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Kafka Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Sr. Java Developer with Kafka

Fremont, CA · On-site

$62.75 - $80.25/hr

Info Way Solutions is seeking a Senior Java Developer with expertise in Kafka for a long-term contract with Walmart. The role involves large scale enterprise software development, focusing on ...

Sr. Java with Kafka

Fremont, CA · On-site

$62.75 - $80.25/hr

Info Way Solutions is seeking a Senior Java Developer with Kafka to work on a long-term contract for their client, Walmart. The role involves designing, building, and maintaining APIs and systems on ...

ML Engineer II

Aliso Viejo, CA · On-site

$52 - $57/hr

FastAPI preferred; background jobs (Celery/RQ/SQS/Kafka). * Engineering excellence: Docker, CI/CD, pytest, secure secrets, monitoring, performance tuning. Qualification And Education: * Prior ...

Java Developer With Kafka

Fremont, CA · On-site

$56 - $72.50/hr

Info Way Solutions is seeking a Java Developer with Kafka expertise. The role involves working collaboratively in cross-functional teams to develop, debug, and ship software products while following ...

The role supports the Kafka platform used by application teams. Experience supporting Flink ... Provide hands-on engineering and support for Kafka platforms, including incident response, root ...

The role supports the Kafka platform used by application teams. Experience supporting Flink ... Provide hands-on engineering and support for Kafka platforms, including incident response, root ...

Senior DevOps Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$152K - $196K/yr

AWS, EKS, IAM, S3, Kubernetes, Kustomize, Flux, Crossplane, CRDs, Python, Github, Kafka, Linux, Trino Strong experience on DevOps - using AWS, EKS, IAM, S3, Kubernetes, Kustomize, Flux, Crossplane ...

Senior DevOps Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$154K - $199K/yr

AWS, EKS, IAM, S3, Kubernetes, Kustomize, Flux, Crossplane, CRDs, Python, Github, Kafka, Linux, Trino Key Qualifications • Strong experience on DevOps - using AWS, EKS, IAM, S3, Kubernetes ...

Showing results 21-40

Kafka Engineer information

See California salary details

$38.5K

$100.4K

$135.7K

How much do kafka engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for kafka engineer in California is $100,420.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,900.00 and $115,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Kafka engineer do?

A Kafka Engineer specializes in designing, building, and maintaining distributed data streaming systems using Apache Kafka. They are responsible for configuring Kafka clusters, ensuring data reliability and scalability, and integrating Kafka with other systems. Kafka Engineers also monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and optimize data pipelines to support real-time data processing needs. Their work is essential for organizations that rely on high-throughput, low-latency data streaming for applications such as analytics, event sourcing, and microservices architectures.

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

To thrive as a Kafka Engineer, you need a strong understanding of distributed systems, proficiency in Apache Kafka, and experience with programming languages like Java or Python, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, monitoring systems (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana), and relevant certifications like Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka are typically required. Problem-solving skills, effective communication, and the ability to work collaboratively make someone stand out in this position. These skills and qualities are crucial to ensure reliable data pipelines, seamless integration, and efficient troubleshooting in mission-critical, real-time data environments.

How does a Kafka engineer typically collaborate with development and operations teams?

Kafka Engineers play a key role in bridging the gap between development and operations teams. They work closely with developers to design and implement event-driven architectures using Kafka, ensuring data flows reliably between services. Simultaneously, they partner with operations teams to deploy, monitor, and maintain Kafka clusters, addressing issues like scalability, fault tolerance, and security. Effective communication and a strong understanding of both software development and infrastructure are essential for success in this collaborative environment.

What is the difference between Kafka Engineer vs Data Engineer?

AspectKafka EngineerData Engineer
Required CredentialsCertifications in Kafka, cloud platforms, programming languagesCertifications in data tools, cloud, SQL, programming
Work EnvironmentFocus on Kafka setup, streaming data, real-time processingBroader data pipeline, storage, and processing tasks
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, data-driven organizations using KafkaVarious industries managing large data systems
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared for specialization in streaming dataBroader role encompassing multiple data technologies

The Kafka Engineer specializes in designing, implementing, and maintaining Kafka-based streaming data systems, focusing on real-time data processing. In contrast, Data Engineers work on building comprehensive data pipelines, integrating various data sources, and managing storage solutions. While Kafka Engineers focus on Kafka-specific tasks, Data Engineers handle a wider range of data tools and platforms, making their roles complementary but distinct in data infrastructure teams.

What cities in California are hiring for Kafka Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Kafka Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Kafka Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 60% Full Time, and 40% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $100,420 per year, or $48.3 per hour.

Java Back-End Developer (Java/ Spring/ Web Service/ NoSql/Kafka)

Redolent, Inc.

Sunnyvale, CA • On-site

$60.75 - $78.75/hr

Contractor

Re-posted 10 days ago


Job description

We are actively looking for a Java Developer @ Sunnyvale CA
TITLE: Back-End Developer (Java, Spring, Kafka)
LOCATION:
Sunnyvale, CA
Duration: 6 to 12+ Month
Rate: DOE

Details:
Job Duties:-Develops innovation strategies, processes, and best practices. - Drives the execution of multiple business plans and projects. - Supports and ensures business objectives being met. - Leads the discovery phase of medium to large projects to come up with high level design.- Leads the work of other small group of 3 to 4 engineers for assigned Engineering projects - Leads and participates in end to end service implementations, data feeds ingestion, and orchestration. - Designs and implements low latency services. - Promotes and supports company policies, procedures, mission, values, and standards of ethics and integrity. - Troubleshoots business and production issues .
Strong Java/J2EE, SpringBoot, Kafka
KAFKA, Design pattern, Event Sourcing and Event based architecture. Cassandra, SQL, NOSQL Database experience
Knowledge of technologies used in building scalable, distributed systems in virtualized cloud environments.
Develop high performance and scalable solutions that extract, transform, and load big data
Working with continuous development environments and decent knowledge of CI/CD pipelines
Please let me know if you are available and interested.

Redolent logo

About Redolent

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Redolent, a dynamic and rapidly expanding company committed to excellence in software solutions, where success is fueled by a combination of technical expertise and efficient management practices. Our solutions create a measurable delta in our clients’ productivity and profitability, contributing to their growth and success.

Industry

It services

Company size

51 - 200 Employees

Headquarters location

San Jose, CA, US

Year founded

2008

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