Software engineer resume keywords
We counted the skills in 4,594 open software engineer job postings from 290 employers, including Elastic, Palantir and Affirm. The ones employers ask for most are backend (41% of postings), APIs (32%) and Python (28%). 68% of the postings mention AI, though often in the company's description rather than as a skill the job needs.
Top skills and tools in software engineer postings
| # | Keyword | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | backend | 41% |
| 2 | APIs | 32% |
| 3 | Python | 28% |
| 4 | observability | 26% |
| 5 | distributed systems | 25% |
| 6 | code review | 20% |
| 7 | automation | 19% |
| 8 | Java | 19% |
| 9 | C++ | 17% |
| 10 | full stack | 17% |
| 11 | frontend | 17% |
| 12 | machine learning | 16% |
| 13 | product roadmap | 16% |
| 14 | Golang | 16% |
| 15 | TypeScript | 16% |
| 16 | AWS | 16% |
| 17 | Kubernetes | 14% |
| 18 | UX | 13% |
| 19 | React | 13% |
| 20 | scalability | 13% |
| 21 | CI/CD | 12% |
| 22 | shipping | 12% |
| 23 | LLMs | 11% |
| 24 | compliance | 10% |
| 25 | analytics | 9% |
| 26 | prototyping | 9% |
| 27 | UI | 8% |
| 28 | algorithms | 8% |
| 29 | product design | 8% |
| 30 | Rust | 7% |
Share of the 4,594 postings whose description names the skill (plurals and common spellings, such as “JS” and “JavaScript”, count as one).
Soft skills employers mention
ownership · 10%collaboration · 8%communication · 6%leadership · 6%cross-functional · 5%
Show these through results in your bullets (“led a team of six”) rather than listing them as adjectives.
How to use these keywords on your software engineer resume
- Start with the posting, not this list. These are averages across 4,594 jobs; the one you're applying for has its own priorities. Use this page to spot common gaps, then match the specific posting.
- Name skills the way employers do. If you use “backend”, “APIs” and “Python”, write those exact words. Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search for them, and a close synonym can be missed.
- Put each skill in a bullet that shows a result. Naming observability inside a bullet about what you achieved with it, with a number where you can, is stronger than listing it alone in a skills section.
- Add only what's true. If you've worked with “observability”, “distributed systems” and “code review” but your resume doesn't say so, add it. If you haven't, leave it out: interviews expose padded resumes quickly.
More about software engineer jobs
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How these numbers are calculated
Every figure comes from open software engineer job postings on MANY Hired, imported from employers' own career pages. For each posting we pick out the skills, tools, certifications and qualifications its description names, then count how many postings ask for each one. A job counts as software engineer by its title. Updated October 28, 2026.