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Open Source Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

ALTEN

Principal Open Source Technologist

Austin, TX · On-site +1

... engineers on open source contribution practices Foster a culture of open source contribution within the client How You Will Contribute Key skills and competencies for succeeding in this role are:

ALTEN

Principal Open Source Technologist

Austin, TX · On-site +1

... engineers on open source contribution practices Foster a culture of open source contribution within the client How You Will Contribute Key skills and competencies for succeeding in this role are:

DevSelect

DevOps Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$59 - $81/hr

Continue to evolve and modernize our open source DevOps for the Client engineering team by making build, test, and publish easier, faster, more stable, and more secure. * Contribute to our cloud ...

CoreWeave

$165K - $242K/yr

If you're passionate about developer tools, thrive in ambiguity, enjoy solving challenging ... The Marimo core open source team develops and maintains the marimo open source notebook. Today ...

Jobgether

This role offers an exceptional entry point into large-scale open source engineering, where you ... You will work on deeply technical challenges spanning operating systems, developer tools, and ...

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$60K

$77.5K

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How much do open source developer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for open source developer in the United States is $77,500.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,000.00 and $85,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Does an Open Source Developer Do?

As an open source developer, you work with open source code, tweaking, improving, and building upon it to create new software for an organization. Your duties vary depending on the position, but they can include using your knowledge of various open source coding systems and software to code new programs and applications, troubleshooting and debugging software, and tracking and reporting issues. Your responsibilities also include researching and learning about current and new standards for the coding languages with which you work. Most open source developers have skills and expertise in multiple programming languages, but many organizations are willing to train quick learners on each project.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Open Source Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Open Source Developer, you need strong programming skills, familiarity with version control systems like Git, and experience contributing to or maintaining open source projects. Proficiency with platforms such as GitHub, bug tracking systems, and knowledge of relevant programming languages (e.g., Python, JavaScript) are typically required. Excellent communication, collaboration, and self-motivation are crucial soft skills, as much of the work involves distributed teams and community interaction. These skills ensure effective project contributions, sustained community engagement, and the successful growth of open source initiatives.

How does an Open Source Developer typically collaborate with a global, distributed team?

Open Source Developers often work with contributors from around the world, which means collaboration takes place primarily through online platforms such as GitHub, mailing lists, and chat tools like Slack or Discord. Communication is usually asynchronous due to time zone differences, so clear documentation and issue tracking are essential. Developers regularly review and comment on each other's code, participate in discussions about project direction, and sometimes join virtual meetings or code sprints. This environment encourages learning from diverse perspectives and requires strong written communication and self-motivation.

What is an Open Source Developer?

An Open Source Developer is a software professional who creates, maintains, or contributes to software projects whose source code is freely available to the public. These developers collaborate with others in online communities, often working on projects hosted on platforms like GitHub or GitLab. Their work involves writing code, fixing bugs, reviewing pull requests, and documenting software. Open Source Developers help improve software that anyone can use, modify, or distribute, fostering innovation and collective problem-solving.

What is the difference between Open Source Developer vs Software Engineer?

AspectOpen Source DeveloperSoftware Engineer
Required CredentialsTypically a bachelor's degree in CS or related field; strong coding skillsUsually a bachelor's or higher in CS or related field; programming proficiency
Work EnvironmentCollaborative open source communities, remote or distributed teamsCorporate or organizational settings, often in-office or remote
Employer & Industry UsageOpen source projects, tech companies, startupsTech firms, software companies, enterprises
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared for coding skills and community involvementCompared for project management and product development roles

Open Source Developers focus on contributing to publicly available projects, often working in collaborative communities. Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software products within organizations. While both require programming skills and a background in computer science, Open Source Developers emphasize community collaboration and open contributions, whereas Software Engineers typically work within structured teams on proprietary or client projects.

