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Senior Distributed Systems Engineer Jobs in Washington, DC

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 · 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 ...

Dev Technology Group

Senior Systems Engineer

Vienna, VA · On-site +1

$120K - $170K/yr

Senior Systems Engineer, #1058 Clearance: U.S. Citizenship is required. Must be able to obtain a ... distributed systems. Required Education, Experience, and Skills: * Bachelor's Degree with ten (10) ...

Dev Technology Group

Senior Systems Engineer

Vienna, VA · On-site +1

$120K - $170K/yr

Senior Systems Engineer, #1058 Clearance: U.S. Citizenship is required. Must be able to obtain a ... distributed systems. Required Education, Experience, and Skills: * Bachelor's Degree with ten (10) ...

Dev Technology Group

Senior Systems Engineer

Vienna, VA · On-site +1

$120K - $170K/yr

Senior Systems Engineer, #1058 Clearance: U.S. Citizenship is required. Must be able to obtain a ... distributed systems. Required Education, Experience, and Skills: * Bachelor's Degree with ten (10) ...

Dev Technology

Senior Systems Engineer

Tysons Corner, VA · On-site +1

$120K - $170K/yr

Senior Systems Engineer, #1058 Clearance: U.S. Citizenship is required. Must be able to obtain a ... distributed systems. Required Education, Experience, and Skills: * Bachelor's Degree with ten (10) ...

Redhorse Corporation

Senior Systems Engineer

Woodbridge, VA · On-site

$103K - $141K/yr

They are seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to serve as a technical authority for complex Computer ... technologies and distributed system architectures. • Previous experience working in highly ...

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

Senior Distributed Systems Engineer information

See Washington, DC salary details

$63.2K

$140.7K

$198.6K

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

As of Jul 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior distributed systems engineer in Washington, DC is $140,741.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $117,900.00 and $161,400.00 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 with Security Clearance

Variable Constant

Reston, VA • On-site

Other

Posted 13 hours ago

Job description

Distributed Systems Engineer
Build authorization and data processing systems at massive scale for the Department of
Defense. Design distributed architectures handling complex access control policies
supporting tens of thousands of concurrent users, high-volume data pipelines, sophisticated
data governance requirements, workflow orchestration engines, robotic process
automation, and AI prompt engineering systems. Architect distributed caching strategies, implement event-driven data processing, build
high-performance policy evaluation engines, and solve algorithmic challenges around
efficient authorization and data access at scale. Work on distributed consensus problems,
cache consistency, ETL optimization, workflow state management, and real-time
monitoring of complex data flows. Design elegant algorithms for policy evaluation, optimize critical processing paths,
implement sophisticated caching and data governance strategies. Handle data lineage
tracking, audit trail generation, compliance validation across distributed systems, and
orchestration of complex automated workflows. Develop AI prompt engineering solutions
that dynamically answer questions across distributed, classified data sources.
Computer science theory meets real-world constraints. Constantly tackle new challenges -
always learning and pushing boundaries with a team that gets things done. Required: Active TS/SCI with CI Poly, 5+ years distributed systems, experience building
scalable systems supporting tens of thousands of concurrent users, data processing,
algorithm design, DoD experience. Bonus: Event streaming platforms, data governance,
performance optimization, workflow engines, AI/ML systems.
Location: Reston, VA or JBAB (on-site) About VARIABLECONSTANT LLC
VARIABLECONSTANT LLC specializes in advanced hardware and software solutions for the
Department of Defense. We're a small, agile company known by reputation for tackling the
hard problems others can't solve. No bureaucracy, no trade shows - we move fast and ship
solutions that directly support national security missions. You'll work on sophisticated authorization systems, high-performance data processing,
advanced encryption, distributed architectures at massive scale, workflow automation,
robotic process automation, and AI-driven solutions. Real technical challenges with real
impact.

Apply