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Senior Software Engineer Startup Jobs in California

Britive

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

About You You are a passionate Senior Software Engineer who wants to develop and scale our multi ... startup environment. This position will report to the Engineering Manager. Your Impact Key ...

Parakeet Health

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

They are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to develop and enhance their platform, leveraging large ... startup is a plus. • Genuine belief that agentic tools are the future of how software gets built.

Anyware Robotics

Sr. Software Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

$134K - $177K/yr

Anyware Robotics is seeking a highly skilled Senior Software Engineer to join their team. In this ... frameworks. • Startup mindset: hands-on, proactive, and ownership-driven. Preferred : • ...

Twilio

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA

$144K - $190K/yr

About the job As a Senior Software Engineer you will help develop Stytch's fraud detection and ... This is a rare chance to operate like a startup within Twilio: you'll work in a high-ownership ...

ETAP Software

Senior Software Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$129K - $171K/yr

They are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to maintain and enhance software that supports state estimation and virtual metering for complex electrical networks, as well as develop REST APIs and ...

SecurityPal

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$170K - $200K/yr

We're a post-Series A startup backed by world-class investors, already profitable, and growing fast ... Why This Role Matters We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer who thrives at the intersection ...

8848M LLC

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$170K - $190K/yr

We're a post-Series A startup backed by world-class investors, already profitable, and growing fast ... Why This Role Matters We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer who thrives at the intersection ...

Shifamed

Sr. Software Engineer

Los Gatos, CA · On-site

$145K - $175K/yr

Description: We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to play a key role in the design ... startup environment. This is a full time, on-site position and will require reporting to our ...

AirOps

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · Remote

$144K - $190K/yr

Senior Software Engineer AirOps is the first end-to-end content engineering platform built for the ... Equity in a fast-growing startup * Competitive benefits package tailored to your location

Ghost

Senior Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

$175K - $200K/yr

About the Role Ghost is looking for a Senior Software Engineer who loves solving complex problems ... Drive prioritization and delivery in a fast-paced startup environment, balancing speed with ...

GHOST

Senior Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

$175K - $200K/yr

About the Role Ghost is looking for a Senior Software Engineer who loves solving complex problems ... Drive prioritization and delivery in a fast-paced startup environment, balancing speed with ...

GEICO

Sr. Software Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$105K - $215K/yr

Our Senior Software Engineer is a key member of the engineering staff working across the ... Ability to excel in a fast-paced, startup-like environment * Strong communications skills. Ability ...

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All JobsSoftware Engineer Startup JobsSenior Software Engineer Startup JobsSenior Software Engineer Startup Jobs in California

Senior Software Engineer Startup information

See California salary details

$74.5K

$141.4K

$189.5K

How much do senior software engineer startup jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior software engineer startup in California is $141,415.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,900.00 and $159,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some unique challenges Senior Software Engineers face when working at a startup compared to a larger company?

Senior Software Engineers at startups often navigate a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment where priorities can shift quickly. Unlike at larger organizations with established processes and specialized teams, startup engineers may wear multiple hats, handling everything from architecture decisions to hands-on coding and even DevOps tasks. This role typically requires a high degree of autonomy and the ability to make impactful technical decisions with limited resources. The collaborative nature means frequent interaction with product managers, designers, and often even company leadership, creating opportunities for broad influence but also demanding strong communication and adaptability.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Software Engineer at a startup, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Software Engineer at a startup, you need advanced programming abilities, architectural design experience, and a solid understanding of software development lifecycles, typically backed by a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with modern frameworks, cloud platforms (like AWS or Azure), version control systems (such as Git), and agile methodologies is essential, with certifications in relevant technologies being advantageous. Strong problem-solving, adaptability, and effective communication skills help you navigate the dynamic startup environment and mentor junior team members. These skills are crucial to rapidly building scalable solutions, driving innovation, and supporting business growth in a fast-paced and often ambiguous setting.

What is the difference between Senior Software Engineer Startup vs Software Engineer Startup?

AspectSenior Software Engineer StartupSoftware Engineer Startup
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related field, 3+ years experienceBachelor's in CS or related field, 0-2 years experience
Work EnvironmentFast-paced startup, leadership responsibilities, mentorshipCollaborative team, learning-focused, entry-level to mid-level tasks
Employer & Industry UsageTech startups, scale-ups, innovative projectsEarly-stage startups, product development teams
Common Search & ComparisonHigher responsibility, technical expertise, leadershipLearning opportunities, foundational skills, growth potential

The main difference between a Senior Software Engineer Startup and a Software Engineer Startup lies in experience, responsibilities, and leadership. Senior Software Engineers typically have more experience, take on mentorship roles, and handle complex projects, while Software Engineers are often in entry to mid-level positions focused on skill development and supporting team tasks.

What does a Senior Software Engineer do at a startup?

A Senior Software Engineer at a startup is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the core software products or services. They often take on a broad range of tasks, including coding, code reviews, system architecture, and mentoring junior team members. In a startup environment, they may also contribute to product decisions, help set technical direction, and quickly adapt to changing priorities. Their role is critical in building scalable, reliable solutions while fostering innovation and collaboration within a small, fast-paced team.
What are the most commonly searched types of Software Engineer Startup jobs in California? The most popular types of Software Engineer Startup jobs in California are:
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Senior Software Engineer Startup jobs near you
Senior Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer

Britive

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

Other

Posted 22 days ago

Job description

About You 
You are a passionate Senior Software Engineer who wants to develop and scale our multi-tenant SaaS applications on the AWS platform. You have a strong software engineering background and advanced knowledge of the AWS platform, tools and services. From day one, you must be able to hit the ground running and bring all your experience to the team to contribute in the building of a great product. Most importantly, you have a positive "can do" attitude and a passion for delivering technical solutions in a fast-paced startup environment.  This position will report to the Engineering Manager.

Your Impact 

Key Responsibilities: 

  • Responsible for design and development of a large-scale application stack running on AWS. 
  • Collaborate with product management and engineering teams to design and integrate software, conduct code reviews, and troubleshoot product issues. 
  • Perform proof of concepts to identify best design options including usage of AWS services. 
  • Research integration options for various SaaS/IaaS technologies, including APIs for user administration and incorporate this research in our application integration.  

What will you need? 

Required Skills: 

  • Minimum 7 years of relevant work experience in similar roles.  
  • In-depth knowledge of Spring, Spring Boot, Java, REST Web Services, SQL/NoSQL databases, ELK stack, microservices architecture, container/Docker technology, CI/CD principles. 
  • Hands-on experience developing and delivering scalable multi-tenant SaaS applications on AWS platform. 
  • In-depth knowledge of AWS platform, tools and services, specifically AWS networking and security, Route53, API Gateway, ECS/Fargate, RDS, DynamoDB. 
  • Outstanding collaboration and communication skills.  
  • Ability to effectively collaborate with distributed teams. 
  • Understand and practice agile development methodology. 
  • Prior experience with security product development. 

Nice to Have: 

  • AWS Certified Developer certification is highly desired. 
  • Prior experience with Big Data technologies. 

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