What software engineer job descriptions in Europe ask for
We read 625 open software engineer roles at 126 companies, straight from their careers pages. These are the skills and phrases they name, how often, and how to show each one on your CV.
Counted 13 Nov 2026 · recounted daily
- open software engineer roles in Europe
- 625
- open software engineer roles in Europe
- companies hiring
- 126
- companies hiring
- remote (123 of 625)
- 20%
- remote (123 of 625)
- publish a salary (78)
- 12%
- publish a salary (78)
Every keyword, by how many job ads name it
Open a keyword to see how a line that only names it differs from one that proves it. Write only what you have done: a keyword with no evidence is what keyword-stuffing checks look for.
In half the job ads or more
Expected. Missing one of these needs a reason.In one job ad in five, or more
Common. These separate a match from a near miss.Specialist
Named by fewer job ads, often decisive where they are.Which of these does your CV already name?
Paste your CV text. It is checked in your browser against the keywords in at least a fifth of these job ads; nothing is sent anywhere.
8of 23 common keywords named
Named on your CV
Not named, but common in these job ads
A missing keyword is a question, not an instruction: add it only where you have used it. The full check reads your CV against one real job description, the way an applicant tracking system and a recruiter would.
Get my free reportWhere these 625 jobs are, and at what level
Country
Top six, by open roles
- United Kingdom157
- Europe-wide or not stated53
- Germany51
- Spain50
- Netherlands41
- France38
Level named in the title
No level word counts as mid
- Senior258
- Mid246
- Lead / staff86
- Junior / graduate35
Where you work, and the pay
78 of 625 job ads publish a salary
€59.5k to €81.5k
median range, 38 job ads in EUR
£111k to £145k
median range, 32 job ads in GBP
- Remote123
- Hybrid140
- On-site64
- Not stated298
Hiring software engineers now
See all the jobs →One job ad, one vote
- Which job ads
- Open roles with "software engineer", "software developer" or "developer" in the title, based in Europe or remote within Europe, read on 13 Nov 2026 from each company's own applicant tracking system (Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby and others).
- What counts as a mention
- The keyword appears at least once in the job description, as a whole word. A job posted in several cities counts once, and each company's own name is taken out of its job descriptions first.
- What is left out
- Words job descriptions use about the employer rather than the job are not counted: “security” in a company name, “healthcare” in the benefits. Keywords in fewer than 5% of the job ads are not shown. Domain words such as payments are partly companies describing their own product.
Using this list well
Should I add every keyword to my CV?
No. Add the ones you have used, in the line that shows what you did with them. A skills list full of keywords with no evidence behind them reads as padding to a recruiter, and some applicant tracking systems flag it.
Where on the CV should the keywords go?
In your experience bullets first, then the skills section. A search matches either, but a recruiter believes the bullet.
Is this list the same for every company?
No. It is the average of 625 job ads. The job description you apply to is the one that matters, which is why the full check compares your CV with that job description, requirement by requirement.
CV keywords for other roles
Your CV, against the job you actually want
Paste a software engineer job description and upload your CV. See what the ATS reads, what a recruiter reads, and the first line to fix. Free, about a minute.