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Open Source Software Developer Jobs in Seattle, WA

We are seeking an experienced Go (Golang) Open Source Software Engineer to drive the modernization and maintenance of large-scale third-party package ecosystems. The engineer will be responsible for ...

Sr. Software Engineer (Java)

Seattle, WA · On-site

$142K - $187K/yr

Experience with cloud storage solutions, cloud native solutions, Google App Engine, open source ... Software Engineer or a related occupation * 5 years of experience working with object oriented ...

Showing results 21-40

Open Source Software Developer information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$54.6K

$127.3K

$188.9K

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

As of Sep 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for open source software developer in Seattle, WA is $127,283.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $102,400.00 and $147,900.00 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.

Infographic showing various Open Source Software Developer job openings in Seattle, WA as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 17% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $127,283 per year, or $61.2 per hour.

Software Dev Engineer II, Aurora Open Source Engines

Redmond, WA • On-site

Amazon
IT Services • 10K+ employees

Full-time

Re-posted 23 days ago


Amazon rating

7.4

Company rating: 7.4 out of 10

Based on 7,162 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

5th of 39 rated national retailers


Job description

Are you interested in building hyper-scale database services in the cloud. Do you want to revolutionize the way databases are built for the cloud . Do you want to have direct and immediate impact on hundreds of thousands of users who use AWS database services?
Amazon Aurora is an exciting new area of innovation for AWS, and the Postgres-compatible edition of Amazon Aurora is built on one of the most active code bases in the open source community.

The Postgres-compatible version of Amazon Aurora is a relational database which offers enterprise-class performance, availability and durability to our customers, along with the management benefits of RDS. We are one of the fastest growing businesses within Amazon Web Services. We are currently spread across Seattle.
If you're an engineer who is looking to grow, come on board

We have one of the most senior teams in AWS - and our senior engineers are eager to brainstorm, mentor, and get software built together. We build software, we patent new things, and we attend conferences around the world to learn even more. We have challenging problems to solve in distributed systems, concurrency, database internals, caching, durability, file systems management, indexing, and performance engineering.
Amazon Aurora Open Source Engines team is looking for experienced technical experts in relational databases and large scale storage system technologies, who are excited about building large scale database systems that run across thousands of servers across multiple datacenters worldwide

These are core systems development positions where you will own the design and development of significant system software components critical to our industry leading database services architected for the cloud. You will be part of the team that architects, designs, and implements highly scalable distributed database systems that provide availability, reliability and performance guarantees. This is a hands on position where you will be asked to do everything from building rock-solid components to mentoring other engineers.

You need to not only be a top software developer and systems designer with a good track record of delivering and also excel in communication, leadership and customer focus. A successful candidate will bring deep technical and software expertise and ability to deliver a service that has a broad business impact.
We intend to be the world's best and fastest database, built by an excellent team, all while having fun - come join us on the journey. For more information about Aurora, please visit http://aws.amazon.com/rds/aurora.
AWS Utility Computing (UC) provides product innovations - from foundational services such as Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), to consistently released new product innovations that continue to set AWS's services and features apart in the industry

As a member of the UC organization, you'll support the development and management of Compute, Database, Storage, Internet of Things (Iot), Platform, and Productivity Apps services in AWS, including support for customers who require specialized security solutions for their cloud services
Key job responsibilities
Our engineers collaborate across diverse teams, projects, and environments to have a firsthand impact on our global customer base. You'll bring a passion for innovation, data, search, analytics, and distributed systems.
You'll also:
- Solve challenging technical problems, often ones not solved before, at every layer of the stack.
- Design, implement, test, deploy and maintain innovative software solutions to transform service performance, durability, cost, and security.
- Build high-quality, highly available, always-on products.
- Research implementations that deliver the best possible experiences for customers.
A day in the life
As you design and code solutions to help our team drive efficiencies in software architecture, you'll create metrics, implement automation and other improvements, and resolve the root cause of software defects


You'll also:
- Build high-impact solutions to deliver to our large customer base.
- Participate in design discussions, code review, and communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
- Work cross-functionally to help drive business decisions with your technical input.
- Work in a startup-like development environment, where you're always working on the most important stuff.
About the team
Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL is a fully managed, PostgreSQL-compatible, and ACID-compliant relational database engine that combines the speed and reliability of high-end commercial databases with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of open-source databases. Aurora PostgreSQL is a drop-in replacement for PostgreSQL and makes it simple and cost-effective to set up, operate, and scale your new and existing PostgreSQL deployments, thus freeing you to focus on your business and applications. Amazon RDS provides administration for Aurora by handling routine database tasks such as provisioning, patching, backup, recovery, failure detection, and repair

Amazon RDS also provides push-button migration tools to convert your existing Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL applications to Aurora PostgreSQL.
Our team is dedicated to supporting new members. We have a broad mix of experience levels and tenures, and we're building an environment that celebrates knowledge-sharing and mentorship. Our senior members enjoy one-on-one mentoring and thorough, but kind, code reviews

We care about your career growth and strive to assign projects that help our team members develop your engineering expertise so you feel empowered to take on more complex tasks in the future.
AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn't followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don't let it stop you from applying


Why AWS. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world's most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating - that's why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.


Inclusive Team Culture Here at AWS, it's in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empower us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.


Mentorship & Career Growth We're continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth's Best Employer. That's why you'll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
Work/Life Balance We value work-life harmony.

Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there's nothing we can't achieve in the cloud.


What Amazon employees say

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About Amazon

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Amazon.com, Inc., commonly known as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and initially started as an online marketplace for books. Since then, Amazon has expanded its operations and become one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. Amazon's primary business is its online retail platform, where customers can purchase a vast array of products, including electronics, clothing, books, home goods, and much more. The company offers a convenient and user-friendly shopping experience, with features such as fast shipping, customer reviews, and personalized recommendations. In addition to its e-commerce platform, Amazon has diversified its business into various other areas. One of its notable ventures is Amazon Web Services (AWS), a comprehensive cloud computing platform that provides services such as storage, compute power, and database management to individuals and businesses. AWS has become a leader in the cloud computing industry, powering many websites and applications worldwide. Amazon has also developed its own consumer electronics, including the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader, Fire tablets, Fire TV streaming devices, and the Alexa-powered Echo smart speakers. The Alexa voice assistant, integrated into these devices, allows users to interact with their devices using voice commands, perform tasks, and access information. Furthermore, Amazon has expanded into media and entertainment. It operates Prime Video, a streaming service that offers a wide range of movies, TV shows, and original content. Amazon Music provides a platform for streaming and purchasing digital music, while Audible offers audiobooks and other audio content. The company's commitment to customer satisfaction and convenience is demonstrated by its membership program, Amazon Prime. Prime members receive various benefits, including free two-day shipping, access to streaming services, exclusive deals, and more.

Industry

It services, book publishers, retail, real estate, computer and electronic product manufacturing and software development

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Seattle, WA, US