More about Open Source Developer jobs
What cities are hiring for Open Source Developer jobs? Cities with the most Open Source Developer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Open Source Developer jobs? The most popular types of Open Source Developer jobs are:
What states have the most Open Source Developer jobs? States with the most job openings for Open Source Developer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Open Source Developer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Open Source Developer jobs are:
What are popular job titles related to Open Source Developer jobs? For Open Source Developer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Open Source Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Open Source Developer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 95% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 80% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $77,500 per year, or $37.3 per hour.
Senior Software Engineer, Community Open Source Engineering

Senior Software Engineer, Community Open Source Engineering

Datadog

Manhattan, NY • Hybrid

$215K - $265K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Retirement, PTO

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

We are looking for a senior software engineer to join our new Community Open Source Engineering team focused on growing the Quickwit OSS community and helping steer the quickwit-oss collection of projects. You will play a key role in evolving quickwit & tantivy, ensuring community happiness, optimizing the release process and operations, among other responsibilities. This is a hybrid role, primarily focused on software engineering, with a crucial component dedicated to technical writing, including producing blog posts and technical guides.
Community Open Source Engineering is responsible for fostering engagement and guiding development of Datadog's open source projects outside of the core product and security research areas. The team ensures these projects deliver value to both the open source community and the company by prioritizing community engagement, maintaining software quality and security, and strategically developing new features. As a member of a small team, you'll play a crucial role in shaping the future of Community Open Source Engineering and have a significant impact on the team's direction.
What you'll do

  • Assist with managing the Quickwit community by:
    • reviewing external contributions and ensuring codebase quality
    • triaging reported GitHub issues
    • answering questions on GitHub Discussions
  • Help define the project governance. Establish contribution guidelines and continuously improve processes to minimize friction for all stakeholders.
  • Collect data to assess project health and usage, identifying areas for improvement.
  • Actively evangelize Quickwit to expand its reach and impact.
  • Design and implement highly requested features to advance the Quickwit and tantivy roadmaps.
  • Propose and implement architectural changes that facilitate contributions and reduce maintenance burdens.
  • Design and implement highly requested features to advance the Quickwit and tantivy roadmaps.
Who you are
  • You are passionate in engaging with a community of open source users and contributors
  • You ship fast, overcome blockers with a practical mindset, and cut through ambiguity
  • You have at least 3 years of systems-level programming experience (Rust, C++, Go, or a similar language)
  • You are a proficient written communicator, with the ability to clearly articulate thoughts across a team
  • You are passionate about developer experience and reducing friction for maintainers and contributors
  • You have experience with GitHub Actions and/or release management for complex software projects
  • You've worked on extract-transform-load tools or stream processing systems
Datadog values people from all walks of life. We understand not everyone will meet all the above qualifications on day one. That's okay. If you're passionate about technology and want to grow your skills, we encourage you to apply.
Benefits and Growth
  • New hire stock equity (RSUs) and employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)
  • Continuous professional development, product training, and career pathing
  • Intradepartmental mentor and buddy program for in-house networking
  • An inclusive company culture, ability to join our Community Guilds (Datadog employee resource groups)
  • Competitive global benefits
  • Giving programs

Benefits and Growth listed above may vary based on the country of your employment and the nature of your employment with Datadog.
#LI-Hybrid
Datadog offers a competitive salary and equity package, and may include variable compensation. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, Datadog offers a wide range of best in class, comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for this role including healthcare, dental, parental planning, and mental health benefits, a 401(k) plan and match, paid time off, fitness reimbursements, and a discounted employee stock purchase plan.
The reasonably estimated yearly salary for this role at Datadog is:
$215,000-$265,000 USD
About Datadog:
Datadog is the leading observability and security platform for the AI era, providing businesses with unified visibility across the technology stack to manage complexity at scale. It brings applications, infrastructure, data, models, and security into one place, using AI to detect and resolve issues before they impact customers. Trusted globally by Fortune 500 companies and high-growth AI leaders, Datadog enables businesses to move faster with clarity and confidence. Learn more about #DatadogLife on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Datadog Learning Center.
Equal Opportunity at Datadog:
Datadog is proud to offer equal employment opportunity to everyone regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, and other characteristics protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Here are our Candidate Legal Notices for your reference.
Datadog endeavors to make our Careers Page accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please complete this form. This form is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
Privacy and AI Guidelines:
Any information you submit to Datadog as part of your application will be processed in accordance with Datadog's Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice. For information on our AI policy, please visit Interviewing at Datadog AI Guidelines.

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