Software Developer Hiring Trends in United Kingdom

This report was last updated on Jul 6, 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 Engineers job market in the United Kingdom has witnessed notable fluctuations, with a peak of 2,681 job openings in week 21, contrasting sharply with 1,373 closures in week 24, indicating a volatile hiring landscape for recruitment managers.
Current statistics reveal that Software Engineer roles encompass a strong mid-senior level demand, accounting for 57% of the market, while London emerges as the principal hub with 86% of all job openings, followed by Manchester at 8%.
Hiring for Software Engineers is becoming increasingly challenging in the UK due to higher competition compared to other European markets, necessitating robust recruitment strategies for CTOs and hiring managers.
The employment type data indicates a strong preference for full-time positions, constituting 91% of job openings, which highlights the urgency for hiring managers to streamline their recruitment processes for Software Engineer positions.
The median time to hire for Software Engineers in the United Kingdom stands at 28 days, underscoring the need for efficient recruitment strategies to obtain qualified talent swiftly in a competitive market.

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

The latest trends in the Software Engineer job market in the United Kingdom reveal significant fluctuations in both job openings and closures over the past 12 weeks. In week 21, there was a notable peak with 2,681 new Software Developer roles posted, indicating a strong demand that is rare compared to previous weeks. Conversely, job closures have consistently exceeded openings in many weeks, particularly in week 24 with 1,373 roles closed, highlighting a challenging landscape for hiring managers. When compared to the broader European context, the UK exhibits a more volatile recruitment environment for Software Engineers, necessitating strategic adaptation for CTOs and recruiters looking to attract talent in this competitive market.

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 engineers job market in the United Kingdom is navigating a challenging landscape characterized by a high number of job openings relative to the available talent pool. With a talent supply exceeding demand in countries like Germany and Poland, which exhibit favorable ratios in their jobs-to-talent metrics, the UK faces increased difficulty in attracting skilled software developers. Conversely, nations such as France also reflect a tighter talent market, emphasizing the competitive nature of hiring in the UK's tech sector. In this scenario, hiring managers should devise proactive recruitment strategies for CTOs targeting software job market trends in the United Kingdom to effectively secure the right talent before competitors do.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in United Kingdom

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom's software job market, the distribution of seniority levels reveals a strong presence of Mid-Senior level positions, accounting for 57% of available jobs. Entry level roles comprise 28%, while Associate positions represent 6% of the total. This data highlights the current demand for experienced Software Engineers, indicating a competitive recruitment landscape for hiring managers and CTOs.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

The employment type distribution for engineering roles in the United Kingdom highlights a significant preference for Full-time positions, accounting for 91% of available jobs. In contrast, Contract roles comprise 8% of the market, while Part-time roles represent only 3%. This data underscores the robust demand for Software Engineers in the UK job market, suggesting that hiring managers should prioritize Full-time recruitment strategies to attract top talent.

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 engineering roles in the United Kingdom reveals critical insights for hiring managers. Notably, the most significant volume of candidates, 1,762, were hired within a 30-day window, highlighting a fast-paced recruitment environment. The count gradually declines, with 1,320 candidates hired at 25 days and 1,122 at 15 days. This trend illustrates a competitive software job market in the UK where swift recruitment can be paramount. For CTOs and engineering managers, understanding these hiring trends is key to refining recruitment strategies and securing top talent efficiently.

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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 Software Engineer job market in the United Kingdom is highly concentrated in London, which accounts for 86% of the total job openings. Following London, Manchester represents 8% of the market, while Leeds and Birmingham contribute 4% and 3%, respectively. This distribution highlights London as a pivotal hub for software development opportunities, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in United Kingdom for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the dynamic landscape of the software job market in the United Kingdom, several technologies stand out as highly sought after by employers. JavaScript leads the pack with a frequency of 7,418 mentions, highlighting its critical role in modern web development. Following closely is Python, with 8,291 occurrences, reflecting its growing importance in data science and machine learning domains. Java also remains a cornerstone technology, cited 9,401 times, as it underpins many enterprise applications. Other significant technologies include C# (5,368 mentions), React (5,795 mentions), and SQL (4,624 mentions), which together illustrate the diverse skill sets that hiring managers should consider for today's competitive software development roles. For further insights, please refer to the accompanying chart showcasing these trends.

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