Software Developers, Applications resume skills and keywords

In 6,623 Software Developers, Applications job postings from 2,195 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (47 %), Python (46 %), APIs (41 %), AWS (38 %) and Mentoring (35 %). Of the top 40 skills, 34 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 6 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Software Developers, Applications job postings

Skills requested in 6,623 Software Developers, Applications job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Communication47 %Soft skill
Python46 %Tool
APIs41 %Hard skill
AWS38 %Tool
Mentoring35 %Soft skill
TypeScript31 %Tool
Collaboration29 %Soft skill
CI/CD29 %Tool
React29 %Tool
Code review28 %Hard skill
Distributed systems26 %Hard skill
Kubernetes26 %Tool
Java24 %Tool
Software development23 %Hard skill
Go22 %Tool
Leadership21 %Soft skill
Problem Solving21 %Soft skill
PostgreSQL21 %Tool
Git19 %Tool
Debugging17 %Hard skill
Docker17 %Tool
LLMs17 %Tool
GCP17 %Tool
SQL15 %Tool
JavaScript15 %Tool
Node.js15 %Tool
C++14 %Tool
Azure14 %Tool
Linux13 %Tool
System design13 %Hard skill
AI Tools13 %Tool
Terraform12 %Tool
Agile12 %Hard skill
Algorithms12 %Hard skill
Flexibility11 %Soft skill
Apache Kafka11 %Tool
Cloud infrastructure11 %Hard skill
User Experience11 %Hard skill
Data pipelines10 %Hard skill
Cloud Platforms10 %Tool

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (11)

Soft skills (6)

Tools and software (23)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these software developers, applications postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

backend services 14 %product managers 13 %technical direction 12 %code quality 12 %programming languages 11 %technical decision 10 %open source 10 %production system 10 %backend systems 10 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Software Developers, Applications resume example. Then prepare for the Software Developers, Applications interview questions that test them.

Build a software developers, applications resume with these skills

Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.

Software Developers, Applications resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Software Developers, Applications resume?

In 6,623 Software Developers, Applications job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Communication (47 %), Python (46 %), APIs (41 %), AWS (38 %) and Mentoring (35 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Software Developers, Applications resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 6 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (47 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Software Developers, Applications postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were Python (46 %), AWS (38 %), TypeScript (31 %), CI/CD (29 %), React (29 %) and Kubernetes (26 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 6,623 public Software Developers, Applications job postings at 2,195 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (3,396), Lever (891) and Ashby (2,336). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 6,623. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 6,623 public job postings for software developers, applications roles (titles such as Senior Software Engineer, Software Engineer, Staff Software Engineer and Principal Software Engineer) at 2,195 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 3,396, Lever 891 and Ashby 2,336. Employers in the sample include Riot Games, Mozilla, AvePoint, Ubiquiti, Backbase and Point72. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 6,623. Updated quarterly. Download the data: software-developers-applications-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.