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Backend Development Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Familiarity with web development (frontend or backend). Experience with any modern framework counts * Curiosity about AI and willingness to learn. Experience with AI coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code ...

You'll work across the full stack, collaborating with engineers on frontend, backend, and ... Personal or school projects involving full-stack development * Exposure to AWS, Docker, or CI/CD ...

Full Stack Engineer Intern

Santa Clara, CA ยท On-site

$19 - $65/hr

  • Retirement

Backend & Data Pipeline Development: Solid programming fundamentals (e.g., Python, SQL) and experience designing, building, and maintaining data processing pipelines and the services. * Performance ...

... development process. As a seed-stage company, we're passionate about innovation, diversity, and ... Design, develop, and deploy scalable backend and frontend solutions in Rust, JavaScript, and ...

Showing results 41-60

Backend Development Intern information

What is the difference between Backend Development Intern vs Software Developer Intern?

AspectBackend Development InternSoftware Developer Intern
Required SkillsBasic programming, understanding of databases, familiarity with backend frameworksProgramming, problem-solving, knowledge of multiple platforms
Work EnvironmentInternship, entry-level projects, team collaborationInternship, diverse projects, cross-functional teams
Industry UsageTech companies, startups, software firmsTech companies, startups, software firms

The main difference is that a Backend Development Intern focuses specifically on server-side development, databases, and backend frameworks, while a Software Developer Intern has a broader scope, working on various parts of software applications. Both roles are entry-level and often found in similar environments, but the Backend Development Intern role emphasizes backend technologies more heavily.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a backend development intern?

To thrive as a Backend Development Intern, you need a solid understanding of programming languages like Python, Java, or Node.js, as well as knowledge of databases and fundamental computer science concepts. Familiarity with version control systems (such as Git), RESTful API development, and cloud platforms is often required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate technical ideas clearly are valuable soft skills. These competencies enable interns to efficiently build, maintain, and troubleshoot backend systems, contributing to robust and scalable software solutions.

What does a backend development intern do?

A Backend Development Intern assists in building and maintaining the server-side logic, databases, and APIs that power web and mobile applications. They work closely with backend developers to write code, troubleshoot issues, and ensure data flows smoothly between the server and users. Interns often use programming languages like Python, Java, or Node.js and gain experience with database management and cloud services. This role helps interns develop essential technical and problem-solving skills for a future career in backend development.

What types of projects or tasks can a backend development intern expect to work on during their internship?

As a Backend Development Intern, you can expect to be involved in a variety of tasks such as developing and maintaining server-side logic, building APIs, working with databases, and supporting integration with front-end components. Interns often assist in debugging, optimizing code, and contributing to team meetings or code reviews. You'll likely work closely with senior backend developers, as well as collaborate with front-end teams and QA engineers, offering a well-rounded exposure to the software development lifecycle and teamwork in a professional environment.
What cities in California are hiring for Backend Development Intern jobs? Cities in California with the most Backend Development Intern job openings:
Infographic showing various Backend Development Intern job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution.

Software Engineering Intern

Instead

San Francisco, CA โ€ข On-site

Internship

Re-posted 9 days ago


Job description

About Instead
Instead is where tax work gets done. Our AI agent orchestrates the entirety of how work gets done in tax, from preparation and compliance to filing and advisory. It's a fundamentally new way of doing tax work, and it's why top 500 firms, Big Four teams, and enterprise corporate tax departments are choosing Instead.
What makes us unique: we hold full government approvals with the IRS, 48 states, and all cities to e-file 1040, 1041, 1120, 1120S, and 1065, with 706, 709, 990, 5500, 2290, and PPT coming for tax year 2026. Instead is a full replacement for CCH Axcess, GoSystem, UltraTax, OneSource, CorpTax, Lacerte, ProConnect, Drake, and more. No other tax startup will be able to offer these capabilities for years as we are two to three years ahead of everyone else in government approvals. This lets us build product experiences that are simply unmatched in the market.
Instead is backed by Conviction, IRIS (the largest tax software provider in the UK), Skylark, Aprio, and many of our partners and customers. Our team includes leaders from Intuit, Gusto, Zenefits, Thomson Reuters, Wolters Kluwer, PwC, BDO, RSM, and KPMG.
The Role
We're looking for Software Engineering Interns to join our San Francisco team and build real features on our AI-powered tax platform. This is not a coffee-fetching internship. You'll ship production code that hundreds of accounting firms use, work alongside senior engineers, and get hands-on experience building with AI tools from day one.
Our stack: Vue, Nuxt, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS on the frontend. Go, Docker on AWS ECS/Fargate, and PostgreSQL on AWS RDS on the backend. For AI, we use Cursor, Claude Code, Helicone, Gemini, and OpenAI, and we're constantly evaluating new tools.
What You'll Do
  • Ship product features end to end on our live customer platform alongside senior engineers
  • Build and test AI-powered components including inference pipelines and prompt engineering
  • Fix bugs and make product improvements based on real customer feedback
  • Create internal tools that make the engineering team more productive
  • Learn our full stack and contribute across frontend, backend, and AI layers
  • Participate in code reviews, architecture discussions, and product planning
What You Bring
  • Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
  • Strong programming fundamentals. You can write clean code, debug efficiently, and think about edge cases
  • Familiarity with web development (frontend or backend). Experience with any modern framework counts
  • Curiosity about AI and willingness to learn. Experience with AI coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot) is a plus
  • High attention to detail and a bias for shipping
  • Ability to work on-site in San Francisco
What Makes Someone Exceptional
  • You've built and shipped side projects or open-source contributions that demonstrate your ability to go from idea to working product
  • You already use AI tools in your coding workflow and understand how they change the way software gets built
  • You learn fast and don't wait to be told what to do. When you see something broken, you fix it
  • You care about the end user, not just the code. You want to understand why something matters before you build it
  • You're excited about working at a startup where your work ships to real customers on day one
Location
San Francisco (on-site)
Instead is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate candidates based on capability, judgment, ownership, and fit for the role's responsibilities. We welcome candidates who can help us build a category-defining company in tax technology.