Resume keywords for Software Engineer jobs
The skills software engineer job postings actually ask for, as the share of the 480 newest postings we track that mention each one (out of 13,144 live software engineer jobs).
Live data · computed 10 October 2026 · refreshed daily
Top skills and tools
- 1PythonLanguagesLanguages43%
- 2CI/CDCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps38%
- 3Code reviewEngineering PracticesEngineering Practices37%
- 4AWSCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps33%
- 5JavaLanguagesLanguages31%
- 6TypeScriptLanguagesLanguages30%
- 7ReactFrameworks & APIsFrameworks & APIs28%
- 8KubernetesCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps28%
- 9AgileEngineering PracticesEngineering Practices24%
- 10ObservabilityCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps23%
- 11Unit testingEngineering PracticesEngineering Practices22%
- 12Distributed systemsDataData22%
- 13SQLLanguagesLanguages21%
- 14JavaScriptLanguagesLanguages21%
- 15LLMsDataData21%
- 16REST APIsFrameworks & APIsFrameworks & APIs20%
- 17DockerCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps20%
- 18C++LanguagesLanguages19%
- 19GoLanguagesLanguages19%
- 20PostgreSQLDataData19%
- 21AzureCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps18%
- 22System designEngineering PracticesEngineering Practices17%
- 23DevOpsCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps16%
- 24GitCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps16%
- 25Incident managementReliabilityReliability16%
- 26Machine learningDataData15%
- 27MicroservicesFrameworks & APIsFrameworks & APIs15%
- 28Google CloudCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps15%
- 29LinuxCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps13%
- 30Node.jsFrameworks & APIsFrameworks & APIs12%
How to use this list
General software postings are spread across many stacks, so the shares are lower. Match the languages in the specific ad you're applying to, and keep a short Skills line grouped the way your CV already groups it.
Only add skills you've really used, in the group your CV already has for them, and show the important ones in a bullet too. The percentages tell you what's common across the market; the job you're applying to is what matters, so check your CV against it.
How we count: the newest live postings whose title matches the role, re-posts removed, description only. Each skill counts once per posting, with common synonyms (k8s = Kubernetes); benefits and legal text are ignored; soft skills only count in the requirements. The role's own name is left out.
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Frequently asked questions
What skills should a software engineer put on a resume?
The ones most postings ask for and that you really have. Across 480 recent software engineer postings we track, the most-mentioned are Python (43%), CI/CD (38%), Code review (37%), AWS (33%) and Java (31%). Put each one you've used in your Skills section and in a bullet that shows how you used it.
Which software engineer skills are must-haves?
No single skill appears in more than half of the postings right now, so the must-haves depend on the company. Use the list as a guide and match each ad individually.
How is this list calculated?
We take the newest live software engineer postings from employers' applicant tracking systems, remove re-posts, and count the share whose description mentions each skill (synonyms count, each posting counts once). Benefits and legal boilerplate are ignored. It refreshes daily, and no AI is involved.
Should I add every keyword on this page to my CV?
No. Add only the skills you can discuss in an interview, using the same name the job ad uses. Stuffing in skills you don't have is easy to spot and backfires in technical interviews.
This page is built from public job postings only. It doesn't need your CV and collects nothing about you. The CV check is separate: we delete your CV from it within 24 hours. See our privacy policy.