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Open Source Software Developer Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Sonatype Inc

$113K - $136K/yr

... open-source software, we are software pioneers and our open source expertise is unmatched. We ... More than 2,000 organizations, including 70% of the Fortune 100 and 15 million software developers ...

CesiumAstro

Senior Flight Software Engineer

Westminster, CO · On-site

$123K - $163K/yr

At CesiumAstro , we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for ... Assess third party and open-source software. JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS * Bachelor ...

CesiumAstro

Staff Flight Software Engineer

Westminster, CO · On-site

$158K - $189K/yr

Assess third-party and open-source software. JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS * Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS) degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or ...

CesiumAstro

Staff Flight Software Engineer

Westminster, CO · On-site

$158K - $189K/yr

Assess third-party and open-source software. JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS * Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS) degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or ...

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All JobsOpen Source Software Developer JobsOpen Source Software Developer Jobs in Colorado

Open Source Software Developer information

See Colorado salary details

$50.5K

$117.6K

$174.6K

How much do open source software developer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for open source software developer in Colorado is $117,607.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $94,600.00 and $136,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an open source software developer?

Open Source Software Developers are programmers who create, maintain, or contribute to software projects whose source code is made freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. They often collaborate with a global community of developers and may work on a voluntary basis or be employed by organizations that support open source initiatives. Their work involves writing code, fixing bugs, reviewing contributions, and helping manage project documentation. Open source developers play a key role in advancing technology by making software accessible and fostering innovation through community collaboration.

How do open source software developers typically collaborate with contributors from around the world?

Open Source Software Developers often work with a global community of contributors using online collaboration tools such as GitHub, mailing lists, and chat platforms like Slack or Discord. Communication is primarily asynchronous, requiring clear documentation and code review practices to ensure smooth project progress. Developers regularly participate in discussions, review pull requests, and help onboard new contributors, making strong written communication skills essential. This collaborative environment fosters learning and innovation, but also requires flexibility and patience to manage different time zones and cultural perspectives.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an open source software developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Open Source Software Developer, you need strong programming skills, knowledge of version control systems like Git, and familiarity with open source licensing, typically supported by a relevant degree or coding experience. Proficiency with collaborative development platforms such as GitHub or GitLab and understanding of continuous integration tools are commonly required. Excellent communication, self-motivation, and the ability to work effectively in distributed teams set outstanding contributors apart. These skills are crucial for efficiently building, maintaining, and contributing to widely used open source projects in a collaborative, global environment.

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

AspectOpen Source Software DeveloperSoftware Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires programming skills, familiarity with open source licenses, and sometimes certifications like Linux Foundation certificationsRequires a degree in computer science or related field; certifications like Microsoft Certified or AWS certifications are common
Work EnvironmentOften collaborates in open source communities, contributes to public repositories, and works remotelyWorks in corporate or enterprise settings, often in teams within organizations
Industry UsageUsed across tech, non-profit, and open source communities; focuses on public projectsEmployed in various industries including tech, finance, healthcare, and more for product development

While both roles involve software development, Open Source Software Developers focus on collaborative, community-driven projects often in open environments, whereas Software Engineers typically work within organizations on proprietary or internal systems. The roles overlap in skills but differ in scope and work setting.

What cities in Colorado are hiring for Open Source Software Developer jobs?

Cities in Colorado with the most Open Source Software Developer job openings:

Open Source Software Developer jobs near you

Embedded Software Engineer

Niwot, CO • On-site

SparkFun Electronics
Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing • 51 - 200 employees
Learn more about SparkFun Electronicsexternal

$85K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 2 days ago

Job description

About SparkFun

Since 2003,  has been helping turn ideas into reality – whether you’re creating a smart weather station, exploring the frontier of machine learning, building a robot for school or prototyping your first (or tenth) product. No matter your vision or skill level, our open source components, resources and online tutorials are designed to broaden access to innovative technology and make the road to a finished project shorter.

We are an equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. SparkFun offers an abundance of opportunities to learn new skills from other Funions, in addition to many other benefits and perks.

About the Department 

SparkFun's Engineering Department is responsible for the elaboration, design and development of SparkFun’s original products. This includes microprocessor boards, sensor system breakout boards and everything in-between. In our web-store, if the PCB is red, it was produced by the SparkFun Engineering team.  

The Engineering department focuses on team collaboration and success, developing users centered products in a highly cooperative, communicative and transparent manner.

Open Source and its associated community are key values for SparkFun, and a key part of all our software efforts. All embedded software is open source and community driven. SparkFun developed technology is given back to the community through updates or complete open source projects. 

If you like the sound of our Engineering team and want to hack on the software that powers our embedded products, this team is your home.

SparkFun's Next Software Engineer

SparkFun is looking to add a Software Engineer to join our Engineering team to design, create and maintain the software delivered with our single board computer products. The Software Engineer is an important role within SparkFun, developing and delivering key functionality to the products and solutions we create for our customers.

Working closely with other members of our Engineering team, the Software Engineer is responsible for the software components of the products we build – ranging from sensors, microprocessors and single board computers. 

The Software Engineer is a member of SparkFun’s Engineering team, reporting to the Engineering Department Manager. 

The right candidate collaboratively works with a variety of internal and external customers, as well as other members of the Engineering team to develop software components for SparkFun products. Following a user-centered design approach, the Software Engineer ensures the design, development and delivery of a software solution that not only meets functional needs, but user desires and skill levels.  

Essential Job Functions
  • Research, design and implement software solutions for microcontrollers and single board computers
  • Develop cross platform solutions that operate across a wide variety microcontroller environments
  • Work closely with hardware engineers to develop software solutions that seamlessly work with new products.
  • Describe the developed functionality through documentation, tutorials, and examples.
  • Work as a key member of a cross-functional product development team. 
  • Work closely with the open source software community, collaborating with larger products, as well as supporting SparkFun created solutions. 
  • Meet with internal customers and facilitate the creation of requirements and user stories 

  • Facilitate the elaboration of customer requirements into development user stories and acceptance tests 

Requirements

Requirements
  • Expert in MicroPython and Python development
  • Experience with the Arduino development ecosystem
  • Experience with embedded C/C++ development.
  • Familiarity with hardware communication protocols (I2C, I2S, SPI)
  • Experience with robotics and educational robot platforms.
  • Experience with network development, and internet-of-things network patterns and protocols. 
  • Familiarity with DIY projects that involve electronics, microcontrollers, single board computers and programming. 
  • Familiarity with user-centric software development 
  • 3+ years software experience
  • Excellent communication skills

Preferred Qualifications 
(not required)

  • Experience with Open Source software and community driven development
  • Experience with version control software, tools and methodologies (git, github.com)

Benefits

SparkFun Benefits & Perks

At SparkFun, we ask a lot of our employees, and that’s why we give so much in return. Here are just some of the benefits:

  • Competitive salary (salary range for this position is $80-85k per year)
  • Medical/dental/vision plan
  • Matching 401(k)
  • Flexible Paid Time Off Policy
  • A casual dress code for you
  • Dogs - yes, we bring dogs to work
  • Full gym with climbing wall. If that’s not your style we offer a monthly gym stipend
  • We have a great employee discount and opportunities to create and share content with the SparkFun community
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Paid time to volunteer
  • EcoPass (public transportation pass)
  • Summer BBQs, work parties, and more!