Agency Partners

Software Developer Hiring Trends in United Kingdom

This report was last updated on May 13, 2025

Agency Partners scans all software engineering jobs in Europe in real time. We monitor 50.000+ jobs each week to gather insights about the job market and indentify top companies. Top companies work with us to find their world-class development partners to drive their innovation projects.

Key learnings from this report

  • The software job market in the United Kingdom has demonstrated robust growth over the past three months, with job openings for Software Developers peaking at 1,845 in week 15.
  • Top cities for Software Engineer recruitment include London, which dominates with 86% of job postings, followed by Manchester at 10% and Leeds at 5%.
  • The median time to hire for Software Engineers in the UK is currently 28 days, indicating a relatively swift hiring process despite the competitive landscape.
  • Full-time positions represent a dominant 92% of available Software Engineer roles, highlighting a strong preference for stable employment in the technology sector.
  • The seniority distribution shows a significant concentration at the Mid-Senior level, accounting for 50% of roles, emphasizing the necessity for hiring managers to focus on mid-tier talent.
Number of roles opened and closed for Software Engineers in United Kingdom in the last 3 months

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

The software job market in the United Kingdom has witnessed a significant surge in hiring activity over the past 12 weeks. New job postings for Software Developer roles have escalated dramatically, peaking at 1,845 openings in week 15, demonstrating a robust growth trajectory. In contrast, the number of closed positions has fluctuated, with a notable spike observed in week 12 when 602 jobs were closed. This suggests that while demand for Software Engineers is on the rise, there remains a considerable churn in the market that hiring managers should consider when formulating recruitment strategies. Comparatively, this trend highlights the competitive landscape for software developers in the UK, especially in contrast to other European countries experiencing less pronounced growth.

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 23
Understanding Recruitment logo Understanding Recruitment United Kingdom Staffing & Recruiting 2007 22
Agoda logo Agoda Singapore Information Technology & Services 2005 11
E.ON UK logo E.ON UK United Kingdom Utilities 1989 11
Marriott International logo Marriott International Italy Hospitality 1927 11
Meta logo Meta United States Information Technology & Services 2004 10
hackajob logo hackajob United Kingdom Information Technology & Services 2014 9
Version 1 logo Version 1 Ireland Information Technology & Services 1996 9
Teya logo Teya United Kingdom Financial Services 2019 9
Pepper Mill logo Pepper Mill United States Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering null 9

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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 job market in the United Kingdom currently faces a challenging landscape for hiring Software Engineers, with a significant gap between job openings and the available talent pool. For instance, in comparison to the Netherlands and Germany, the U.K. has a lower ratio of talent pool to job openings, indicating heightened competition for available skilled professionals. Specifically, the Netherlands boasts a favorable talent pool ratio, making it easier for companies to hire qualified Software Developers. In contrast, countries like Poland show promising recruitment opportunities, but the speed at which demand is growing for Software Engineers highlights a tightening talent market across Europe. As such, recruitment strategies for CTOs in the United Kingdom's tech sector must prioritize innovative approaches to attract and retain top talent.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in United Kingdom

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in United Kingdom

The seniority distribution of Software Engineering jobs in the United Kingdom reveals a clear trend toward the Mid-Senior level, which constitutes 50% of available positions at 2,183 roles. Entry-level positions follow at 27% with 1,218 opportunities, while Associate roles represent 7% of the market with 318 openings. This distribution underscores the importance for hiring managers to tailor their recruitment strategies, particularly in targeting mid-tier talent to remain competitive in the UK software job market.

Chart about preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom's software engineering job market, the predominant employment type is full-time positions, accounting for 92% of available roles. Contract positions make up 8% of the market, while part-time opportunities represent a mere 2%. This distribution underscores the strong preference for full-time employment among Software Engineers, reflecting a stable demand in the technology sector.

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 reveals significant insights into recruitment dynamics within the tech sector. A substantial 27.2% of positions fill within 25 days, while the majority, accounting for 45.1%, are filled within 20 to 40 days. Notably, there is a decline in hiring efficiency as time progresses, with only 1.3% of roles occupied beyond 100 days. Understanding these hiring trends is essential for hiring managers and CTOs in strategizing their recruitment process for optimal talent acquisition. As companies navigate the complexities of the software job market, leveraging these insights is crucial for improving recruitment strategies and capturing the top Software Engineer talent available.

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 reveals a significant concentration in key cities, with London leading the list at 86% of the total job postings. Following London, Manchester accounts for 10% and Leeds comprises 5%. This data highlights London's dominance in the software job market, making it a critical focus for recruitment strategies for CTOs and hiring managers in the tech sector.

Most sought after technologies in United Kingdom for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the competitive landscape of the Software Engineers job market in the United Kingdom, certain technologies stand out due to their high frequency of usage among job postings. Java leads the charge with 8,580 mentions, highlighting its critical role in enterprise-level applications. Following closely are JavaScript, with 7,512 occurrences, and Python, at 6,951, both significant due to their versatility in web and data-driven projects. C# and .NET also feature prominently with 5,772 and 5,072 mentions, respectively, signaling their continued importance in software development. The attached chart illustrates the frequency of these technologies, providing further insight into current hiring trends for software developers.

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