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$83K

$177.7K

$206K

How much do distributed systems software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for distributed systems software engineer in the United States is $177,719.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $173,000.00 and $205,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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.
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Distributed Systems Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Distributed Systems Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, and 25% Contract. Highlights an 80% In-person, 10% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $177,719 per year, or $85.4 per hour.

Sr. Software Engineer (Systems Engineering, C/C++)

NetApp, Inc.

Morrisville, NC • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 24 days ago

NetApp rating

9.4

Company rating: 9.4 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

2nd of 500 rated business services

Job description

Job Summary
NetApp is seeking a highly experienced Senior Software Development Engineer to help lead innovation across cloud infrastructure, software-defined storage, virtualization, and distributed systems technologies. This role is responsible for driving the design and execution of foundational infrastructure capabilities that power NetApp's cloud-native storage and data management services across hyperscaler cloud environments.
As an Senior Software Engineer, you will apply broad and deep expertise across multiple specialized disciplines including distributed systems, Linux systems software, storage architecture, networking infrastructure, and virtualization technologies. You will contribute to significant technical initiatives spanning multiple products, teams, and partner organizations while influencing architecture, execution, scalability, and operational excellence across the organization.
This role requires strong technical leadership, advanced systems thinking, and the ability to identify challenges and blockers early while navigating complex technical and organizational constraints to deliver impactful outcomes.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the design and development of scalable, resilient, and high-performance infrastructure components across storage, networking, virtualization, and Linux systems layers.
  • Drive architecture and technical direction for major subsystems within software-defined storage, virtualization infrastructure, and distributed cloud platforms.
  • Contribute to significant portions of the product across multiple technical domains and projects while coordinating execution across stakeholders and partner teams.
  • Architect and optimize storage and networking data paths for performance, scalability, reliability, and operational efficiency in cloud-scale environments.
  • Provide technical leadership across virtualization technologies including KVM/QEMU, hypervisor integrations, virtual networking, storage virtualization, and infrastructure orchestration.
  • Drive engineering excellence through strong design practices, observability, scalability, reliability, automation, and operational readiness.
  • Lead resolution of highly complex technical challenges involving distributed systems, virtualization, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise storage technologies.
  • Influence technical direction across organizations through architecture reviews, technical mentoring, design leadership, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Establish effective technical collaboration models across engineering teams and partner organizations to drive alignment and execution.
  • Mentor engineers and help scale organizational engineering capability through technical guidance and leadership.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends in cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, storage, and virtualization platforms.

Job Requirements
  • 12+ years of experience in systems software engineering, distributed infrastructure platforms, virtualization, storage systems, or cloud infrastructure development.
  • Expert-level programming skills in C/C++ with strong proficiency in Python.
  • Deep expertise in Linux operating systems internals, kernel technologies, systems architecture, concurrency, memory management, and performance engineering.
  • Significant experience designing and building distributed storage systems, software-defined infrastructure platforms, or cloud-native infrastructure services.
  • Deep expertise with virtualization stacks including KVM/QEMU, virtio, hypervisors, virtual storage, and virtual networking technologies.
  • Strong experience with storage and networking subsystems, kernel development, or device driver development.
  • Deep understanding of distributed systems architecture, scalability, fault tolerance, reliability engineering, and operational excellence.
  • Strong operational expertise with hyperscaler cloud platforms including AWS, Azure, GCP, or OCI.
  • Proven ability to lead large cross-functional technical initiatives and influence engineering outcomes across organizations.
  • Exceptional debugging, systems analysis, and performance optimization capabilities.
  • Strong communication, technical leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently solve highly complex technical challenges with broad organizational impact.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience architecting enterprise-scale storage operating systems such as ONTAP or similar platforms.
  • Experience driving large-scale infrastructure modernization or platform transformation initiatives.
  • Contributions to open-source systems software, kernel, virtualization, storage, or cloud infrastructure ecosystems.
  • Recognized technical expertise in cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, virtualization, or storage platforms.
  • Advanced cloud certifications or equivalent industry-recognized expertise.

Education
  • Bachelors or Masters Degree in computer scicnece or similar field is preferred.

Compensation:
The target salary range for this position is 196,350 - 292,600 USD. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education and may be outside of this range. Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off, various Leave options, Performance-Based Incentives, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU's), with all offerings subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. Benefits may vary by country and region, and further details will be provided as part of the recruitment process.

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About NetApp

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

The NetApp portfolio of leading data, application, and storage solutions helps organizations manage applications and data everywhere across hybrid multicloud environments. Our 30 years of innovation have made us the proven leader in all-flash storage. We have the only enterprise-grade storage OS available natively on the world’s biggest public clouds. Our data services offer the best security and protection in the industry. We have CloudOps services that will revolutionize how you work in the cloud. And that’s just scratching the surface. In a world of hybrid multicloud complexity, we envision a better IT experience—an evolved cloud state where on-premises and cloud environments are united as one, always delivering simplicity, security, savings, and sustainability. To get you there, we build solutions that drive faster innovation wherever your data and applications live, with unified management and AI-driven optimization. No walled gardens. No lock-in. You get the freedom to do what’s best for your business today and the flexibility to adapt to whatever tomorrow throws at you.

Industry

It services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Sunnyvale, CA, US

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