Backend Software Engineer Jobs in Seattle, WA
Backend Software Engineer jobs in Seattle, Washington are concentrated in South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and the Eastside corridor, driven by demand in cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, and fintech. Employers hiring right now include Rippling, TikTok, and OpenAI. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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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 Seattle
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Find JobsBackend Software Engineer Job Market in Seattle
Who's Hiring
- Rippling12
- TikTok11
- OpenAI2
- Aritzia2
- Read AI2
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software20
- Science & Research3
- Consumer Goods2
- Social Media1
- Media & Entertainment1
Backend Software Engineer Jobs in Seattle: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a backend software engineer job in Seattle?
Focus your search on South Lake Union, the Eastside corridor, and Capitol Hill, where cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, and fintech employers cluster most heavily. Strong fluency in distributed systems, APIs, and cloud platforms gives candidates a clear edge in Seattle's market. Targeting mid-size product companies and established tech firms in these districts tends to yield the fastest results for backend engineers at every level.
Which companies hire backend software engineers in Seattle?
Employers hiring backend software engineers in Seattle right now include Rippling, TikTok, and OpenAI, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. The Seattle market is a mix of large technology companies with dedicated backend engineering teams and fast-growing startups building cloud-native products across SaaS, fintech, and healthcare technology.
Are there remote backend software engineer jobs in Seattle?
Yes, backend software engineering is among the more remote-friendly disciplines given its focus on server-side logic and APIs rather than on-site hardware or physical operations. About 51% of backend software engineer openings tied to Seattle are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how broadly Seattle's tech employers have adopted flexible work. Distributed systems and cloud-focused roles tend to offer the most location flexibility.
How can I get a backend software engineer job in Seattle with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Seattle is through junior or associate engineering roles at mid-size SaaS companies and fintech startups in South Lake Union and the Eastside, which hire entry-level engineers more consistently than large tech firms. Building projects in Go, Python, or Node.js and contributing to open-source repositories gives Seattle hiring managers something concrete to evaluate. Bootcamp graduates who can demonstrate working API or database projects land interviews at Seattle startups regularly.
Which industries hire the most backend software engineers in Seattle?
The sectors hiring the most backend software engineers in Seattle are Technology & Software, Science & Research, and Consumer Goods, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Seattle's concentration of cloud infrastructure companies, enterprise software firms, and a growing fintech corridor in South Lake Union means sustained backend engineering demand that outpaces most other U.S. markets.
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See All 54 Backend Software Engineer Jobs in Seattle
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