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Founding Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Founding Engineer

Peoria, IL · On-site

$120 - $170/hr

The Founding Engineer will be responsible for designing, building, and scaling the core platform architecture of Main Street Marketplace. Day-to-day tasks will include developing and maintaining ...

Founding Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

Founding Full Stack Engineer Benefits - Starting Salary targeting $200K - $300K - Competitive equity package - Comprehensive medical dental vision - Monthly food stipend - Unlimited snacks and ...

Founding Engineer Job title: Founding Engineer Location: San Francisco, CA (in-person only, relocation available) About the Company They help speech, occupational, and physical therapists build their ...

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $270K/yr

About the Role This is a founding engineer role on a small, high-conviction infrastructure team building a graph-native context and memory platform purpose-built for AI agents. You'll own significant ...

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $270K/yr

About the Role This is a founding engineer role on a small, high-conviction infrastructure team building a graph-native context and memory platform purpose-built for AI agents. You'll own significant ...

Founding Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$200K - $270K/yr

About the Role Hiring a Founding Engineer to build at every level of the cloud infrastructure stack. This is a seat for an engineer who has been a founding engineer at a startup or two before, has ...

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $300K/yr

AI, B2B, Devtools, Enterprise, Logistics, Manufacturing The Role This is a founding-engineer opportunity to own core systems end-to-end and set the technical direction the rest of the team will build ...

Founding Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$100K - $250K/yr

Founding Engineer, Thera (NYC) Thera is building the financial OS for modern SMBs. Payroll, payments, treasury, spend, and accounting in one ecosystem that actually works end-to-end. We're looking ...

Founding Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

About the Role This is a founding engineering role at an early-stage B2B SaaS company building a headcount planning platform for enterprise teams. You'll work directly alongside the founders and ...

Founding Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$100K - $250K/yr

Founding Engineer, Thera (NYC) Thera is building the financial OS for modern SMBs. Payroll, payments, treasury, spend, and accounting in one ecosystem that actually works end-to-end. We're looking ...

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

About the Role A fast-moving, early-stage startup in San Francisco is looking for a Founding Engineer to join as one of the first technical hires. This is a rare opportunity to work directly with the ...

As a Founding Engineer, you will build core modules for a high-performance scientific computing platform, working closely with the founding team to create production software that significantly ...

Founding Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

As a Founding Engineer, you will: * Constantly seek out and make connections between non-obvious signals that could lead to new construction. For example, noticing how life events like divorces ...

Founding Engineer (Full Stack) Location: San Francisco Bay Area Type: Full-Time Compensation: Competitive salary + meaningful equity (founding tier) Backed by 8VC, we're building a world-class team ...

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$97K - $129K/yr

About the Role Join a pre-seed AI startup as Engineer #4 on the founding team, working directly with the CTO and fellow founding engineers. This is a high-ownership, fast-paced role where you'll ship ...

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $200K/yr

About the Role This is a founding engineering role at a early-stage hardware-meets-software startup building AI-assisted PCB design tooling and EDA automation. You'll own core product development ...

Founding Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $200K/yr

About the Role This is a founding engineering role at a early-stage hardware-meets-software startup building AI-assisted PCB design tooling and EDA automation. You'll own core product development ...

Founding Engineer - GovTech Location: San Francisco, CA (In-Office) Partnership: EQL Tech has been exclusively retained by a high-growth technology startup to appoint a Founding Engineer to build ...

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Founding Engineer information

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$30K

$69.4K

$118K

How much do founding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding engineer in the United States is $69,362.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $51,500.00 and $78,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a founding engineer?

A Founding Engineer is one of the first technical hires at a startup, responsible for building the company's core products and setting the foundation for its technology stack. They work closely with the founders, making key architectural decisions, writing production-ready code, and often wearing multiple hats across engineering, product, and strategy. This role requires a mix of deep technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced, early-stage environment.

What are the biggest challenges a founding engineer typically faces at an early-stage startup?

As a Founding Engineer, you’ll often be tasked with building a product from the ground up while balancing rapid development with long-term technical vision. Resource constraints and evolving product requirements can require creative problem-solving and the ability to prioritize effectively. You’ll work closely with the founding team, making pivotal decisions that shape both technology and culture, so adaptability and a hands-on approach are important. While the environment can be demanding and ambiguous, it also offers unique opportunities to learn, take ownership, and have a major impact on the success of the company.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the founding engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Founding Engineer, you need deep expertise in software development, system architecture, and product design, typically backed by experience with startups or building products from scratch. Familiarity with modern programming languages, cloud platforms, and agile tools such as Git, AWS, and Jira is often essential. Exceptional problem-solving, strong ownership mentality, and the ability to communicate clearly in fast-paced, unstructured environments set standout candidates apart. These skills are crucial because Founding Engineers must quickly turn vision into reality, adapt to changing needs, and help establish the technical foundation of a new company.

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What cities are hiring for Founding Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Founding Engineer job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Founding Engineer jobs?

The most popular types of Founding Engineer jobs are:

What states have the most Founding Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Founding Engineer jobs include:

Infographic showing various Founding Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $69,362 per year, or $33.3 per hour.

$120 - $170/hr

Other

Posted 4 days ago


Job description

This is a full-time hybrid role for a Founding Engineer located in Peoria, IL, with some flexibility to work remotely. The Founding Engineer will be responsible for designing, building, and scaling the core platform architecture of Main Street Marketplace. Day-to-day tasks will include developing and maintaining scalable software systems, collaborating with cross-functional teams, implementing best practices in software engineering, and contributing to product strategy and technical decision-making. As an early team member, you will also play a key role in establishing a strong engineering culture and driving innovation.

Qualifications
  • Proficiency in software development, including experience with coding, debugging, and version control systems
  • Expertise in system design, architecture, and scalable software solutions
  • Knowledge of backend technologies, APIs, and cloud-based platforms
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to optimize for performance and user experience
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills for cross-functional teamwork
  • Prior experience in a startup environment or as a founding engineer is a plus
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
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