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Kong Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Unikon IT

Kong Administrator

Charlotte, NC · On-site

Role Overview A Kong Administrator is responsible for deploying, configuring, managing, and maintaining the Kong API Gateway infrastructure that serves as the central control point for an ...

CEDENT

KONG Developer

Philadelphia, PA

Support and manage Enterprise Kong and Kong Konnect. * Hand-on experience in installing and configuring Kong API Gateway and integrating with existing APIs. * Good Understanding of platform to ...

Lorven Technologies

Kong API Developer

Austin, TX · On-site

Kong Developer with Full Stack .NET Experience Location - Austin, TX 12 Months Contract Position Overview We are seeking a highly skilled Kong API Gateway Developer with strong experience in Full ...

Saransh Inc

KONG API Architect - Only W2

Waukegan, IL · On-site

Role: KONG API Architect Location: Waukegan, IL (Hybrid) Job Type: W2 Contract Skill Matrix: Kong Yes 1 AWS Yes 1 Required Skills: KONG API AWS Role Overview: The KONG Feasibility Assessment ...

Kong

Staff Solutions Engineer - Northeast

Boston, MA · Remote

$220K - $260K/yr

Kong sits at the intersection of API management and AI connectivity, and you'll be the person who makes that story real for customers. What you'll be doing: * Support field sales in helping customers ...

Kong

Solutions Consultant- Professional Services

Albany, NY · On-site

$120K - $173K/yr

The Professional Services team at Kong is dedicated to ensuring our customers unlock the full potential of their API-first strategies. As a PS Sales Consultant, you will be critical in architecting ...

Whiztek Corp

.Net Developer with Kong API

Houston, TX · On-site

Role: Senior .Net Developer (AWS & Kong API) Location: Houston, TX Work type: Hybrid (2-3 days/week in office) Duration: Long term Contract Requirement: * Design and develop scalable, high ...

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How much do kong jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 22, 2026, the average hourly pay for kong in the United States is $20.11, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.51 and $21.39 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Kong vs API Gateway Developer?

AspectKongAPI Gateway Developer
CredentialsCertifications in API management, cloud platforms, or Kong-specific trainingKnowledge of API management, scripting, and cloud certifications
Work EnvironmentCloud-based, API management platforms, DevOps teamsDevelopment teams, API design, and integration projects
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, SaaS providers, API-centric organizationsSoftware development firms, API-focused roles in various industries

While Kong is a specific API management platform used to deploy, secure, and manage APIs, an API Gateway Developer is a role focused on designing, implementing, and maintaining API gateways, which may include Kong or other platforms. Both roles require API knowledge, but Kong specialists focus on the platform's features, whereas API Gateway Developers have broader responsibilities across different tools and environments.

What are some typical challenges faced by engineers working with Kong API Gateway, and how can they be addressed?

Engineers working with Kong API Gateway often encounter challenges related to scaling, plugin customization, and integration with diverse backend systems. Managing high traffic loads requires careful configuration and monitoring to ensure optimal performance and reliability. Customizing plugins may involve working with Lua or Go, which can present a learning curve. Collaborating closely with DevOps, security, and backend teams is crucial to ensure seamless implementation and to address security and compliance requirements. Regularly participating in knowledge-sharing sessions and leveraging community resources can also help overcome these challenges.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Kong API Gateway Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Kong API Gateway Engineer, you need expertise in API management, networking concepts, and proficiency in programming languages like Lua or Go, often supported by a degree in computer science or related field. Familiarity with Kong Gateway, RESTful APIs, Docker, Kubernetes, and relevant certifications such as Kong Associate Developer are typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial for collaborating with cross-functional teams and troubleshooting complex integrations. These skills are essential for ensuring secure, scalable, and high-performing API infrastructure within modern applications.

What are Kong engineers?

