Job Title: Java Backend Developer with Devops Location: SFO, CA (All 5 days Onsite) Duration: long term Type: Contract W2 Experience: 8 - 12 Years Interview: In-person is must for Client interview Job Description: We are…
Engineering & IT · San Francisco, CA
Backend Developer jobs in San Francisco, CA
Backend developers build the server-side logic, APIs, and data layers that applications run on. The job is designing services that stay correct, fast, and secure as usage grows.
414
Open roles today
$49–$128/hr
Typical pay range
$172k
Median, full-time
5
Fresh in this list
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01
Open backend developer roles
12 shown of 414 · sorted by freshness
$293k - $325k
capabilities from idea to production. About the RoleWe're looking for backend engineers to build the systems that make advanced AI useful,... ..., market information, and firm-specific knowledge at scale. Develop integra…
top university (or other pedigree examples) Hard skills Strong fundamentals for full- stack (Python and TypeScript) or backend (Python) Deep experience with GraphQL and React or strong distributed systems experience Soft…
you will be doing at Ketch We are looking for a highly skilled backend engineer who is comfortable with building and running large... ...you build. Take pride in building it better and scaling it Develop server-side comp…
$225.5k - $265k
week. World App is already among the most used wallets globally. Developers are integrating World ID to build safer online experiences and... ..., privacy preserving, secure, scalable and reliable backend systems. Techni…
$194k - $267k
Secure Every Identity, from AI to Human Identity is the key to unlocking the potential of AI. Okta secures AI by building the trusted, neutral infrastructure that enables organizations to safely embrace this new era. Thi…
building a modern platform used by security teams. This is a hands-on backend role in a high-ownership environment where you’ll move fast,... ...the backend Collaborate with other engineers to improve developer experienc…
Villagers better measure impact and articulate coaching, feedback, and the rich and rewarding learning that happens while exploring, developing, and mastering the capabilities and contributions within and outside of the…
Appstem is growing and looking for a talented backend developer to work in our San Francisco office full-time. Applicants must have backend development experience. Our engineers enjoy our flexible work environment and do…
you are You have several years of experience building internet-based software You have experience driving technical designs for backend systems You adapt quickly and can problem solve through uncertainty You are comforta…
$25 per hour
Point is looking for a founding senior backend engineer. We are building a modern and aspirational banking experience by bringing rewards and benefits to the everyday debit card. Learn more about Point's team and culture…
transparency, and control at every step. We’re looking for a Senior Backend / Core Engineer to help expand and deliver Vendia’s distributed... ...for our massively multi-tenant platform. You’ll design, develop, and deliv…
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What backend developers earn in San Francisco
Hourly first — that's how the offer arrives
| Experience | Hourly | Annual, full-time |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $49–$67 | $101k–$140k |
| Mid level | $67–$98 | $140k–$203k |
| Senior | $94–$128 | $196k–$266k |
Adjusted for the San Francisco market from national ranges.
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What employers ask for
The skills these listings keep naming
A server language (Java, Go, Python, C#)API design (REST, gRPC)SQL and schema designCaching and queuesAuthentication and securityDistributed systems basicsDocker and CI/CDObservability and logging
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Interview questions worth rehearsing
With the thing the interviewer is actually listening for
Design an API for a feature like comments or notifications.
Clarify requirements, then cover endpoints, data model, pagination, and error handling. Mentioning versioning and rate limits shows production experience.
How would you find and fix a slow database query?
Walk through reading the query plan, checking indexes, and considering caching or denormalization. Ground it in a query you actually fixed.
How do you keep two services consistent when both need to update data?
Discuss transactions, idempotency, and eventual consistency with outbox or saga patterns. Acknowledge tradeoffs rather than promising perfect consistency.
What do you monitor on a service you own?
Name the basics — latency, error rate, saturation — plus business-level signals. Bonus points for talking about alerts you tuned to reduce noise.
Tell me about a production incident you handled.
Structure it: detection, mitigation, root cause, prevention. Emphasize what changed afterward, not just the firefight.
How do you approach securing an API?
Cover authentication, authorization, input validation, and secrets handling. Naming OWASP-style risks concretely is enough; you are not expected to be a security engineer.
When would you choose a message queue over a direct call?
Talk about decoupling, retries, and absorbing spikes, and be honest about the added complexity of async debugging.
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Resume tips that move the needle
For backend developers specifically — generic advice costs you here
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State scale where you can: requests per second, data volume, or number of services — it is the fastest way to signal seniority.
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Name the databases and infrastructure you ran in production, not just languages.
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Describe reliability work — migrations without downtime, incident reduction, test coverage on critical paths.
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If you designed an API others consume, say so and note how many teams or clients depend on it.
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Avoid listing every framework you have touched; two stacks with depth read better than eight without.
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Where this role goes
Typical progression
01
Junior Backend Developer
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Backend Developer
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Senior Backend Developer
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Staff Engineer
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Principal Engineer
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