Australian software engineer postings cool off after a September peak
New roles are down 14% over the past month, and the weekly pace has eased 39% from its early September high.
is what the typical role asks for. 10% ask for 10 years or more.
43% of open roles state years126 new roles in the last 30 days, against 147 the 30 days before, at the same companies.
Companies read for 60 days or moreat 189 companies hiring in Australia.
Issue of 2 November 2026This week's read
There are 345 open software engineer roles in Australia right now, spread across 189 companies. That is still a wide field to apply into, but the flow of new postings has slowed. In the last 30 days, 126 new roles went up, 14% fewer than the month before.
Look at the week by week picture and the slowdown is clearer. The week of 7 September had 44 new postings, the most of any week on record here. The week of 26 October had 27, down 39% from that peak. So while the monthly count is still lower than before, the weekly pace has eased even further from its best week.
Experience bars are high. Across roles that state a minimum, the typical ask is 5 years, and 1 in 10 open roles want 10 years or more. Only 4% of roles are remote, so most of this hiring expects you in an office.
Shield AI leads the employer list with 25 open roles, well ahead of CBA at 14. Leidos and Xero follow with smaller but steady counts. Together, the top 8 employers hold 22% of all open roles, meaning the rest of the market is spread thin across many smaller hirers.
What this means for you
Three things you can act on this week
- Expect a slower month ahead
New postings fell 14% over the last 30 days and the weekly pace is down 39% from its September peak. Apply promptly to roles you find, rather than waiting for a bigger wave.
- Years of experience matter
Where roles state a minimum, 5 years is typical and 1 in 10 ask for 10 years or more. Check the stated years before applying to gauge fit.
- Office roles dominate
Only 4% of open roles are remote. If location flexibility matters to you, filter early rather than assuming remote options are common.
Momentum
New Engineering roles each week
Last 30 days: 126 new roles, against 147 the 30 days before (-14%). Each week counts the same companies, and a role counts as new only in the week it was posted, so a careers site we start reading never shows up as growth.
See the numbers
| Week starting | New roles |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep | 44 |
| 14 Sep | 35 |
| 21 Sep | 26 |
| 28 Sep | 31 |
| 5 Oct | 29 |
| 12 Oct | 26 |
| 19 Oct | 44 |
| 26 Oct | 27 |
Who is hiring
The companies with the most open Engineering roles
189 companies are hiring. The top eight hold 22% of the open roles.
| Company | Open roles | Change in new roles |
|---|---|---|
| Shield AI | 25 | |
| CBA | 14 | |
| Leidos | 9 | |
| Xero | 8 | |
| Westpac Group | 6 | |
| Amazon | 5 | |
| Docorto | 5 | |
| Insignia Financial | 5 |
Change compares new roles in the last 30 days with the 30 days before, shown where a company posted 25 or more in the earlier 30 days. Staffing agencies are left out. A company name links to its Ashney company page where there is one.
What they ask for
The technology Engineering roles ask for most
Ask Rate is the share of roles that name a skill, from 327 postings read in full. Ways of working (methods such as Agile, tools such as Jira) are listed apart; office tools and soft skills are left out.
Ways of working
Industries named most: Defense 9%, Robotics 6%, SaaS 5%. Certifications named: ServiceNow Certified System Administrator 1%. 4% of open roles say they are remote.
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