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Senior Kafka Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Syntricate Technologies

Kafka Lead Engineer

Dallas, TX

$101.80K - $134.10K/yr

Job tittle - Lead Kafka Engineer Duration: Full-time Location - Richardson, TX /Dallas TX (Onsite ... Waiting for your earliest response Sincerely, Mohd Shakib Sr. Technical Recruiter Direct: 781-896 ...

Samprasoft

Senior Cloud Data Architect

Washington, DC

$76.25 - $102/hr

Senior Cloud Data Architect Randstad is seeking a highly experienced Senior Cloud Data Architect ... Confluent Kafka, Java, and Spring Boot. * Integration: Collaborate with other engineers to ...

Samprasoft

Senior Java Developer (Kafka)

Seattle, WA

$65.25 - $83/hr

Senior Java Microservices Developer Cloud experience with AWS preferred Senior Java development experience Strong troubleshooting skillset Kafka & REST API development for services with high ...

Procyon TS

Senior Java Developer (Kafka)

Seattle, WA

$65.25 - $83/hr

* Senior Java microservices developer * Cloud experience with AWS preferred * Senior Java development experience * Strong troubleshooting skillset * Kafka & REST API development for services with high ...

Kaav Inc.

Senior Java Developer (Kafka)

Seattle, WA

$65.25 - $83/hr

* Senior Java microservices developer * Cloud experience with AWS preferred * Senior Java development experience * Strong troubleshooting skillset * Kafka & REST API development for services with high ...

Navtech, Inc.

Sr Java Developer with Kafka

Seattle, WA · On-site +1

$65.25 - $83/hr

Key projects: • Sr Java engineer - will work with other engineers to create a Java API around a legacy Scala codebase and implement Kafka stream processing. Team culture/work environment: • Team ...

Tekwissen

Sr. Engineer, Software - Kafka

Frisco, TX · On-site

$114.90K - $151.40K/yr

Our client provider of digital technology and transformation, information technology and services Position: Sr. Engineer, Software - Kafka Location: Bellevue WA or Frisco TX Duration: 12 Months Job ...

Samprasoft

App Dev - Java - Sr

Mclean, VA

$58.75 - $75/hr

Technical stacks include Javascript, AWS, Lambdas, Kafka, DevOps and other cutting edge technologies and patterns. We operate in an agile fashion, collaborate closely with product partners and other ...

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Senior Kafka Developer information

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How much do senior kafka developer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 2, 2026, the average hourly pay for senior kafka developer in the United States is $61.73, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $52.40 and $69.23 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Kafka Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Kafka Developer, you need deep expertise in distributed systems, stream processing, and strong programming skills in languages like Java or Scala, typically backed by a relevant degree and significant experience with Apache Kafka. Familiarity with Kafka Connect, Schema Registry, monitoring tools, and cloud platforms, as well as certifications like Confluent Certified Developer, are highly valuable. Exceptional problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills help you design scalable solutions and work effectively with cross-functional teams. These skills ensure the reliability, performance, and scalability of critical data infrastructure that powers real-time business operations.

What are some common challenges Senior Kafka Developers face when managing large-scale data streaming pipelines?

Senior Kafka Developers often encounter challenges such as ensuring data consistency across distributed systems, optimizing Kafka cluster performance, and monitoring for bottlenecks or data loss. Managing schema evolution and handling message serialization can also be complex, particularly in environments with multiple producers and consumers. Collaborating closely with DevOps, data engineering, and application development teams is essential to proactively address these issues and maintain high system reliability.

What does a Senior Kafka Developer do?

A Senior Kafka Developer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining systems that use Apache Kafka for real-time data streaming and processing. They work on building scalable data pipelines, integrating Kafka with other systems, and ensuring high availability and performance. Additionally, they often provide technical leadership, mentor junior developers, and help define best practices for event-driven architectures within an organization.

What is the difference between Senior Kafka Developer vs Kafka Engineer?

AspectSenior Kafka DeveloperKafka Engineer
Primary FocusDesigning, developing, and optimizing Kafka-based applicationsImplementing, maintaining, and scaling Kafka infrastructure
Required SkillsKafka API, Java/Scala, data streaming conceptsKafka setup, cluster management, performance tuning
CertificationsKafka certifications, Java certificationsKafka certifications, DevOps certifications
Work EnvironmentDevelopment teams, data engineering projectsOperations, infrastructure teams, cloud environments

While both roles require Kafka knowledge and related certifications, Senior Kafka Developers focus on application development and data integration, whereas Kafka Engineers concentrate on infrastructure, deployment, and system performance. The roles often collaborate but serve different aspects of Kafka implementation within organizations.

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What cities are hiring for Senior Kafka Developer jobs? Cities with the most Senior Kafka Developer job openings:
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Senior Kafka Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Kafka Developer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 80% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $128,400 per year, or $61.7 per hour.
Python Developer - Java/Kafka

Python Developer - Java/Kafka

Empower Professionals

Bellevue, WA • On-site

$50 - $60/hr

Other

Posted 13 days ago

Job description

Role- Sr. Backend Engineer – Python/Java & Kafka

Location- Bellevue, WA.

12 +Months

Mandatory Areas

  • Kafka
  • Python
  • Java
  • Microservices
  • CICD

Skill Focus: Core (~70%): Kafka, Programming, Infrastructure Supporting (~20%): Architecture, Data Engineering Adjunct(~10%): Observability, AI/Modern tooling

Must Have Skills

  • Proficiency with messaging and event-driven systems such as Kafka
  • Expert-level proficiency in Python and Java object-oriented programming
  • Strong experience with Python or Java object-oriented programming
  • Hands-on experience with UNIX/Linux environments and expert-level Bash shell scripting for automation and pipeline orchestration
  • Automate manual processes and operational workflows using Bash shell scripting in UNIX environments
  • Build responsive, accessible, and performant applications, delivering end-to-end features across API and data layers
  • Experience building scalable REST APIs and microservices
  • Knowledge of TLS/SSL encryption and SASL authentication for securing Kafka clusters
  • Experience with Git, GitLab, and CI/CD automation
  • Experience working with relational databases and writing complex SQL
  • Experience with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker and Kubernetes
  • Experience using observability and telemetry tools such as Splunk, AppDynamics, or Grafana
  • Hands-on experience with AI productivity tools (Claude and Cursor or similar IDE) and working knowledge of foundation models, prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and AI agent development.

Nice to Have

  • Experience with Databricks, Snowflake, or cloud-based data platforms
  • Network Domain experience
  • Experience working in cloud-native environments (Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform)
  • Experience contributing to system architecture or platform-level design decisions

 

In compliance with the salary transparency law, the expected pay range for this role is $50 – $60/hr. Actual compensation depends on experience and interview evaluation.

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