ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Senior Distributed Systems Engineer Jobs in Washington, DC

Everwatch

Systems Engineer, Senior

Annapolis Junction, MD · On-site

$106K - $146K/yr

Job Title Systems Engineer, Senior Overview EverWatch is a government solutions company providing ... Ability to provide technical leadership through troubleshooting complex distributed systems issues ...

Dev Technology

Senior Systems Engineer

Tysons Corner, VA

$105K - $143K/yr

Senior Systems Engineer, #1058 Clearance: U.S. Citizenship is required. Must be able to obtain a ... of identity, security, and distributed systems. Required Education, Experience, and Skills:

SAIC

Data Distribution Systems Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in distributed data systems, cloud-native architectures ... Advise senior Government and technical personnel on the design, evolution, and delivery of scalable ...

SAIC

Data Distribution Systems Engineer

Chantilly, VA · Hybrid

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in distributed data systems, cloud‑native ... Advise senior Government and technical personnel on the design, evolution, and delivery of scalable ...

Everwatch

Systems Engineer, Senior

Annapolis Junction, MD · On-site

$106K - $146K/yr

As a Systems Engineer on our team, you will lead the design, development, and implementation of enterprise-scale data models, ontologies, and distributed systems that support advanced analytics ...

Everwatch

Systems Engineer, Senior

Annapolis Junction, MD · On-site

$106K - $146K/yr

As a Systems Engineer on our team, you will lead the design, development, and implementation of enterprise-scale data models, ontologies, and distributed systems that support advanced analytics ...

Everwatch

Systems Engineer, Senior

Annapolis Junction, MD

$106K - $146K/yr

As a Systems Engineer on our team, you will lead the design, development, and implementation of enterprise-scale data models, ontologies, and distributed systems that support advanced analytics ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsSenior Distributed Systems Engineer JobsSenior Distributed Systems Engineer Jobs in Washington, DC

Senior Distributed Systems Engineer information

See Washington, DC salary details

$63.5K

$141.3K

$199.4K

How much do senior distributed systems engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior distributed systems engineer in Washington, DC is $141,340.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,400.00 and $162,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Senior Distributed Systems Engineer vs Cloud Solutions Architect?

AspectSenior Distributed Systems EngineerCloud Solutions Architect
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related, experience with distributed systemsBachelor's/Master's in CS, IT, or related, cloud certifications (AWS, Azure)
Work EnvironmentDesigning, developing, and maintaining distributed systems in tech companiesDesigning cloud infrastructure solutions for clients or internal teams
Industry UsageTech, finance, e-commerce, and enterprise sectorsIT consulting, cloud service providers, enterprise IT departments

The Senior Distributed Systems Engineer focuses on building and optimizing distributed computing systems, while the Cloud Solutions Architect designs cloud infrastructure solutions. Both roles require technical expertise and often overlap in cloud environments, but their primary responsibilities differ in scope and focus.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

Senior Distributed Systems Engineers can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, specialized skills in cloud infrastructure, and leadership roles. Compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, and stock options in large tech companies or startups with high growth potential.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Distributed Systems Engineer, and why are they important?

A Senior Distributed Systems Engineer requires deep expertise in computer science fundamentals, scalable system architecture, and proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Go, or Python, often supported by a relevant degree and significant experience in distributed systems. Familiarity with tools like Kubernetes, Docker, Kafka, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) is typically expected, along with knowledge of monitoring and CI/CD pipelines. Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills help in tackling complex engineering challenges and collaborating across teams. These skills are crucial for designing robust, scalable, and reliable systems that support organizational growth and high availability.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

Senior distributed systems engineers often earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills in cloud computing, and expertise in scalable architecture. Compensation can vary based on industry, location, and company size, with some roles in tech giants or specialized fields reaching or exceeding this level.

What are some common challenges Senior Distributed Systems Engineers face when designing scalable systems?

Senior Distributed Systems Engineers often encounter challenges such as managing data consistency, ensuring fault tolerance, and minimizing latency across multiple nodes. Balancing trade-offs between availability and partition tolerance (as outlined by the CAP theorem) is a frequent consideration. Additionally, coordinating between development and operations teams to maintain system reliability and efficiently resolve issues that arise in production environments is crucial. Strong communication skills and a deep understanding of distributed architectures help address these complexities effectively.

