating a regional spread that hiring managers should consider when developing recruitment strategies in the UK tech sector.

Most sought after technologies in Manchester for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the competitive software job market in United Kingdom Manchester, key technologies are instrumental to hiring strategies. Java emerges as a frontrunner with a frequency of 9,401, followed closely by Python at 8,291, highlighting the emphasis on versatile programming capabilities. JavaScript and React also show significant demand with 7,418 and 5,795 frequencies respectively, underscoring the importance of front-end development skills. Moreover, C# and SQL remain crucial for robust application development, with frequencies of 5,368 and 4,624. The accompanying chart illustrates these technology trends, providing valuable insights for hiring managers aiming to attract top talent.

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