Big Tech Software Engineer Hiring Recovers, Meta's Headcount Up 19% Since 2022

The software engineering job market in 2025 is undergoing a significant transformation, marked by increased hiring at major technology companies and a surprising rise in engineer tenure following the extensive layoffs of 2023. As stated by The Pragmatic Engineer in a recent social media post, "> Big Tech has started to hire more software engineers. Also: tenure at Big Tech has dramatically increased since the 2023 layoffs (surprising!)" These dual trends signal a recalibration of the tech talent landscape, as further detailed in their deep dive analysis.

According to The Pragmatic Engineer's findings, a "slow, steady rise in recruitment across Big Tech and top startups" is now evident. Specifically, Meta has demonstrated a substantial rebound in its engineering headcount, which has increased by 19% compared to January 2022, representing the most significant recovery among its peers. Google's engineering headcount grew by 16% and Apple's by 13% since 2022, with Apple notably avoiding mass layoffs during the period. Amazon and Microsoft have experienced slower growth, with their engineering headcounts only 8% above 2022 levels.

A particularly noteworthy trend is the rapid increase in engineer tenure at Big Tech companies since 2023. This rise follows the widespread layoffs that impacted the industry in 2022 and 2023, prompting questions within the sector about whether it reflects a reduced likelihood of engineers seeking new roles or a general slowdown in hiring. This development suggests a more stable, though potentially less dynamic, talent pool within these large corporations.

The evolving market also highlights a surging demand for AI engineers, with San Francisco's Bay Area solidifying its position as a central hub for these specialized roles. The Pragmatic Engineer notes that software engineers can readily transition into AI engineering by focusing on building applications with large language models (LLMs). Furthermore, the current hiring climate prioritizes experienced developers, as new graduates accounted for only 7% of hires at Big Tech firms, a 25% decrease from 2023, according to SignalFire's State of Talent Report.

Despite a five-year low in overall software engineer job postings, the U.S. tech industry maintains an optimistic outlook on hiring, with companies targeting an average of nearly 300 open software engineer roles, marking a 12% year-over-year increase. The unemployment rate for software developers remained low at 2.8% in Q1 2025, indicating a competitive landscape for qualified candidates. This shift underscores a renewed focus on quality over quantity in hiring, emphasizing specialized skills, particularly in artificial intelligence and infrastructure.