Software engineer resume keywords (2026)
The skills and tools 1,505 software engineer job postings from 180 companies ask for most, updated October 2026. See which ones your resume covers.
From 1,505 postings at 180 companies · Updated October 2026
We counted the skills and tools named in 1,505 software engineer job postings from 180 different companies, collected from company career boards over the past year. The list below is ranked by how many of those postings mention each term.
Python leads, appearing in 34% of postings. The five most requested are Python, AWS, Kubernetes, distributed systems and Docker.
Most requested skills and tools
Share of software engineer postings that mention each one.
- 1Python34%
- 2AWS34%
- 3Kubernetes34%
- 4distributed systems26%
- 5Docker26%
- 6Azure25%
- 7GCP23%
- 8Go20%
- 9Java19%
- 10Computer Science19%
- 11CI/CD17%
- 12B2B16%
- 13TS16%
- 14Turn16%
- 15Automate16%
- 16An Ideal15%
- 17Award15%
- 18Android App15%
- 19Chrome Extension15%
- 20Google Docs15%
- 21Inclusivity15%
- 22judgment15%
- 23Mac App15%
- 24PDFs15%
- 25several15%
What postings say about pay
191 of these postings published a yearly salary range in USD. Taking the midpoint of each range, the middle half ran from $166,000 to $252,000, with a median of $200,000. Pay varies a lot with location and seniority, so treat this as a rough guide.
How to use this list
Use the list to check your resume, not to fill it. A term that is true of your experience and missing from your resume is worth adding where you actually used it: in the bullet for the job where you did the work, and in your skills section. A term that isn't true of you stays out; an interviewer will ask about it.
The shares tell you how common a requirement is across the market, not what any single employer wants. Before you apply, compare your resume with the posting itself; the free ATS checker does that in your browser and lists exactly which of the posting's terms you cover.
Check your resume against a real software engineer posting.
Free ATS checkerQuestions
What skills do software engineer job postings ask for most?
In our sample of 1,505 postings, the most requested were Python, AWS, Kubernetes, distributed systems and Docker.
How was this software engineer keyword list made?
By counting which skills and tools appear in each of 1,505 software engineer postings from 180 companies, using the same keyword reader as our free ATS checker. It was last updated October 2026.
Should I add every keyword to my resume?
No. Add the ones that are true of your experience, in the place where you used them. Leave out anything you couldn't talk about in an interview.
How much do software engineer jobs pay?
In postings that published a yearly range in USD, the median midpoint was $200,000, and the middle half ran from $166,000 to $252,000.