Explore Back-End Software Engineer Jobs

Find back-end software engineer jobs paying $100,000 or more on Ladders. These roles focus on the server-side systems that power websites, mobile apps, and digital services—from APIs and databases to cloud infrastructure and distributed applications. Browse opportunities with vetted employers seeking experienced engineers to build reliable, secure, and scalable software.

What Back-End Software Engineers Do

Back-end engineers design, develop, test, and maintain the services and infrastructure that applications depend on. Their work can include building APIs, modeling and managing data, improving system performance, integrating third-party services, and troubleshooting production issues. They often collaborate with front-end engineers, product managers, designers, security teams, and site reliability engineers to deliver complete products.

Common Skills and Technologies

Employers commonly seek experience with languages such as Java, Python, Go, C#, JavaScript, or Ruby, along with frameworks and tools suited to their technology stack. Many positions also call for knowledge of SQL or NoSQL databases, API design, cloud platforms, containers, CI/CD, automated testing, system design, and secure coding practices. The right mix varies by company, product, and level of responsibility.

Career Paths and Seniority

Back-end software engineers can grow into senior, staff, or principal engineering roles, or move toward technical leadership and architecture. Some specialize in areas such as distributed systems, data infrastructure, cloud engineering, developer platforms, or application security. Job titles and expectations differ between employers, so review each listing for scope, required experience, and opportunities for growth.

Find Back-End Engineer Roles on Ladders

Use Ladders to explore vetted professional opportunities with salaries of $100,000 or more. Compare role responsibilities, technologies, experience requirements, and compensation details to identify positions that match your skills and career goals. New listings and employer needs vary, so check back regularly for current opportunities.

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$135K - $187K *

Grow your career with a dynamic team focused on crafting scalable software solutions. Collaborate cross-functionally to design impactful APIs and lead innovations that drive efficiency and elevate cus...

United StatesRemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$140K - $170K *

Unlock your potential by designing and deploying scalable microservices using Golang in a cloud-based environment. Collaborate with teams to enhance system efficiency and lead best practices in code q...

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$188K - $242K *

Champion large-scale projects from discovery to launch, enhancing customer impact through collaboration and technical leadership. Drive system performance and security while mentoring peers in a dynam...

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$131K - $169K *

Advance your career by leading large-scale projects, enhancing system performance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive customer impact and engineering excellence in a dynamic enviro...

Reposted 3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Business Services

$158K - $248K *

Create impactful client onboarding solutions that streamline data integration, enabling users to analyze financial data efficiently. Partner cross-functionally to deliver scalable, high-quality system...

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $180K *

Lead critical initiatives as a technical expert, driving scalable solutions and mentoring engineers while collaborating across teams to align architecture with business goals and ensure high-quality d...

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$213K - $256K *

Elevate backend architecture by driving design and performance of scalable services. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to transform complex requirements into reliable cloud solutions while mento...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Advance your career by driving cloud infrastructure strategy and enhancing developer productivity. Collaborate on AI-powered software development practices, shaping the future of engineering at scale...

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Staffing

$120K - $145K *

Shape innovative workflows by owning the dubbing pipeline, transforming video projects into multilingual formats. Collaborate on specs, design data structures, and lead projects from concept to launch...

RemoteRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$188K - $242K *

Advance our platform engineering by leading the operation and enhancement of a self-hosted Temporal cluster, ensuring reliability and scalability while collaborating with multiple teams to streamline...

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$122K - $167K *

Join us to develop backend systems for autonomous rail vehicles, enhancing train control software. Collaborate with a team to implement features, improve reliability, and support safety standards in a...

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Transportation

$170K - $250K *

Elevate your career by leading key initiatives, architecting scalable services, and designing data-intensive applications in a dynamic environment. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive inn...

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$180K - $235K *

Join us to drive complex backend projects, tackle architecture challenges, and mentor junior engineers while collaborating across teams to deliver high-quality, scalable solutions in a dynamic environ...

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$149K - $235K *

Lead complex backend projects from design to launch, tackling architecture challenges and mentoring junior developers. Collaborate across teams to drive initiatives and ensure high-quality code throug...

San Francisco, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $175K *

Unlock potential by designing and developing scalable web applications. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality software solutions while tackling complex technical challenges a...

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$160K - $230K *

Join a team that's transforming federal solutions by building scalable, secure applications. Collaborate with AI engineers to deliver high-quality software that meets mission-critical needs across div...

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$188K - $242K *

Optimize large-scale projects from discovery to launch, enhancing performance and scalability. Collaborate cross-functionally to solve customer challenges while promoting engineering excellence and ma...

Toronto, ONIn-Person

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$150K - $180K *

Drive innovation by leading backend development for high-traffic APIs and microservices. Collaborate across teams to enhance system reliability, scalability, and performance while optimizing cloud cos...

San Francisco, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$150K *

Join a dynamic team to lead backend development, optimizing APIs and microservices while enhancing system reliability and performance. Drive technical ownership and collaborate across teams to deliver...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$85K - $170K *

Drive modernization of legacy systems by transforming Java/.NET services into cloud-native Python microservices. Leverage your Python skills to design APIs, integrate DevSecOps practices, and support...

Mclean, VARemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Elevate your career by owning a cutting-edge software platform that connects environmental sensors to facilities teams, ensuring safety and livability in military barracks. Collaborate across teams to...

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$110K - $130K *

Empower transformative telehealth solutions by designing and implementing robust software infrastructure. Join a dynamic team to innovate, automate, and streamline applications, impacting the healthca...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$125K - $150K *

Advance your career by building high-throughput services that power AI workflows. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design scalable infrastructure and tackle complex challenges in a dynamic e...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$135K - $160K *

Join a team that's redefining productivity by building AI-driven back-end systems. You'll design and operate high-throughput services, tackle complex scaling challenges, and collaborate across product...

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$165K - $235K *

Champion innovative web solutions as a Front-End Software Engineer, designing user-centric applications for national security. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, secure softw...

6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What does a back-end software engineer do?question toggle

    A back-end software engineer builds and maintains the server-side services behind digital products, including APIs, databases, business logic, and integrations. They also help ensure systems are reliable, secure, and able to scale.

  • What skills are commonly required for back-end software engineer jobs?question toggle

    Requirements vary, but often include proficiency in one or more programming languages, database experience, API development, testing, system design, and familiarity with cloud platforms or distributed systems. Check each job listing for its specific stack and qualifications.

  • What is the difference between a back-end and a front-end software engineer?question toggle

    Back-end engineers typically work on server-side logic, data, and services, while front-end engineers build the user-facing parts of websites and applications. The two roles collaborate to deliver a complete product.

  • Do back-end software engineer jobs on Ladders pay $100,000 or more?question toggle

    Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more. Compensation and eligibility details vary by listing, so review the individual job posting for current information.

  • What career paths are available for back-end software engineers?question toggle

    Experienced engineers may advance to senior, staff, or principal roles, pursue technical leadership or architecture, or specialize in fields such as cloud platforms, distributed systems, data infrastructure, or security.