Hiring software developers in the Netherlands

Wages, workforce and how tight the labour market is in each region, from CBS figures.

Median hourly wage

€34.60

The middle half of employees earns €26.90 to €42.60 gross an hour (Netherlands, 2025). +7.8% on 2024.

Software developers in the Netherlands

210,000

People working in 2025, +78% since 2018.

Software developers working in the Netherlands

People working in the occupation, per year.

210,000201820212025

Hiring activity

Employers opened 11 vacancies for every 100 people working as ICT specialists in 2025, against 14 across all occupations.

New vacancies count replacements for people who leave as well as new jobs, so a high number means many employers are recruiting at once, not necessarily a shortage.

By region

Open vacancies per 100 unemployed people (Q3 2026) and the estimated number of software developers in each region.

RegionHiringVacancies per 100 unemployedEstimated software developers
AmsterdamEasier than average84≈ 10,000
RotterdamEasier than average79≈ 7,300
The HagueEasier than average79≈ 6,200
UtrechtHarder than average101≈ 4,800
GroningenMuch easier than average72≈ 6,500
FrieslandEasier than average85≈ 7,600
DrentheHarder than average103≈ 5,500
OverijsselMuch harder than average114≈ 15,000
FlevolandMuch easier than average68≈ 5,500
GelderlandAbout average93≈ 25,000
Utrecht (province)Harder than average101≈ 17,000
North HollandEasier than average84≈ 34,000
South HollandEasier than average79≈ 44,000
ZeelandMuch harder than average111≈ 4,600
North BrabantMuch harder than average107≈ 34,000
LimburgAbout average95≈ 12,000
All occupations

Sources and method

Figures from CBS (Statistics Netherlands) StatLine, published under CC BY 4.0, refreshed when CBS publishes:

The verdict compares the region's open vacancies per 100 unemployed people with the Dutch figure for the same quarter. CBS publishes vacancies per province, so a city uses its province. The estimate for a region spreads the national number of people in the occupation like the region's workforce in its occupation class. Figures CBS does not publish, because too few people were surveyed, are left out.

SourceGeek is not affiliated with CBS.

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