Backend Engineer Jobs in Washington
Backend Engineer jobs in Washington are among the most active in the country, concentrated in cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, and enterprise software, with demand running from junior engineers through principal-level architects. Seattle anchors most of the hiring, supported by strong activity in Bellevue and Redmond, where Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing all maintain large engineering operations. The most sought-after specialties in Washington are cloud-native API development, microservices architecture, and high-throughput data pipelines. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 63+ Backend Engineer jobs
DESCRIPTION
We are building a new opinionated backend platform within AWS that unifies database, authentication and other functions into a single, cohesive developer experience. Our mission is to remove the undifferentiated heavy lifting of standing up a production backend. This is a greenfield opportunity to define how the next wave of AI-native applications are built on AWS.
Key job responsibilities
- Control Plane Architecture: Design and build the scalable, multi-tenant control plane that orchestrates provisioning, lifecycle management, and configuration of backend resources across regions.
- Database & Storage Services: Architect and implement managed relational database capabilities, including schema management, migrations, row-level security, and real-time change data capture on top ofexisting databases engines.
- Authentication & Authorization: Build production-grade identity and access management services including OAuth/OIDC flows, social login, JWT management, row-level security policies, and multi-tenant isolation.
- AI-Native Developer Experience: Define how AI coding assistants, autonomous agents, and MCP-based toolchains interact with the platform: building SDKs, CLI tools, and introspection endpoints optimized for agentic workflows.
- Technical Leadership: Lead multi-engineer projects, drive design reviews, mentor engineers, and influence the team's technical roadmap.
A day in the life
No two days look identical on our team, but here is a representative one. We are early on the design and build phase so you might one day be leading a design-review document walk-through for a proposed change where half the attendees are other senior SDEs and a principal engineer. After lunch you sit down to write the code with your agent of choice and review changes and ship it by end of day, either in TypeScript or Rust.
About the team
AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply.
Why AWS? Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating, that’s why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.
We use AI agents to build Harbor. AI coding agents are first-class members of our engineering workflow: they write first drafts of code, generate test suites, produce design-doc outlines, triage operational issues, and draft runbooks and are exploring how to leverage them more.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 5+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
- 5+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team
- Experience building complex software systems that have been successfully delivered to customers
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 7+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, WA, Seattle - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually
DESCRIPTION
We are building a new opinionated backend platform within AWS that unifies database, authentication and other functions into a single, cohesive developer experience. Our mission is to remove the undifferentiated heavy lifting of standing up a production backend. This is a greenfield opportunity to define how the next wave of AI-native applications are built on AWS.
Key job responsibilities
- Control Plane Architecture: Design and build the scalable, multi-tenant control plane that orchestrates provisioning, lifecycle management, and configuration of backend resources across regions.
- Database & Storage Services: Architect and implement managed relational database capabilities, including schema management, migrations, row-level security, and real-time change data capture on top ofexisting databases engines.
- Authentication & Authorization: Build production-grade identity and access management services including OAuth/OIDC flows, social login, JWT management, row-level security policies, and multi-tenant isolation.
- AI-Native Developer Experience: Define how AI coding assistants, autonomous agents, and MCP-based toolchains interact with the platform: building SDKs, CLI tools, and introspection endpoints optimized for agentic workflows.
- Technical Leadership: Lead multi-engineer projects, drive design reviews, mentor engineers, and influence the team's technical roadmap.
A day in the life
No two days look identical on our team, but here is a representative one. We are early on the design and build phase so you might one day be leading a design-review document walk-through for a proposed change where half the attendees are other senior SDEs and a principal engineer. After lunch you sit down to write the code with your agent of choice and review changes and ship it by end of day, either in TypeScript or Rust.
About the team
AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply.
Why AWS? Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating, that’s why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.
We use AI agents to build Harbor. AI coding agents are first-class members of our engineering workflow: they write first drafts of code, generate test suites, produce design-doc outlines, triage operational issues, and draft runbooks and are exploring how to leverage them more.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 5+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
- 5+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team
- Experience building complex software systems that have been successfully delivered to customers
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 7+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, WA, Seattle - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually
See All 63 Backend Engineer Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Backend Engineer JobsBackend Engineer Jobs by City in Washington
Where Washington roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Backend Engineer Job Market in Washington
A snapshot from current Washington openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- TikTok11
- Rippling11
- Databricks3
- OpenAI2
- Socure2
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software21
- Science & Research3
- Social Media2
- Media & Entertainment2
- Banking & Financial Services2
What Washington Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in backend engineer jobs across Washington.
- Proficiency in at least one backend language such as Java, Python, Go, or C++
- Experience designing and consuming RESTful APIs or GraphQL services
- Demonstrated knowledge of cloud platforms, especially AWS or Azure
- Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools including Docker and Kubernetes
- Understanding of relational and NoSQL databases, query optimization, and data modeling
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
Backend Engineer Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a backend engineer in Washington?
Backend engineering has no state-issued license in Washington, so the path runs through education and demonstrated technical skill. Most employers expect at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field, though Washington's large tech employers also evaluate candidates through portfolio work, open-source contributions, and coding assessments. Bootcamp graduates who can show production-quality projects have found entry points at mid-size Seattle and Bellevue software companies.
How much do backend engineers make in Washington?
Backend engineers in Washington earn a median of about $166,540 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $96,810 for the lowest 10% to over $255,350 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire backend engineers in Washington?
Employers hiring backend engineers in Washington right now include TikTok, Rippling, and Databricks, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Washington's concentration of cloud, e-commerce, and aerospace technology companies makes it one of the most consistent states for backend engineering demand year-round.
Which Washington cities have the most backend engineer jobs?
Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond lead Washington for backend engineer openings. Seattle drives the volume through its dense cluster of cloud, software, and startup employers, while Bellevue and Redmond reflect the large campuses that Amazon and Microsoft operate in the eastside corridor, pulling significant backend hiring out of the city core.
Are there remote backend engineer jobs in Washington?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 54% of backend engineer openings tied to Washington are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how thoroughly this role can be performed without a fixed office. Infrastructure, API, and platform engineering work, in particular, tends to be the most location-flexible, especially at companies that already operate distributed engineering teams.
How can I get hired as a backend engineer in Washington with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is an associate or new-graduate software engineer role at one of Washington's large technology employers. Amazon, Microsoft, and Expedia all run structured new-grad programs that accept candidates with internship experience or strong academic projects in place of full-time history. Moving laterally from a QA automation or DevOps support role is another door, since those positions share tooling and codebase familiarity with backend teams. A GitHub portfolio demonstrating a deployed API or service significantly strengthens any application.
Where can I find and apply to backend engineer jobs in Washington?
You can find and apply to backend engineer jobs in Washington on Migrate Mate, which lists current Washington openings across the state's major hiring metros. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly.
See All 63 Backend Engineer Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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