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Kafka Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Java/Kafka Developer

Ashburn, VA · On-site

$75K - $155K/yr

The Java/Kafka Developer will Serve as an Agile Scrum team member providing software development and maintenance for the delivery of releasable software in short sprint cycles. Responsible for ...

Kafka Developer Job Summary: Seeking a Kafka Lead with utilities domain experience and experience in designing, developing, and supporting real-time data streaming applications using Apache Kafka.

Kafka Engineers/AWS/Terraform

New York, NY · On-site

$70.75 - $93/hr

Kafka Engineers/AWS/Terraform/Java Location: 100% Remote - Duration: 1 Year+ Minimum 15 years of IT experience. Minimum of 7 years of hands-on experience within data engineering organization; • ...

Opportunity for advancement Required Qualifications • 8+ years of overall IT industry experience. • 5+ years of hands-on experience with Kafka or NoSQL technologies. • Strong programming skills ...

Kafka Infrastructure Engineer

Chandler, AZ · On-site

$105K - $138K/yr

Kafka Infrastructure Engineer Job Location : Chandler, AZ (ONSITE) Job Type : Full-Time Skill: Kafka Infrastructure Engineer - Compliance-Driven IaC Automation * 7 - 10 years of hands-on experience ...

Senior Kafka Platform Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$103K - $142K/yr

Event Streaming team in Enterprise Middleware organization is seeking a Senior Kafka Platform Engineer with experience to lead the evolution of its enterprise event-streaming platform and drive ...

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Kafka Engineer information

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$39K

$101.8K

$137.5K

How much do kafka engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for kafka engineer in the United States is $101,752.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $84,000.00 and $116,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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 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.

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 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.

More about Kafka Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Kafka Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Kafka Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Kafka Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Kafka Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Kafka Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $101,752 per year, or $48.9 per hour.
AWS-Kafka Engineers

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago


Job description

Overview:
AWS-Kafka Engineers
Location- San Jose /Costa Mesa CA
Experience- 3-6 Years
  • 4-6 years of work experience - hands on and good coding skills, preferably with Java, Scala or Python
  • Knowledge and experience with Kafka Streaming, Containerized Micro Services
  • Knowledge and experience with RDBMS (Aurora MySQL) and No-SQL (Cassandra)
  • AWS Cloud experience - S3, EFS, MSK, ECS, EMR, etc.
  • Knowledge of Hadoop/Spark and various data formats like Parquet, CSV, etc. is a plus

Skills:
AWS,Kafka