1

System Software Engineer Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

Description The Cloud OS System Software Team is looking for an exceptional software engineer to build and integrate software to orchestrate workloads across highly performant and energy efficient ...

System Software Engineer

Bellevue, WA

$195K - $231K/yr

Cloud Storage Engineer The Cloud Storage team is in charge of design and implementation of New ... systems and databases. * Solid written and verbal communication skills. * Understanding of software ...

As a GPU/SOC system software engineer, you will work with a team of very dedicated software and hardware engineers involving a wide variety of technologies. As someone who is hardworking and ...

Software Engineer, System Services The Apple Cloud Engineering team is looking for an exceptional software engineer to build and integrate software to orchestrate workloads across highly performant ...

You will work with a team of hardworking software engineers working on all aspects of SOC and system, and technology verticals. As someone who is hardworking and passionate about their craft, you ...

The Apple Cloud Engineering team is looking for an exceptional software engineer to build and integrate software to orchestrate workloads across highly performant and energy efficient systems that ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

System Software Engineer information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$94.5K

$202.4K

$234.6K

How much do system software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for system software engineer in Seattle, WA is $202,363.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $197,000.00 and $233,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a System Software Engineer do?

A System Software Engineer designs, develops, tests, and maintains the core software that enables computer hardware and system applications to function. This includes operating systems, device drivers, firmware, and other low-level software that interacts closely with hardware components. Their work ensures that systems run efficiently, securely, and reliably. They often collaborate with hardware engineers and application developers to optimize performance and troubleshoot complex technical issues.

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

To thrive as a System Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills in languages like C, C++, or Rust, a deep understanding of operating systems, and typically a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with low-level debugging tools, version control systems (such as Git), and kernel development environments is essential. Analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, and effective teamwork are standout soft skills in this role. These competencies are crucial for building reliable, high-performance system software that underpins critical applications and infrastructure.

What is the difference between System Software Engineer vs Software Developer?

AspectSystem Software EngineerSoftware Developer
CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science or related field; often some experience with systems programmingBachelor's in Computer Science or related field; focus on application development
Work EnvironmentDesigning and maintaining operating systems, firmware, or system-level applicationsCreating user-facing applications, websites, or mobile apps
Industry UsageTech companies, hardware firms, embedded systemsSoftware firms, startups, enterprise applications
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles related to system-level programmingLooking for application or web development roles

System Software Engineers focus on developing and maintaining system-level software like operating systems and firmware, requiring knowledge of hardware and low-level programming. Software Developers typically create applications and user-facing software, emphasizing higher-level programming skills. Both roles often share similar educational backgrounds but differ in their work focus and environment.

What are some common challenges System Software Engineers face when working on large-scale projects?

System Software Engineers working on large-scale projects often encounter challenges such as maintaining system stability while integrating new features, ensuring compatibility across diverse hardware platforms, and optimizing performance under heavy workloads. Coordinating with cross-functional teams, such as hardware engineers and application developers, is essential to address these complexities. Additionally, they must stay updated with evolving technologies and adhere to rigorous testing and debugging practices to prevent system failures.
Infographic showing various System Software Engineer job openings in Seattle, WA as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 50% In-person, and 50% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $202,363 per year, or $97.3 per hour.
System Software Engineer

System Software Engineer

Apple

Seattle, WA

$171K - $258K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Retirement

Posted 26 days ago


Apple rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 661 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 30 rated technology retailers


Job description

The cloudOS team is responsible for all facets of delivering OS and system services on Apple silicon servers, including driving hardware and software initiatives to enable new Apple silicon-based systems in data centers.
Description
The Cloud OS System Software Team is looking for an exceptional software engineer to build and integrate software to orchestrate workloads across highly performant and energy efficient systems that will power the next generation of data centers.
In this highly collaborative role, you will be at the center of multiple efforts to utilize hardware acceleration for machine learning and high performance computing workloads. You will be part of a team that builds and maintains system software such as runtime libraries, frameworks, and daemons that will power the next generations of data centers. You will partner with teams across Apple to adapt, tailor, and scale software on a novel compute platform and will help to build the foundation of our future cloud architecture.
We are seeking a skilled Software Engineer to join our System Software Team focused on optimizing and maintaining the core infrastructure of our data center environments. You will work on enhancing operating system performance, scalability, and reliability, ensuring seamless operations for large-scale distributed systems.
If you’re passionate about system engineering and optimizing OS performance at scale, we’d love to hear from you!","responsibilities":"Develop, maintain, and optimize OS-level components for data center infrastructure.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve performance, security, and resource efficiency across distributed systems.
Troubleshoot and resolve low-level OS issues, networking bottlenecks, and hardware-software integration challenges.
Contribute to the development of automation, monitoring, and diagnostic tools to improve system reliability.
Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and architectural decisions related to OS-level services.
Stay up to date with emerging OS technologies, virtualization, and containerization trends in data center environments.
Design, implement, and maintain system daemons that manage hardware components and host processes
Implement robust fault detection and recovery mechanisms for hardware and daemon failures.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with init systems (systemd, launchd, upstart) and service orchestration.
Knowledge of distributed systems, cloud computing, and large-scale data center infrastructure is a plus.
Experience with Swift, Objective-C and Apple development tools
Experience with AI accelerators (GPUs, TPUs, ASICs) or distributed systems
Knowledge of container technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) and AI workload orchestration.
Minimum Qualifications
4+ years of software engineering experience
Proficiency in one of C/C++, Obj-C, Swift
Strong knowledge of OS architecture, and low-level system components.
Passion for software architecture, APIs, and high performance extensible software
Excellent communication skills
Creative, collaborative, and product-focused
Solid understanding of Linux or Apple OS system programming, including process management, IPC, signals, and daemon lifecycle.
Bachelors or Masters in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent experience.
Pay & Benefits
At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $171,600 and $258,100, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You'll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits
Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

What Apple employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Apple logo

About Apple

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same real passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cupertino, CA, US

Year founded

1976