Backend Software Developer Jobs in San Francisco, CA
Backend Software Developer jobs in San Francisco are in high demand, concentrated in SoMa, the Financial District, and Mission Bay across fintech, cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, and health tech. Employers actively hiring include Rippling, Affirm, and ALTRUIST. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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About Rippling
Rippling gives businesses one place to run HR, IT, and Finance. It brings together all of the workforce systems that are normally scattered across a company, like payroll, expenses, benefits, and computers. For the first time ever, you can manage and automate every part of the employee lifecycle in a single system.
Take onboarding, for example. With Rippling, you can hire a new employee anywhere in the world and set up their payroll, corporate card, computer, benefits, and even third-party apps like Slack and Microsoft 365—all within 90 seconds.
Based in San Francisco, CA, Rippling has raised $1.4B+ from the world’s top investors—including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Greenoaks, and Bedrock—and was named one of America's best startup employers by Forbes.
We prioritize candidate safety. Please be aware that all official communication will only be sent from @Rippling.com addresses.
About the Platform Team
The Platform Engineering team is the invisible engine that powers all of Rippling's integrated products—HR, IT, and Finance. Our mission is to build the core infrastructure, tools, and shared services that allow every other engineering team to ship highly reliable, secure, and globally scalable features with maximum velocity. We manage the foundational components that ensure Rippling's single, unified platform operates efficiently and securely.
Our Scope: Foundational Systems for 1,000+ Engineers
Operating as a critical scaled team, we own and operate a variety of mission-critical systems that directly support close to 1,000 engineers building products and internal platforms across Rippling. We deliver the most foundational shared systems inside the Platform organization.
What you will do
- Design, implement, and test reliable backend services and APIs that power core product features and business logic at scale.
- Work across key technical domains, including API design, data modeling, event modeling, and optimizing service performance.
- Own the development lifecycle for defined features, from implementation and testing to deployment, monitoring, and support in a production environment.
- Effectively integrate into cross-functional teams, contribute to technical discovery, and rapidly learn from code and system feedback.
What you will need
- 2+ years of professional experience as a backend engineer, preferably with Python, Go, or a similar production language, and strong experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL).
- Care about business impact, balancing technical craft with speed and the bottom line to deliver value quickly.
- Ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments, demonstrating resilience and agility in the face of changing product needs.
- Excellent skills in communicating complex technical ideas with clarity to enable effective collaboration with peers and stakeholders.
Additional Information
Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics, Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email accomodations@rippling.com
Rippling highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. For office-based employees (employees who live within a defined radius of a Rippling office), Rippling considers working in the office, at least three days a week under current policy, to be an essential function of the employee's role.
This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. The salary for US-based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location; see which tier applies to your location here.
A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation–including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.
The pay range for this role is:
152,000 - 225,000 USD per year(US Tier 1)
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Find JobsBackend Software Developer Job Market in San Francisco
Who's Hiring
- Rippling50

- Affirm19

- ALTRUIST16

- Uber8

- DoorDash8

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software45
- Cybersecurity3
- Science & Research3
- Media & Entertainment3
- Healthcare & Medical Services3
Backend Software Developer Jobs in San Francisco: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a backend software developer job in San Francisco?
Focus on the sectors that hire most in San Francisco: fintech, cloud platforms, developer tooling, and health tech. Companies in SoMa, Mission Bay, and the Financial District consistently post backend roles. Demonstrated experience with distributed systems, APIs, and cloud-native architecture gives candidates a clear edge here. Contributing to open-source projects and networking through local tech meetups also helps in this market.
Which companies hire backend software developers in San Francisco?
Companies currently hiring backend software developers in San Francisco include Rippling, Affirm, and ALTRUIST, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Francisco's employer mix ranges from large public tech and fintech firms to early-stage startups, many of which hire backend engineers across multiple product and infrastructure teams.
Are there remote backend software developer jobs in San Francisco?
Yes, backend software developer work is well-suited to remote and hybrid arrangements since the role is code- and system-focused with no requirement for physical presence. About 76% of backend software developer openings tied to San Francisco are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how broadly Bay Area tech employers have adopted flexible work. Infrastructure and API roles tend to be the most remote-friendly in this market.
How can I get a backend software developer job in San Francisco with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Francisco is targeting associate or junior backend roles at mid-size startups in SoMa or Mission Bay, which hire more entry-level engineers than large enterprises. Roles in QA automation, DevOps support, or internal tooling often serve as lateral entry points. A portfolio with deployed projects, REST API work, or database contributions signals readiness to San Francisco engineering teams evaluating candidates without a long professional history.
Which industries hire the most backend software developers in San Francisco?
Most backend software developer openings in San Francisco sit in Technology & Software, Cybersecurity, and Science & Research, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Francisco's concentration of fintech headquarters, cloud infrastructure companies, and health tech platforms makes it one of the densest markets in the country for backend engineering talent.
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