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Backend Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Nexusflow.ai Inc.

Backend Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

Backend Engineer Nexusflow is currently adding Backend Engineers to our team. Our Backend Engineers package up our technology in models and last-mile quality tooling. Our Backend Engineers will be ...

ProNexus

Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

The company is hiring a Backend Engineer to build the reliable systems behind its AI products. About the role As a Backend Engineer, you will design and build the services, APIs, data models, and ...

Otter

Backend Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

As a Backend Engineer, you will design and optimize systems that support mission-critical applications, collaborating with various teams to deliver high-quality services. Responsibilities : • ...

Pump.co

Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

As a Backend Engineer, you will contribute to the core of the product and infrastructure, collaborating closely with engineers and designers to build and scale the platform while ensuring system ...

Navier AI

Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Role Overview We're hiring a Backend Engineer to help build the infrastructure behind our autonomous engineering agents. You'll work across model serving, simulation orchestration, multi-agent ...

Navier AI

Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA

Role Overview We're hiring a Backend Engineer to help build the infrastructure behind our autonomous engineering agents. You'll work across model serving, simulation orchestration, multi-agent ...

depthfirst

Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

They are seeking an experienced Backend Engineer to lead the development of an AI-native platform that autonomously finds and fixes software vulnerabilities, focusing on scalable infrastructure and ...

NxT Level

Staff Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Staff Backend Engineer Location: 3 days in-office in San Francisco, CA Employment Type: Full-time Experience: 8+ years Focus: Backend Architecture, Marketplace Infrastructure, Microservices, EKS, AI ...

NxT Level

Staff Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Staff Backend Engineer Location: 3 days in-office in San Francisco, CA Employment Type: Full-time Experience: 8+ years Focus: Backend Architecture, Marketplace Infrastructure, Microservices, EKS, AI ...

NxT Level

Staff Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA

Staff Backend Engineer Location: 3 days in-office in San Francisco, CA Employment Type: Full-time Experience: 8+ years Focus: Backend Architecture, Marketplace Infrastructure, Microservices, EKS, AI ...

CMP.jobs

Staff Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA

We need a Staff Backend Engineer with 8+ years of backend engineering experience, strong CS fundamentals, and deep knowledge of backend technologies. You should be comfortable architecting and ...

SKIMS

Backend Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$150K - $165K/yr

Backend Engineer Department: Technology Employment Type: Full Time Location: Los Angeles HQ Compensation: $150,000 - $165,000 / year Description SKIMS is a solutions-oriented brand creating the next ...

Grepr

Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$130K - $160K/yr

Backend Engineer San Francisco, CA Being a Backend Engineer at a company smaller than 10 people is special. You'll have a ton of autonomy, be expected to own and build a significant part of the ...

Lunar Labs

Backend Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

As a Backend Engineer, you will enhance the data infrastructure and ensure reliable, real-time information for conversational interfaces while leading the transition to a high-performance platform.

Maxana

Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Maxana is seeking an experienced Backend Engineer for a confidential client -- a well-funded AI platform company used by ML teams globally. In this role you will own features end to end across APIs ...

Clerkie

Backend Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · Remote

$90/hr

About the role We're looking for a Backend Engineer who wants to build and own critical systems in a fast-moving environment. This role is ideal for someone with strong backend fundamentals who is ...

Pump.co

Backend Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $200K/yr

Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes (nice to have), LLM/AI (bonus) As a Backend Engineer , you'll contribute directly to the core of our product and infrastructure. This role is ...

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All JobsBackend Engineer JobsBackend Engineer Jobs in California

Backend Engineer information

See California salary details

$59.7K

$145.7K

$196.4K

How much do backend engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for backend engineer in California is $145,728.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $122,400.00 and $169,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges Backend Engineers face when integrating new technologies into existing systems?

