Complete guide

How to find software developers in Lyon

Lyon
March 1, 2023
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Lyon is a city in southeastern France located at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers. It is the third largest city in France and has a long history as a center of trade and culture. Today, it is an important business and cultural hub and a major tourist destination. It is known for its cuisine, its vibrant nightlife, and its many festivals, making it one of the most popular cities in France. Lyon is also a great place to find software developers. But software engineers in Lyon are also hard to find and hard to hire. Experienced developers get a lot of messages from recruiters, in some cases five or ten messages per day. To find engineers in Lyon you have to search for engineers in different sources, reach out based on their preferred contact details, personalize your outreach and make an attractive offer. In this guide you'll learn more about the tech ecosystem in Lyon, which methods to use to find developers and how to hire them.

Why Lyon is a good place to find developers

Developer statistics in Lyon

Lyon is an emerging tech hub in France, and the city has experienced an increasing influx of tech talent in recent years. According to a report from the Greater Lyon, the region has seen a more than 10% annual growth in tech job postings in the last decade. The report also found that the city has a highly educated tech talent pool, with nearly 20% of the population having a degree in a technology-related field. The city also boasts a talented pool of software engineers, with a high number of developers specializing in the Java, JavaScript, Python, C# and C++ programming languages. The report also found that Lyon has a vibrant startup ecosystem, with almost 40% of the city's tech firms being startups. This has led to increased investment in the city, with venture capital investment in the city now surpassing €1 billion.

The tech ecosystem in Lyon

The tech ecosystem in Lyon is vibrant and growing. The city is home to many large tech companies, such as IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle, as well as a host of startups. The startup scene has been further bolstered by the creation of the La Part-Dieu innovation district, which is home to accelerators and incubators, such as TheFamily, which support early stage tech companies. Lyon is also home to the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), a leading research institute in computer science and artificial intelligence. The city is also home to several major universities, such as École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, and Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, which regularly produce tech talent.

Best tech meetups in Lyon

Attending local meetups is a great way of getting introduced  to technical talent and getting a better feel for what software developers care about.
These are the best local meetups:

1. LyonTech Meetup
2. Lyon Digital Meetup
3. Lyon Data Science Meetup
4. Lyon Web & Mobile Meetup
5. Lyon Cloud Computing Meetup
6. Lyon Internet of Things Meetup
7. Lyon Artificial Intelligence Meetup
8. Lyon Blockchain Meetup
9. Lyon Machine Learning Meetup
10. Lyon DevOps Meetup

Best methods to source and recruit talent in Lyon

There are many different ways to find and hire developers, some examples are:



1. Online job boards: Use online job boards such as Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor to post job openings for software developers in Lyon.

2. Networking: Reach out to local software development groups, meetups, and conferences to network and find potential candidates.

3. Referrals: Ask current employees to refer any potential software developers they may know.

4. Recruitment agencies: Use recruitment agencies to find qualified software developers in Lyon.

5. Social media: Use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to search for and connect with software developers in Lyon.

These are currently the best methods to find and hire developers:

Search LinkedIn, GitHub and Stack Overflow and reach out

The best way to find developer talent in Lyon is to find them in the places where they have an online profile and are active. Examples of those platforms are GitHub and Stack Overflow. LinkedIn can also be a valuable source.

Talent search engines can help you find developers online through a variety of sources. Most talent search engines also provide verified contact details so you can reach out to the talent you have found. In some cases these engines even automate a big part of the outreach process so you can reach hundreds of candidates per day.

An example of a talent search and engagement engine is HeroHunt.ai which can find 1 billion candidates worldwide and lets you reach out automatically with personalized messages.

Best job boards to find developers in Lyon

An alternative way to attract development talent is to post a job on a (local) job board.

These are the best local job boards to post your developer job on:

1. LinkedIn
2. Indeed
3. Monster
4. Glassdoor
5. The Ladders
6. Handshake
7. Apec
8. Viadeo
9. Local Job Boards
10. Facebook Groups

Best remote job boards to find developers in Lyon

If you are sourcing for remote talent then you can utilize remote specific job boards where you can post your remote job.

These are the best remote job boards to post your developer job on:

1. Freelance platforms:• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Toptal
• PeoplePerHour
• Guru
• Freelancer
• FlexJobs
• Remotive
• Remote OK
• We Work Remotely
• Remote.co2. Job Boards:• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• LinkedIn
• Monster
• AngelList
• Stack Overflow
• Hired
• ZipRecruiter
• Dice
• CareerBuilder
• Workopolis

How to hire software developers from any place without a local office

When you’re hiring software developers you need to be aware of the local average salaries in order to provide a competitive job offer. Below are the average salaries for software developers per experience level.

Average local salaries

Average salary for a junior software developer in Lyon

The average salary for a junior developer in Lyon is €40,700 per year. This salary range is typically for developers with less than three years of experience in the field. A junior developer in Lyon would typically receive salary increases based on experience and performance. They would also receive additional perks such as bonuses and other benefits. This salary range is reflective of the cost of living in the city, as well as the value of the skillset and experience required for the job.

Average salary for a senior software developer in Lyon

The average salary for a senior developer in Lyon is €59,823 per year. This salary is based on salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by senior developers in the Lyon area.The salary range for senior developers in Lyon typically falls between €48,170 and €73,633. The median salary is €59,823, which means that half of senior developers in Lyon earn more than this amount, while the other half of senior developers earn less.In addition to the base salary, senior developers in Lyon may also receive additional compensation such as bonuses, stock options, and other benefits.

Employing software developers (remotely)

Maybe your company doesn't have an office (yet) in Lyon. But that doesn't mean you can't hire employees in Lyon. There are several options like EORs which can help employ developers legally according to the regulations in Lyon.



An Employer of Record (EOR) is a service that allows companies to hire employees in Lyon, France, without having to become an employer in the country. The EOR takes on the responsibility of managing the payroll, taxes and compliance of the employees in France.

Here’s how to use an EOR in Lyon:

1. Select an Employer of Record (EOR) – Make sure you select an EOR that is compliant with French labor laws and regulations, and has experience working with companies in Lyon.

2. Ensure your EOR is compliant – Make sure that your EOR is compliant with French labor laws and regulations, and has experience working with companies in Lyon.

3. Negotiate a contract – Negotiate a contract with your EOR that outlines the terms of the services provided, such as payroll management, compliance and taxes.

4. Hire employees – Once the contract is in place, you can hire employees in Lyon through your EOR, and the EOR will manage payroll, taxes and compliance for these employees.

5. Monitor the relationship – Monitor the relationship with your EOR to make sure that the services provided are in compliance with French labor laws and regulations, and are meeting the needs of your company.

By using an EOR in Lyon, you can easily hire employees in France without having to become an employer in the country. Make sure you select an experienced and compliant EOR, negotiate a contract, hire employees, and monitor the relationship.

Use a platform to find and hire the best developers:
Best platforms to employ developers worldwide

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