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Distributed Systems Engineer information

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$52.8K

$125.5K

$164.8K

How much do distributed systems engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for distributed systems engineer in California is $125,549.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $96,700.00 and $154,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a Distributed Systems Engineer?

A Distributed Systems Engineer typically spends their days designing, implementing, and testing scalable systems that handle large volumes of data and user requests. You'll collaborate closely with software developers, DevOps engineers, and product managers to architect solutions that ensure reliability, performance, and fault-tolerance. Regular tasks may include reviewing system performance metrics, debugging distributed applications, writing detailed documentation, and participating in code reviews. Engaging in team meetings and cross-functional discussions is also common, as seamless cooperation is vital in this complex and fast-evolving field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Distributed Systems Engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Distributed Systems Engineer, you need a strong background in computer science, experience with large-scale system design, and proficiency in languages such as Java, Go, or Python. Familiarity with cloud platforms (like AWS, GCP, or Azure), container orchestration tools (such as Kubernetes), and distributed databases is commonly required, and certifications in cloud computing can be advantageous. Strong problem-solving abilities, collaboration, and excellent communication skills help you navigate complex issues and work effectively across technical teams. These skills are fundamental for designing, implementing, and maintaining robust distributed systems that perform reliably at scale.

What does a Distributed Systems Engineer do?

A Distributed Systems Engineer designs, builds, and maintains large-scale systems that run across multiple machines or data centers. They ensure reliability, scalability, and fault tolerance by using technologies like cloud computing, containerization, and distributed databases. Their work often involves solving complex problems related to data consistency, network latency, and system coordination.

What are the most commonly searched types of Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in California? For Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Distributed Systems Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Distributed Systems Engineer job openings:
Distributed Systems Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Distributed Systems Engineer job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, and 99% Full Time. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $125,549 per year, or $60.4 per hour.
Software Engineer, Distributed Systems

Software Engineer, Distributed Systems

Discord

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$160K - $180K/yr

Full-time

Posted 18 days ago

Job description

Discord has a highly engaged community of millions of daily active users who use the platform for many different reasons, but there's one thing that nearly everyone does: play video games. Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming, and we are focused on making it easier and more fun for people to hang out before, during, and after playing games.
The Realtime Infrastructure team is responsible for building and maintaining some of Discord's highest scale and most critical services. Those systems are at the core of our text chat infrastructure and facilitate the dispatching of every update to our users sessions. This role will have a significant impact on Discord's overall reliability and performance. It will also help our product teams build new features on top of our infrastructure. This team is small but critical, and its work has a direct impact on Discord's success and ability to scale. This role reports to the Senior Engineering Manager of Realtime Infrastructure.
What You'll Be Doing
  • Build and operate large-scale, reliable and performant distributed systems.
  • Collaborate with product teams to create new features.
  • Ensure Discord "just works".
  • Write code but also manage our infrastructure.
  • Work with a talented team of engineers who have built one of the largest communication platforms in the world.

What you should have
  • 2+ years of experience writing and designing backend systems.
  • Experience solving complex distributed system problems.
  • Experience operating and maintaining critical tier 0 services.
  • Knowledge of monitoring and alerting best practices.
  • Familiar with open source software, and not afraid to dig into the source code of a library to find the answer you're looking for.

Bonus Points
  • Experience with Elixir.
  • Experience working with systems deployed in a cloud environment (GCP, AWS, etc.)
  • Knowledge of devops tools like Salt,Terraform or k8s.
  • You have built or contributed to open source projects.
  • You are a Discord power user and have built bots or apps interacting with our platform.

Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties). Relocation assistance may be available.
The US base salary range for this full-time position is $160,000 to $180,000 + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits.
Why Discord?
Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We're a multiplatform, multigenerational and multiplayer platform that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests, and helps developers build and grow their businesses. We believe games give us a way to have fun with our favorite people, whether listening to music together or grinding in competitive matches for diamond rank. Join us in our mission! Your future is just a click away!
Discord is committed to inclusion and providing reasonable accommodations during the interview process. We want you to feel set up for success, so if you are in need of reasonable accommodations, please let your recruiter know.
Please see our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy for details regarding Discord's collection and usage of personal information relating to the application and recruitment process by clicking HERE.

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