Backend Engineers often encounter challenges when integrating new technologies, such as ensuring compatibility with legacy systems, maintaining data consistency, and minimizing service disruptions during deployment. They must carefully plan migrations, coordinate with frontend and DevOps teams, and implement thorough testing to avoid introducing bugs or security vulnerabilities. Effective communication and documentation are key to overcoming these challenges and ensuring a smooth transition.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Backend Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Backend Engineer, you need strong programming skills in languages like Java, Python, or Node.js, a solid understanding of algorithms, and experience with databases, typically supported by a degree in computer science or related field. Familiarity with tools such as RESTful APIs, cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure), version control systems (like Git), and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) is common. Problem-solving ability, attention to detail, and effective communication are vital soft skills for this role. These skills and qualities are essential for building robust, scalable systems and collaborating efficiently within development teams.

What is the difference between Backend Engineer vs Software Developer?

AspectBackend EngineerSoftware Developer
Primary FocusDesigning, building, and maintaining server-side applications and databasesDeveloping software across various layers, including frontend and backend
Skills & CertificationsProficiency in server-side languages (e.g., Java, Python), databases, APIsProficiency in multiple programming languages, software design, and sometimes frontend skills
Work EnvironmentTypically in backend teams, working on server infrastructure and APIsCan work on full-stack or specific areas; broader scope
Industry UsageCommon in tech companies, startups, and enterprises focusing on backend systemsWidespread across all software development sectors

While both roles involve coding and software development, Backend Engineers specialize in server-side logic, databases, and APIs, whereas Software Developers may work on both frontend and backend components. The roles often overlap, but Backend Engineers focus more on the infrastructure that powers applications.

What are Backend Engineers?

Backend Engineers are software developers who focus on building and maintaining the server-side logic, databases, and APIs that power web and mobile applications. They ensure that the data requested by the frontend systems is delivered efficiently and securely. Their work involves writing code in languages like Python, Java, or Node.js, integrating with databases, and optimizing the overall performance of applications. Backend Engineers also play a crucial role in ensuring data integrity and implementing security best practices.
More about Backend Engineer jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Backend Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Backend Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Backend Engineer jobs in California? For Backend Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Backend Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Backend Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Backend Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Backend Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Backend Engineer jobs in CA? For Backend Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Backend Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Backend Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 89% Full Time, 5% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $145,728 per year, or $70.1 per hour.
Backend Engineer

Backend Engineer

Nexusflow.ai Inc.

Palo Alto, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 20 days ago

Job description

About Nexusflow.ai

Modern enterprise copilots & agents call for last-mile quality, enterprise-grade robustness and scalable operation costs, beyond simplified programming interfaces for generative AI. Nexusflow tackles this challenge, enabling enterprises to own their workflow copilots & agents stacked on top of powerful yet cost-effective, compact LLMs. We train large language models and build last-mile quality dev tooling for copilots & agents on your enterprise workflows. Our team has built the open-source LLM, NexusRaven-V2, rivaling GPT-4 in function calling with a 100X smaller model size. Our team members are also behind the scenes of Starling, the #1 ranked compact 7B chat model based on human evaluation in Chatbot Arena.

Position: Backend Engineer

Nexusflow is currently adding Backend Engineers to our team. Our Backend Engineers package up our technology in models and last-mile quality tooling. Our Backend Engineers will be the driving force to build our products and solutions, in extensive collaboration with our ML Engineers and Front-end Engineers.

Responsibilities

  • API system development for copilot & agent quality tooling

  • API system development for copilot serving and integration with a focus on enterprise-grade requirements in the following areas

    • Integration with on-prem & cloud compute vendors

    • Integration with software tools required in customer oriented solutions

  • Distributed system and optionally GPU performance optimization

  • Wear many hats and collaborate with the whole team for product development, deployment and customer success

Qualification Required

  • Experience in ML model or ML data pipeline deployment (on-prem or on cloud)

  • Experience in building backend for application or platform API systems

Preferred
  • Working experience in fast-pace team environment  

  • Experience in using or contributing to modern compute frameworks for LLMs (e.g. Deepspeed, Huggingface TGI, FSDP)

  • Experience in projects involving LLMs

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