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Distributed Systems Software Engineer Jobs in California

Apple

Systems Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$183K - $217K/yr

The Product Integrity group is looking for a Systems Software Engineer to develop future products ... debugging distributed applications Experience debugging at all levels of an operating system ...

Sunday

Systems Software Engineer

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$211K - $251K/yr

As a Systems Software Engineer, you will focus on the runtime systems that support robot perception ... for distributed or multi-process systems • Experience designing or building high-throughput ...

Apple

Systems Software Engineer

San Diego, CA

$122K - $214K/yr

... debugging distributed applications Experience debugging at all levels of an operating system ... of software engineer career experience Expertise in at least one of C++/Objective-C/Swift ...

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Distributed Systems Software Engineer information

What is a distributed systems software engineer?

Distributed Systems Software Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and maintain software that runs across multiple computers or servers, working together to achieve a common goal. They build systems that are reliable, scalable, and efficient, often handling large volumes of data and user requests. Their work involves solving challenges related to network communication, data consistency, fault tolerance, and system coordination. These engineers frequently use technologies like cloud computing platforms, message queues, and databases to ensure smooth operation across distributed environments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a distributed systems software engineer?

To thrive as a Distributed Systems Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (often in languages like Java, Go, or C++), a deep understanding of algorithms, networking, and distributed computing concepts, typically supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools and frameworks such as Kubernetes, Apache Kafka, Docker, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) is highly valued, as are certifications in cloud or devops technologies. Excellent problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills help you design scalable solutions and collaborate across teams. These skills are crucial for building reliable, efficient, and scalable distributed systems that power modern applications and services.

What are the typical challenges faced by distributed systems software engineers when ensuring system reliability?

Distributed Systems Software Engineers often encounter challenges like handling network partitioning, ensuring data consistency across nodes, and effectively managing system failures. They need to design resilient architectures that can recover gracefully when components fail, and implement robust monitoring to detect issues early. Collaborating closely with DevOps, QA, and other engineering teams is crucial to address these challenges and maintain high availability and performance in complex, distributed environments.

What is the difference between Distributed Systems Software Engineer vs Cloud Software Engineer?

AspectDistributed Systems Software EngineerCloud Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in CS or related, experience with distributed architecturesBachelor's in CS, experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure)
Work EnvironmentDevelops scalable distributed applications, often in data centers or on-premisesBuilds and maintains cloud-based solutions, deploying on cloud platforms
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, data centers, distributed computing firmsCloud service providers, SaaS companies, enterprises adopting cloud
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles in distributed architectureComparing cloud-focused development roles

While both roles involve building scalable software, a Distributed Systems Software Engineer focuses on designing and implementing distributed architectures, whereas a Cloud Software Engineer specializes in deploying and managing applications on cloud platforms. The roles often overlap but differ mainly in their environment and specific technical focus.

How much do distributed systems software engineers make?

Distributed systems software engineers typically earn between $100,000 and $160,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. Senior roles or those with expertise in cloud platforms and large-scale architecture can earn higher salaries, often exceeding $180,000.

What are distributed systems in software engineering?

Distributed systems in software engineering refer to a collection of independent computers that work together to appear as a single system to users. They enable scalable, fault-tolerant applications by distributing tasks and data across multiple machines, often requiring knowledge of networking, concurrency, and system design. As a Distributed Systems Software Engineer, understanding these concepts is essential for designing and maintaining such systems.

What are popular job titles related to Distributed Systems Software Engineer jobs in California?

For Distributed Systems Software Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Distributed Systems Software Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Distributed Systems Software Engineer jobs in California are:

Distributed Systems Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Distributed Systems Software Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 79% Full Time, and 21% Contract. Highlights an 84% In-person, 8% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution.

Senior Software Engineer - Distributed Systems

Apple

Cupertino, CA • On-site

$151K - $199K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 13 days ago

Apple rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 680 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 30 rated technology retailers

Job description

Our team is on a mission to build innovative infrastructure and tools to help other engineers be more productive and make software easier to create, build and distribute. We believe that streamlining software engineering is an important part of unlocking developer creativity and innovation, and we love it when Apple customers see that in the products we ship.
Description
We are looking for technically hands-on engineers who want to ship high-performance distributed systems that solve real-world problems at Apple scale. You would join a team of engineers who build innovative storage and backend service while tackling interesting challenges in a supportive, balanced environment.
We spend most of our time building software and automation, but equally important is the work we do collaborating with teams across Apple, understanding their operational challenges, and iterating on scalable, long-term solutions together.
In your role as an engineer on our team you will:
- Engineer distributed services, tooling, and operational standards
- Collaborate with teams to refine requirements and implement lasting solutions
- Drive service scalability, resiliency, and performance
- Take ownership over components critical to Apple's success
- Optimize system performance through algorithm design and testing
- Scale services to ever-increasing problem sizes
- Improve service operability using metrics and log data
Minimum Qualifications
5+ years of professional software engineering experience
Experience with high-performance, strongly typed languages such as Go, Rust, Scala, or others.
Experience with building and operating distributed systems.
Familiarity with some large infrastructure systems like Kubernetes.
Strong interest in distributed storage, observability, reliability, and cloud services.
Interest in working across different levels of the stack, including debugging OS-level issues such as memory and concurrency problems.
Ability to efficiently develop, debug, and support new technologies in a changing environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with application and service monitoring tools and techniques.
Experience with incident management and response.
Education & Experience: BS in Computer Science or equivalent, related experience.

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About Apple

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same real passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cupertino, CA, US

Year founded

1976

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