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Mid Level Backend Developer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Clera

AI Engineer (Mid-Level)

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180K - $400K/yr

As a Mid-Level AI Engineer on our core product team, you'll work across the full stack to ship ... backend code, and operate production systems with CI/CD, monitoring, and testing. * Collaborate ...

Clera

AI Engineer (Mid-Level)

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180K - $400K/yr

As a Mid-Level AI Engineer on our core product team, you'll work across the full stack to ship ... backend code, and operate production systems with CI/CD, monitoring, and testing. * Collaborate ...

Redolent, Inc.

Java Back-End Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$143K - $186K/yr

TITLE: Back-End Developer (Java, Spring, Kafka) LOCATION: Sunnyvale, CA Rate / Salary : DOE NOTES ... high level design.- Leads the work of other small group of 3 to 4 engineers for assigned ...

Ignite Digital

Mid Level Project Manager

San Diego, CA · On-site

Responsibilities Manage project execution for enterprise network engineering, integration, and installation efforts, tracking cost, schedule, and performance across all project phases. Develop and ...

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Mid Level Backend Developer information

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How much do mid level backend developer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average hourly pay for mid level backend developer in California is $56.98, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $46.73 and $67.36 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a mid level backend developer?

Mid Level Backend Developers are software engineers who specialize in developing and maintaining the server-side logic, databases, and APIs that power web and mobile applications. They usually have a few years of professional experience and are proficient in programming languages like Java, Python, Node.js, or Ruby. These developers are responsible for ensuring that data flows efficiently between the server and users, optimizing performance, and collaborating with front-end developers and other team members. Their role often includes troubleshooting server issues, writing automated tests, and implementing security best practices.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a mid level backend developer?

To thrive as a Mid Level Backend Developer, you need strong programming skills in languages like Java, Python, or Node.js, a solid understanding of server-side logic, and experience with relational and non-relational databases. Familiarity with frameworks (such as Spring or Express), RESTful API development, version control systems (like Git), and containerization tools (like Docker) is typically required. Effective problem-solving, collaboration, and clear communication are standout soft skills for this role. These abilities are crucial for building reliable, scalable backend systems and working efficiently within development teams.

What are some typical challenges a mid level backend developer might face when working on large-scale applications?

As a Mid Level Backend Developer, you may frequently encounter challenges related to maintaining code quality and ensuring scalability as applications grow. Managing database performance, optimizing API responses, and integrating with legacy systems are common tasks that require both technical skill and problem-solving ability. Collaboration with frontend developers, DevOps engineers, and QA testers is essential to ensure smooth deployments and consistent user experiences. Staying up-to-date with new frameworks and technologies, while balancing project deadlines, is also a key part of the role.

What is the difference between Mid Level Backend Developer vs Junior Backend Developer?

AspectMid Level Backend DeveloperJunior Backend Developer
Experience2-4 years0-2 years
SkillsProficient in backend frameworks, databases, API developmentBasic understanding of backend concepts, learning frameworks
ResponsibilitiesDeveloping features, troubleshooting, code reviewsAssisting in tasks, learning codebase, bug fixing
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with teams, independent problem-solving

The main difference between a Mid Level Backend Developer and a Junior Backend Developer lies in experience and skill level. Mid level developers have more hands-on experience, handle complex tasks independently, and contribute significantly to project development. Junior developers are still learning, focusing on foundational tasks and gaining industry knowledge. This distinction helps employers identify the right candidate for different stages of project involvement.

What are the most commonly searched types of Backend Developer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Backend Developer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Mid Level Backend Developer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Mid Level Backend Developer job openings:

Mid Level Backend Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Mid Level Backend Developer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 82% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $118,514 per year, or $57 per hour.

AI Engineer (Mid-Level)

Clera

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$180K - $400K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 19 days ago

Job description

About the Role
We're a small, fast-moving team building the next generation of AI-driven products that automate complex, multi-step workflows across regulated and enterprise domains - think healthcare, legal, fintech, logistics, and compliance. As a Mid-Level AI Engineer on our core product team, you'll work across the full stack to ship production LLM-based services, own critical infrastructure, and collaborate directly with founders and product to deliver real, measurable user impact.
This is a high-ownership role on a lean team. You'll touch everything from data models and APIs to agent orchestration and evaluation infrastructure - and you'll see your work in the hands of users quickly.
What You'll Do
  • Design, build, and maintain agentic systems that automate complex, multi-step workflows across regulated industries including healthcare, legal, fintech, logistics, and compliance.
  • Own production retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines and retrieval infrastructure - vector DBs, embeddings, and indexing - for domain-specific search at scale.
  • Implement multi-agent orchestration, tool-calling, memory, and reasoning components to deliver robust AI-driven user experiences.
  • Develop evaluation and safety infrastructure to measure model performance, surface regressions, and enforce enterprise-level trust and reliability.
  • Ship full-stack AI products from MVP to enterprise-grade: design APIs and data models, implement frontend and backend code, and operate production systems with CI/CD, monitoring, and testing.
  • Collaborate closely with founders, product, and design to prioritize work, define success metrics, and iterate based on user feedback and telemetry.
What We're Looking For
Must-haves:
  • 2+ years of software engineering experience with a track record of shipped, user-facing or backend products.
  • Hands-on experience deploying LLMs or LLM-based services in production, including prompt design, orchestration, and tool integration.
  • Full-stack proficiency: Python plus TypeScript/React (or equivalent); experience with AWS or GCP and relational or NoSQL databases.
  • Working knowledge of RAG patterns, vector databases, embeddings, and retrieval pipelines with sound judgment on when to apply each.
  • Experience building automated tests, evaluations, and monitoring for AI systems to ensure production reliability beyond demos.
  • Experience designing API-driven, high-throughput systems and real-time product features.

Nice-to-haves:
  • Experience with agent or workflow frameworks (e.g., LangGraph, CrewAI) and orchestration tools (e.g., Temporal, Trigger).
  • Background building multi-tenant or enterprise-ready systems, or prior experience in regulated industries (healthcare, fintech, legal).
  • Familiarity with fine-tuning, parameter-efficient tuning, or multi-modal model integration.
  • Up to 8 years of total engineering experience - seniority range is wide; ownership mindset matters more than years.
Compensation & Benefits
  • Salary: $180,000 - $400,000 USD annually (range reflects experience and equity mix)
  • Early-stage equity in a pre-seed company with strong investor backing
  • Visa sponsorship: Not available
Location
This is an on-site role based in San Francisco, CA. Candidates must be willing to work from our San Francisco office.

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