Backend Software Engineer Jobs in Washington
Backend Software Engineer jobs in Washington are among the most active in the country, with strong demand concentrated in cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, and enterprise software across companies ranging from new engineers to principal-level architects. Seattle and the Eastside corridor of Bellevue and Redmond anchor the market, with secondary hiring in Olympia tied to state government modernization projects. Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing all maintain substantial backend engineering teams in Washington and hire continuously across specialties including API development, data pipeline engineering, and microservices architecture. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 54+ Backend Software 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 54 Backend Software Engineer Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsBackend Software Engineer Jobs by City in Washington
Where Washington roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Backend Software Engineer Job Market in Washington
A snapshot from current Washington openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Rippling11
- TikTok10
- Databricks3
- OpenAI2
- Aritzia2
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software21
- Science & Research3
- Consumer Goods2
- Social Media1
- Media & Entertainment1
What Washington Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in backend software engineer jobs across Washington.
- Proficiency in one or more backend languages such as Python, Java, Go, or C++
- Experience designing and maintaining RESTful APIs or microservices architectures
- Hands-on background with cloud platforms, particularly AWS given Amazon's Washington presence
- Familiarity with relational and NoSQL databases including PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, or Cosmos DB
- Demonstrated ability to work within agile development cycles and use version control with Git
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related technical field
Backend Software Engineer Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a backend software engineer in Washington?
Washington does not require a state-issued license or registration to work as a backend software engineer, so the path centers on education and demonstrated technical skill. Most employers in the state expect at minimum a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related discipline, though bootcamp graduates with a strong portfolio are competitive at smaller studios and startups. Proficiency in cloud-native development is particularly valued given Washington's concentration of cloud-first employers.
How much do backend software engineers make in Washington?
Backend software 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 software engineers in Washington?
Employers hiring backend software engineers in Washington right now include Rippling, TikTok, and Databricks, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Washington's technology economy runs deep, with headquarters and major engineering centers for cloud, aerospace, and enterprise software all maintaining consistent backend hiring throughout the year.
Which Washington cities have the most backend software engineer jobs?
Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond have the most backend software engineer openings in Washington. Seattle dominates because of its dense concentration of technology headquarters and cloud infrastructure teams, while Bellevue and Redmond draw heavily from Microsoft's campus presence and the many vendors and contractors that support it, making the Eastside corridor a major hiring center in its own right.
Are there remote backend software engineer jobs in Washington?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 49% of backend software engineer openings tied to Washington are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how naturally the work translates to distributed teams. Roles focused on API development, data engineering, and platform infrastructure are the most consistently offered remotely, while positions requiring close integration with on-site hardware or security-cleared environments tend to be in-person.
How can I get hired as a backend software engineer in Washington with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is an associate or new-graduate software development role, which large Washington employers including Amazon and Microsoft post regularly under titles like associate software development engineer or software development engineer I. Building a GitHub portfolio demonstrating backend projects in Python, Java, or Go gives candidates without professional experience a concrete signal of capability. Community colleges and university extension programs in Seattle also offer certificates that pair well with a portfolio when applying to smaller Washington technology companies and state government IT teams.
Where can I find and apply to backend software engineer jobs in Washington?
You can find and apply to backend software engineer jobs in Washington on Migrate Mate, which lists current Washington openings across industries and experience levels. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 54 Backend Software Engineer Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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