Kong engineers are professionals who specialize in the deployment, management, and optimization of the Kong API gateway and related technologies. They are responsible for setting up Kong to manage, secure, and monitor APIs for organizations of all sizes. Their tasks often include configuring plugins, troubleshooting issues, integrating Kong with other services, and ensuring high performance and security of API traffic. These engineers typically possess skills in cloud infrastructure, networking, and API management, and may work with both open-source Kong and Kong Enterprise solutions.
More about Kong jobs
What cities are hiring for Kong jobs? Cities with the most Kong job openings:
What states have the most Kong jobs? States with the most job openings for Kong jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Kong jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Kong jobs are:
Kong jobs near you
Infographic showing various Kong job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 91% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 7% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $41,833 per year, or $20.1 per hour.
Kong Administrator

Kong Administrator

Unikon IT

Charlotte, NC • On-site

Other

Posted 29 days ago

Job description

Role Overview
A Kong Administrator is responsible for deploying, configuring, managing, and maintaining the Kong API Gateway infrastructure that serves as the central control point for an organization's APIs and microservices traffic.

Core Responsibilities
Gateway Configuration & Management

Deploy and configure Kong Gateway (OSS or Enterprise) across environments (dev, staging, production)
Manage Services, Routes, Consumers, and Plugins via Kong Admin API, Kong Manager, or declarative config (deck/kong.yaml)
Design and enforce routing rules, load balancing strategies, and upstream configurations
Maintain multi-workspace or multi-environment Kong topologies
Security & Access Control

Implement authentication plugins API Key, OAuth 2.0, JWT, OIDC, mTLS, Basic Auth
Configure authorization policies using ACL, RBAC (Enterprise), and OPA integrations
Manage SSL/TLS certificates and certificate rotation
Enforce IP restriction, bot detection, and rate limiting policies
Traffic Management & Policies

Configure rate limiting, request throttling, and quota management
Set up circuit breakers, health checks, and retry logic
Implement request/response transformation plugins
Manage canary releases and A/B routing strategies
Plugin Ecosystem

Evaluate, configure, and maintain bundled and custom plugins
Develop or integrate Lua-based or Go/Python custom plugins
Manage plugin priority ordering and scope (global, service, route, consumer)
Observability & Monitoring

Integrate Kong with logging platforms (Datadog, Splunk, ELK, PrometheGrafana)
Configure access logs, error logs, and audit logs
Set up health dashboards and SLA/SLO alerting
Monitor latency, error rates, and upstream health metrics
High Availability & Scalability

Configure Kong in DB-less or PostgreSQL/Cassandra backed modes
Manage clustering, horizontal scaling, and failover for Kong data plane nodes
Deploy and manage Kong with Kubernetes (Kong Ingress Controller / KIC)
Tune performance parameters (worker processes, connection pools, timeouts)
CI/CD & Infrastructure as Code

Manage Kong configurations via decK for GitOps workflows
Integrate Kong config deployment into CI/CD pipelines
Version control all gateway configurations
Perform zero-downtime configuration updates and rollbacks
Developer Portal & API Lifecycle (Enterprise)

Administer the Kong Developer Portal for API documentation and onboarding
Manage API versioning strategies and deprecation policies
Support internal teams with API onboarding and consumer provisioning
Governance & Compliance

Enforce API governance standards and naming conventions
Maintain audit trails for configuration changes
Support SOC 2, PCI-DSS, or HIPAA compliance requirements through gateway controls
Document all gateway policies and runbooks
Key Skills & Qualifications


Area Details
Core Tools Kong Gateway, decK, Kong Manager, Kong Admin API
Protocols HTTP/S, gRPC, WebSocket, REST, GraphQL
Auth Standards OAuth 2.0, OIDC, JWT, mTLS, SAML
Infrastructure Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, Terraform
Scripting Lua, Python, Bash
Databases PostgreSQL, Cassandra (for traditional mode)
Observability Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, ELK Stack
CI/CD GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI
Seniority Levels
Junior Admin Plugin configuration, consumer management, basic routing, ticket-based changes
Mid-level Admin Full lifecycle management, CI/CD integration, security policy implementation
Senior/Lead Admin Architecture design, custom plugin development, enterprise governance, cross-team enablement, capacity planning

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