What are Senior Distributed Systems Engineers?

Senior Distributed Systems Engineers are experienced professionals who design, build, and maintain large-scale computing systems that run across multiple machines or locations. They focus on ensuring reliability, scalability, and performance of distributed applications, often dealing with challenges like data consistency, fault tolerance, and network latency. These engineers typically have deep expertise in distributed computing principles, programming languages, and cloud infrastructure. They also mentor junior team members and help architect robust solutions for complex technical problems.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior distributed systems engineers, software engineers in specialized fields like cloud infrastructure, and senior engineers with extensive experience and advanced skills can earn $300,000 or more annually. High compensation often depends on expertise in areas such as distributed architecture, performance optimization, and familiarity with tools like Kubernetes and cloud platforms, along with relevant certifications and a strong track record of project delivery.

Is L5 at Google Senior?

L5 at Google typically corresponds to a senior-level engineering role, often called Software Engineer II or equivalent, with significant experience and technical expertise. It is considered a mid-to-senior level position, with responsibilities including project leadership and mentorship. Advancement to higher levels generally requires demonstrated impact and leadership in projects.
What are the most commonly searched types of Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Washington, DC? The most popular types of Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Washington, DC are:
What are popular job titles related to Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Washington, DC? For Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Washington, DC, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Washington, DC look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Washington, DC are:
Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs near you

Distributed Systems Engineer - Blockchain

Career Renew

Washington, DC • Remote

$180K - $300K/yr

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

Career Renew is recruiting for one of its clients a Distributed Systems Engineer - Blockchain - this is a fully remote role for N America based candidates. Salary range: 180-300K USD yearly plus benefits plus equity.
We are building a new frontier in market infrastructure—redefining how value is discovered, priced, and distributed in real time.


We believe the systems that move value should distribute it fairly. Our mission is to bring structure, transparency, and efficiency to systems where value is currently fragmented, opaque, and unevenly captured.


We are defining a new category for MEV distribution that merges economic efficiency with emerging regulatory frameworks. This requires rethinking how systems are designed at the lowest levels of execution.


Based in New York, NY and San Francisco, CA, we operate at the intersection of distributed systems, market structure, and applied cryptography. We are a small, high-leverage team focused on building systems that directly impact real economic flows.
Role Description


We are hiring a Founding Engineer to design and build the core system from first principles.
This is not a role for implementing predefined features. You will be responsible for turning ambiguous problems into working systems—defining architecture, making tradeoffs, and shipping production-grade infrastructure in a fast-moving environment.
You will work across the full stack of a real-time distributed system:

  • data ingestion and state reconstruction

  • low-latency execution pathways

  • auction and coordination mechanisms

  • system reliability and failure handling


You will make critical technical decisions that shape both the product and the company. The systems you build will directly mediate real economic flows. As an early engineer, you will also define engineering standards, influence hiring, and set the cultural bar for how systems are built.
Responsibilities

  • Design and implement core system architecture for a real-time distributed platform

  • Own systems end-to-end: from concept → design → implementation → production

  • Translate ambiguous, high-level problems into concrete technical solutions

  • Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, latency constraints, and system failures

  • Drive technical direction across components, not just within a single service

  • Collaborate closely with product and business to align technical decisions with economic outcomes

  • Establish engineering best practices, code quality standards, and system reliability expectations


Qualifications

  • Experience leveraging AI tools and agent-based workflows to accelerate development

  • Strong systems programming experience (Rust)

  • Deep experience building or operating distributed systems with real-world constraints (latency, scale, fault tolerance)

  • Proven ability to design systems, not just implement them

  • Demonstrated ownership of complex systems or products from end-to-end

  • Strong intuition for tradeoffs across performance, complexity, and reliability

  • Comfortable operating in ambiguous environments with minimal structure


Strong signals (not required, but highly valued):

  • Experience with blockchain consensus internals, validator client architecture, or low-level protocol development

  • Experience with virtual machines or low-level execution environments

  • Background in systems where correctness and latency both matter

Compensation & Package

FTE Hire Full Benefits and Equity + Base.