Backend Software Developer Jobs in California
Backend Software Developer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in technology, fintech, entertainment software, and enterprise SaaS across a seniority range from entry-level to principal engineer. The largest hiring metros are San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose, where companies like Google, Apple, and Meta have deep, long-standing engineering operations. The most in-demand specialties are distributed systems, cloud-native API development, and microservices architecture. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 247+ Backend Software Developer jobs
Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: New York, NY, USA; Cambridge, MA, USA; Mountain View, CA, USA.
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or equivalent practical experience.
- 8 years of experience in software development.
- 5 years of experience testing and launching software products, and 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.
- 5 years of experience with speech/audio, reinforcement learning, ML infrastructure, or another specialized ML field.
- 5 years of experience leading ML design, optimizing end-to-end ML (deployment, evaluation, tuning), and integrating generative AI tools or Large Language Model (LLM) interfaces.
Preferred qualifications:
- Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
- 8 years of experience with advanced data structures and algorithms.
- 3 years of experience in a technical leadership role leading project teams and setting technical direction.
- 3 years of experience working in a complex, matrixed organization involving cross-functional or cross-business projects.
- Experience building distributed queueing infrastructure or rapidly prototyping cross-stack generative AI applications.
About the job
Google's software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search. We're looking for engineers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software engineer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google’s needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve. We need our engineers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.At Google Labs, we incubate early-stage technologies that define the future of computing and AI. We operate as small, autonomous, product-driven teams that move with startup speed, take bold technical bets, and build breakthrough user experiences. Within Labs, the Language Applications organization builds foundational platforms and consumer products, including NotebookLM, Google AI Studio, and the Gemini API.
Our focus is pushing the frontier of synthetic media—audio, video, dynamic code, and interactive visual artifacts. We build the foundational systems that turn generative models into instant, intuitive, and reliable experiences for millions of creators, researchers, and knowledge workers worldwide.
Labs is a group focused on incubating early-stage efforts in support of Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Our team exists to help discover and create new ways to advance our core products through exploration and the application of new technologies. We work to build new solutions that have the potential to transform how users interact with Google. Our goal is to drive innovation by developing new Google products and capabilities that deliver significant impact over longer timeframes.Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.US: $207000 - $300000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits
Learn more about benefits at Google.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and enhance large-scale software solutions and resilient distributed backend infrastructure.
- Provide technical leadership on generative media projects, managing project priorities, deadlines, and architectural deliverables.
- Facilitate alignment and clarity across teams on goals, outcomes, and timelines, while influencing and coaching a distributed team of engineers.
- Lead the design and implementation of solutions in specialized ML areas, optimize ML infrastructure, and guide model optimization and data processing strategies.
- Prototype innovative cross-stack features and clean APIs that bridge core multimodal generation pipelines with interactive user interfaces.
Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: New York, NY, USA; Cambridge, MA, USA; Mountain View, CA, USA.
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or equivalent practical experience.
- 8 years of experience in software development.
- 5 years of experience testing and launching software products, and 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.
- 5 years of experience with speech/audio, reinforcement learning, ML infrastructure, or another specialized ML field.
- 5 years of experience leading ML design, optimizing end-to-end ML (deployment, evaluation, tuning), and integrating generative AI tools or Large Language Model (LLM) interfaces.
Preferred qualifications:
- Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
- 8 years of experience with advanced data structures and algorithms.
- 3 years of experience in a technical leadership role leading project teams and setting technical direction.
- 3 years of experience working in a complex, matrixed organization involving cross-functional or cross-business projects.
- Experience building distributed queueing infrastructure or rapidly prototyping cross-stack generative AI applications.
About the job
Google's software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search. We're looking for engineers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software engineer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google’s needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve. We need our engineers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.At Google Labs, we incubate early-stage technologies that define the future of computing and AI. We operate as small, autonomous, product-driven teams that move with startup speed, take bold technical bets, and build breakthrough user experiences. Within Labs, the Language Applications organization builds foundational platforms and consumer products, including NotebookLM, Google AI Studio, and the Gemini API.
Our focus is pushing the frontier of synthetic media—audio, video, dynamic code, and interactive visual artifacts. We build the foundational systems that turn generative models into instant, intuitive, and reliable experiences for millions of creators, researchers, and knowledge workers worldwide.
Labs is a group focused on incubating early-stage efforts in support of Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Our team exists to help discover and create new ways to advance our core products through exploration and the application of new technologies. We work to build new solutions that have the potential to transform how users interact with Google. Our goal is to drive innovation by developing new Google products and capabilities that deliver significant impact over longer timeframes.Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.US: $207000 - $300000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits
Learn more about benefits at Google.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and enhance large-scale software solutions and resilient distributed backend infrastructure.
- Provide technical leadership on generative media projects, managing project priorities, deadlines, and architectural deliverables.
- Facilitate alignment and clarity across teams on goals, outcomes, and timelines, while influencing and coaching a distributed team of engineers.
- Lead the design and implementation of solutions in specialized ML areas, optimize ML infrastructure, and guide model optimization and data processing strategies.
- Prototype innovative cross-stack features and clean APIs that bridge core multimodal generation pipelines with interactive user interfaces.
See All 247+ Backend Software Developer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsBackend Software Developer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Backend Software Developer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- TikTok25
- Rippling19
- ALTRUIST12
- Affirm7
- Uber6
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software38
- Insurance3
- Banking & Financial Services3
- Investment & Asset Management3
- Science & Research2
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in backend software developer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
- Proficiency in one or more backend languages such as Python, Java, Go, or Node.js
- Experience designing and maintaining RESTful or GraphQL APIs at production scale
- Familiarity with cloud platforms including AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure
- Working knowledge of relational and NoSQL databases such as PostgreSQL and MongoDB
- Experience with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker and Kubernetes
Backend Software Developer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a backend software developer in California?
Backend software development has no state-issued license in California, so the path centers on education and demonstrated technical skill. Most California employers expect a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, though graduates of accredited coding bootcamps are widely considered at many companies. Building a portfolio of backend projects, contributing to open-source repositories, and earning cloud certifications from AWS or Google strengthen a California application considerably.
How much do backend software developers make in California?
Backend software developers in California earn a median of about $174,410 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $105,060 for the lowest 10% to over $272,670 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire backend software developers in California?
Employers hiring backend software developers in California right now include TikTok, Rippling, and ALTRUIST, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's density of technology headquarters and major engineering offices means backend roles appear at scale across both established giants and high-growth SaaS companies throughout the state.
Which California cities have the most backend software developer jobs?
San Francisco, San Jose, and Sunnyvale have the most backend software developer openings in California. San Francisco and San Jose anchor the market through the Bay Area's deep concentration of technology headquarters and engineering campuses, while Los Angeles draws volume from its expanding entertainment technology, fintech, and startup ecosystem.
Are there remote backend software developer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 64% of backend software developer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the nature of work that requires only a laptop and a stable connection. Fully remote roles are most common in API development, cloud infrastructure, and platform engineering, where output is measured by code rather than physical presence.
How can I get hired as a backend software developer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is an associate or new-graduate software engineer role, which large California employers like Google, Apple, and Salesforce post regularly through their university recruiting programs. Completing a structured bootcamp, building two or three GitHub portfolio projects that demonstrate API design or database work, and applying to junior engineering and QA automation roles are common ways candidates without experience get a first offer. Pursuing an AWS Cloud Practitioner or Google Associate Cloud Engineer certification signals readiness to California hiring teams.
Where can I find and apply to backend software developer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to backend software developer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated in real time. Find roles that fit your experience and location and apply directly from the listing.
See All 247+ Backend Software Developer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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