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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$180K - $210K *

Empower innovation by designing and operating core runtime services for AI agents. Collaborate across teams to enhance performance, reliability, and observability in distributed systems, ensuring a se...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$160K - $225K *

Architect innovative solutions that drive Member Growth's systems evolution. Lead technical direction, tackle complex challenges, and elevate team performance through clear communication and strategic...

Playa Vista, CARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$107K - $199K *

Drive transformative digital solutions by mentoring agile teams and delivering secure, cloud-native applications. Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to innovate and implement impactful sof...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$160K - $225K *

Advance technical direction by architecting scalable systems, driving cross-team collaboration, and leveraging data to enhance customer experiences. Lead initiatives that elevate engineering standards...

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$80K - $92K *

Grow your career with a dynamic team focused on developing and enhancing mission-critical software solutions. Collaborate with clients to gather requirements, design features, and ensure quality in a...

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$82K - $123K *

Help us design and develop innovative software solutions, ensuring optimal performance and integration of systems. Collaborate with teams to enhance functionality and scalability while staying updated...

Montreal, QCIn-Person

3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$166K - $230K *

Innovate and enhance the machine learning infrastructure to empower rapid model deployment and automation. Collaborate across teams to streamline operations and drive impactful solutions in ML and fin...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$190K - $334K *

Champion the development of robust platforms that enhance developer productivity. Design and build scalable systems while mentoring engineers and driving technical strategy to unlock new use cases and...

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$112K - $225K *

Drive innovation as a Senior Software Engineer, enhancing our cloud platform by creating reliable code, optimizing service delivery, and collaborating on architectural design to support elite athlete...

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$180K - $230K *

Transform your career by leading the development of advanced software systems. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver scalable, secure applications that meet complex customer needs and dr...

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$120K - $159K *

Unlock the potential of automation and AI in software development. Join a dynamic team to create self-service platforms and intelligent tools that enhance developer experience, streamline workflows, a...

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Elevate our software engineering capabilities by designing and building modern, cloud-native data pipelines. Collaborate with diverse teams to ensure seamless project delivery and advocate for best pr...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$171K - $248K *

Empower your career by leading core engineering teams to enhance infrastructure and developer experience, driving strategic vision and operational excellence while fostering a collaborative environmen...

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$190K - $267K *

Champion innovation by leading cross-functional teams to design and deliver scalable, high-performance infrastructure solutions that enhance reliability and efficiency across diverse applications and...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Media

$120K - $145K *

Lead the charge in shaping an innovative tech platform by managing the development lifecycle, collaborating across teams, and mentoring talent to deliver high-quality solutions that meet user needs an...

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$218K - $256K *

Lead the charge in architecting scalable payment systems that process billions in transactions. Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure reliability and compliance while mentoring engineers to elevate...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$165K - $195K *

Champion the technical strategy and engineering standards for a complex web ecosystem, driving hands-on development and leading a team across multiple platforms. Guide architecture, integrations, and...

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$165K - $195K *

Transform the web ecosystem by leading technical strategy and architecture across WordPress and Drupal platforms. Engage hands-on with coding while mentoring engineers and managing stakeholder expecta...

Arlington, VARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$145K - $155K *

Elevate your career as a Senior Software Engineer, driving innovation in cloud-native applications and AI integration. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance mission-critical systems in a...

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$125K - $225K *

Create innovative data solutions by designing scalable pipelines and AI tools. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance data quality and security, driving impactful analytics and machine lea...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$67K - $92K *

Deliver innovative full stack solutions by leading teams in developing digital applications. Collaborate on modern architecture patterns and enhance user experiences through effective communication an...

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$67K - $92K *

Join a team that's dedicated to developing innovative financial services applications. Leverage your full stack engineering expertise to create scalable solutions while collaborating with cross-functi...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$123K - $163K *

Lead the development of innovative software solutions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance application design and cloud architecture. Drive best practices in CI/CD and mentor team mem...

4 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$110K - $135K *

Innovate and shape the future of system services by developing Python tools for Linux devices. Collaborate across teams to deliver robust APIs and enhance CI/CD pipelines while ensuring clear document...

Waterloo, ONIn-Person

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$120K - $195K *

Engineer next-gen infrastructure and platforms, optimizing large-scale distributed systems. Collaborate with top talent to design impactful features while ensuring security and compliance in a hybrid...

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

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.