Software Developer Jobs in Australia: the Market in Numbers
There are more software developers working in Australia than at any point on record. The workforce has more than tripled since 2006, it has grown rather than shrunk since AI arrived, and almost two thirds of it was born overseas. These are the headline figures from Adaca's analysis of ABS labour force data.
The Headline Figures
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Software and applications programmers in Australia | 216,000 |
| Figure in 2025 | 189,000 |
| Growth since 2006 | +217% |
| Rank among fastest growing occupations since 2015 | 24th of 702 |
| Developers born overseas | 62% |
| Developers born overseas in 2006 | 50% |
| Women in the workforce | 1 in 5 |
| Working without higher education | 19,000 to 25,000 |
Displaced, Not Replaced
The fear that AI would empty the profession has not shown up in the data. Australian software developer employment sits at a record high, and software development ranks 24th of the 702 occupations the ABS tracks for growth since 2015. Developers are moving rather than disappearing: out of big tech, and into the businesses that could never previously afford a development team.
Adaca's founder Lambros Photios put it this way when the report was published: "We are seeing devs displaced, not replaced. They are leaving big tech and finding work anywhere and everywhere else. When mid-market companies realise what they can achieve by hiring their first AI-powered dev team, every company will have one."
A Workforce Built on Migration
Almost two thirds of Australian software developers were born overseas, up from half in 2006. The sector has grown through migration rather than through local education, which is why so many businesses either sponsor skilled workers or build engineering capability offshore: the skills are hard to find here at the pace hiring demands.
The gender split has barely moved in twenty years. Around one in five developers is a woman.
What This Means If You Are Hiring
A record workforce does not make hiring easy. Demand has grown alongside supply, and the senior end of the market stays tight, which is the situation Scale Your Team is built for: senior engineers embedded in a team you already run.
If the constraint is delivery capacity rather than headcount, Build a Team covers the managed model, with a delivery lead accountable for outcomes.
Common Questions
How many software developers are there in Australia?
216,000 software and applications programmers, according to Adaca's analysis of ABS labour force data. The figure is up from 189,000 in 2025 and has more than tripled since 2006.
Is AI reducing software developer jobs in Australia?
Not so far. Australian software developer employment is at a record high and has grown since AI tools arrived. Software development is the 24th fastest growing occupation in Australia since 2015, out of 702 the ABS tracks.
What proportion of Australian developers were born overseas?
62%, up from 50% in 2006. The sector has grown through migration rather than through local education.
How many women work as software developers in Australia?
Around one in five. The proportion has changed little in twenty years.
Can you work as a developer in Australia without a degree?
Yes. Between 19,000 and 25,000 people work in software development in Australia with no form of higher education.
Citing This Data
Cite as: Adaca, Devs in Record Demand (2026), https://www.adaca.com/insights/developer-market-australia/.
The full report, including state-by-state breakdowns, education data and the decade curve, is available at Devs in Record Demand.