PHP Developer Hiring Trends in United Kingdom

This report was last updated on Jul 13, 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 PHP job market in the United Kingdom has seen a total of 15,000 job openings, supported by a talent pool of 45,000 PHP Engineers, resulting in a moderately competitive jobs-to-talent ratio of 3.0.
Key hiring players include Canonical, with 74 openings, Arm with 26 openings, and JP Morgan Chase with 23 openings, highlighting a concentrated demand for Software PHP Engineers across the tech sector in leading companies.
Mid-Senior level roles dominate the Software PHP Engineer job market, representing 51% of all job opportunities, indicating a strong demand for experienced developers amid increasing competition.
Approximately 91% of available Software PHP roles in the United Kingdom are full-time positions, emphasizing a robust preference for stable employment opportunities among candidates.
London remains the epicenter for Software PHP Engineer recruitment, accounting for 92% of job listings and comprising 5,989 openings, followed by Manchester with 587 and Leeds with 324, facilitating focused recruitment strategies for hiring managers.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the Software PHP job market in the United Kingdom has experienced significant fluctuations. The opening of new roles saw a peak in week 19 with 190 positions, but the job closure rate has been notably high, especially in weeks 24 and 27, where closures almost matched new openings. This trend indicates a competitive landscape for hiring, suggesting that recruitment strategies for CTOs in the United Kingdom's tech sector must be agile to secure skilled candidates. In contrast to other roles across Europe, the demand for Software PHP Engineers remains robust, highlighting the need for targeted Software PHP Developer opportunities to attract and retain top talent amidst rising competition.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in United Kingdom:

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

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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

In the competitive landscape of the European software development job market, the United Kingdom faces notable challenges in hiring Software PHP Engineers. With a job opening count of 15,000 and a talent pool of 45,000, the jobs-to-talent ratio stands at 3.0, indicating a moderately tight market. In contrast, countries like Germany, with 20,000 openings and a talent pool of 100,000 (5.0 ratio), and Poland, featuring 10,000 openings alongside a talent pool of 25,000 (2.5 ratio), illustrate varying recruitment landscapes. This disparity suggests that while the UK continues to offer promising Software PHP Developer opportunities, hiring managers may need to adopt robust recruitment strategies to navigate the increasingly competitive environment.

Seniority distribution of PHP Engineer job openings in United Kingdom

Seniority Distribution of PHP Engineering Jobs in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom's Software PHP job market, the seniority distribution reveals significant insights for hiring managers. Mid-Senior level positions account for 51% of the total job opportunities, making it the most prevalent role. Entry-level positions follow, representing 28% of the market, while Associate roles make up 6% of available jobs. This seniority distribution highlights the emphasis on experienced developers, indicating a robust demand for skilled Software PHP Engineers.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom's software PHP job market, the majority of engineering roles are full-time positions, accounting for 91% of the total employment types. Contract roles follow, comprising 8% of available opportunities, while part-time positions represent 3%. This distribution indicates a robust preference for stable, full-time employment among software PHP developers, which is crucial for hiring managers and CTOs as they strategize recruitment in the tech sector.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in United Kingdom

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire for Software PHP Engineers in the United Kingdom reveals significant trends for hiring managers in the tech sector. A prominent 1960 candidates experience a hiring timeframe of 30 days, indicating a peak in demand within this period. Additionally, 1399 candidates are hired within 25 days, showcasing a strong preference for quicker recruitment processes. The data also highlights that 1316 candidates are brought on board within 10 days, reflecting the competitive landscape for employing Software PHP Developers. As the demand grows, it is crucial for CTOs and Engineering Managers to refine their recruitment strategies to attract 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 location distribution for Software PHP Engineer job openings in the United Kingdom reveals significant concentration in key cities. London leads the market with approximately 92% of all listings, accounting for 5,989 openings. Following London, Manchester and Leeds contribute with 8% and 5% respectively, showcasing 587 and 324 job opportunities. This concentration highlights the capital's dominance in the Software PHP job market in the United Kingdom, as illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in United Kingdom for PHP

Key technologies for PHP Engineers

In the competitive Software PHP job market in the United Kingdom, certain technologies are paramount for candidates. As outlined in the accompanying chart, PHP stands out with a frequency of 3,933, reflecting its dominance within the sector. Other significant technologies include JavaScript at 2,066 and MySQL at 1,161, which are crucial for full-stack development and database management. Additionally, Laravel, a popular PHP framework, ranks strongly at 812, indicating its relevance in building robust web applications. Understanding these technology trends is vital for hiring managers seeking to attract top Software PHP Engineers.

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