Explore Performance Engineer Jobs

Performance engineers help software, applications, and digital systems run quickly, reliably, and efficiently. They identify bottlenecks, test performance under real-world conditions, and work with engineering teams to improve speed, scalability, and resilience. Explore vetted Performance Engineer opportunities paying $100,000 or more on Ladders.

What Does a Performance Engineer Do?

Performance engineers plan and execute load, stress, and scalability tests; analyze system behavior; and turn findings into practical improvements. Depending on the role, they may focus on application response times, infrastructure capacity, database performance, or end-to-end user experience. They often partner with software developers, site reliability engineers, architects, and product teams.

Skills and Qualifications

Employers commonly seek experience with performance testing tools, scripting or programming, distributed systems, and cloud platforms. Knowledge of observability, profiling, networking, databases, and CI/CD can also be valuable. Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate technical findings help engineers prioritize and deliver measurable improvements. Requirements vary by employer and seniority.

Performance Engineer Career Paths

Performance engineering roles are found across technology, financial services, healthcare, e-commerce, and other industries that depend on reliable digital products. Professionals may advance into senior or lead engineering positions, performance architecture, site reliability engineering, or engineering management. Career paths depend on experience, technical specialization, and organizational needs.

Find Performance Engineer Jobs on Ladders

Search Ladders for vetted Performance Engineer openings with salaries of $100,000 or more. Review each listing for responsibilities, required qualifications, compensation details, and work arrangements, then find opportunities that align with your skills and career goals.

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$144K - $209K *

Drive innovation by building scalable software solutions in a dynamic environment. Collaborate across teams to enhance user experiences and tackle complex challenges while leveraging cutting-edge tech...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$103K - $176K *

Innovate solutions by leading mechanical engineering projects to enhance production processes. Collaborate with stakeholders to design, implement, and optimize equipment and systems, ensuring safety a...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Transform complex aerodynamics into quantifiable performance standards, ensuring safe automated flight operations. Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to define operational thresholds and enhanc...

Seattle, WARemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$217K - $264K *

Lead and optimize the engineering team to enhance customer onboarding and lifecycle management, ensuring robust risk management and compliance across products while fostering a high-performing, inclus...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $170K *

Transform the content platform by leading hands-on engineering initiatives. Design and implement shared services, ensuring security and stability while mentoring engineers and driving technical excell...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$135K - $160K *

Elevate your career by designing and maintaining robust application components for middle and back office functions, ensuring data integrity and compliance across diverse asset classes in a collaborat...

New York, NYRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Staffing

$150K - $185K *

Champion the development of high-trust engineering teams while managing intake, capacity planning, and operational excellence. Drive delivery and foster collaboration across functions to meet evolving...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Pioneer the future of technical content as you drive strategy and execution for Render's content factory, ensuring accuracy and relevance for AI agents and developers. Collaborate closely with teams t...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$95K - $115K *

Explore a dynamic role supporting electrical engineering across renewable and thermal assets. Collaborate on system protection, safety, compliance, and operational reliability while driving innovative...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$150K - $350K *

Transform the landscape of reinforcement learning by designing evaluations and environments that enhance model training and performance. Collaborate with researchers to identify and address model fail...

San Francisco, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$141K - $199K *

The Lead Software Engineer will join the Money Movement Team at Green Dot, focusing on mission-critical payment systems and transaction workflows. This role involves driving technical leadership in ba...

Los Angeles, CARemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$135K - $160K *

Shape the future of autonomous driving by leading trajectory generation and controls. Collaborate across teams to deliver safe, optimized solutions while enhancing vehicle performance through innovati...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$125K - $150K *

Lead the design and delivery of scalable banking features, ensuring reliability and security in real-time money movement. Mentor engineers and collaborate with cross-functional teams to create high-qu...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise 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 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$184K - $356K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of autonomous driving by developing advanced 3D world models. Collaborate with experts to integrate perception data and enhance navigation solutions for complex e...

Santa Clara, CARemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$120K - $145K *

Join a team that's building and scaling a data and analytics platform to enhance clinical AI performance. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create actionable insights and drive improvements i...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$120K - $125K *

Transform data analytics initiatives by leading multiple projects, engaging stakeholders, and driving solutions from inception to delivery. Collaborate with technical teams to ensure alignment with mi...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$179K - $220K *

Empower HR leaders by shaping the future of employee listening. Lead product strategy from discovery to launch, creating impactful solutions that enhance engagement and drive actionable insights for o...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$135K - $180K *

Lead the charge in shaping the future of employee listening. Drive strategy, execution, and innovation in product management to enhance HR leaders' understanding and engagement with their teams, creat...

CanadaRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$135K - $160K *

Lead the charge in enhancing reliability across a financial services platform by guiding SRE teams, establishing best practices, and architecting robust AWS infrastructure to support millions of trans...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$115K - $219K *

Transform the Unity Editor by developing cross-platform API abstractions using modern C++. Collaborate with seasoned engineers to enhance user experiences across Windows, macOS, and Linux while mainta...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $225K *

Lead the charge in multidisciplinary engineering and design management for a large-scale industrial infrastructure project, ensuring compliance with technical standards and client expectations through...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

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

$135K - $160K *

Engage with engineers to enhance developer workflows and tools. Own the product lifecycle from discovery to adoption, ensuring high-quality internal software that meets user needs and drives efficienc...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$130K - $155K *

Innovate your career by leading the technical direction of web systems, enhancing product reliability, and mentoring engineers. Embrace AI-first engineering to drive impactful solutions and foster col...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$117K - $168K *

Join us to deliver exceptional technical support for HPS systems globally. Collaborate with a dynamic team to resolve customer inquiries, enhance satisfaction, and maintain expertise in process contro...

Houston, TXRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What is a Performance Engineer?question toggle

    A Performance Engineer evaluates and improves the speed, capacity, stability, and efficiency of software and systems. The work often includes performance testing, identifying bottlenecks, analyzing results, and collaborating on fixes.

  • What does a Performance Engineer do day to day?question toggle

    Typical responsibilities include designing load and stress tests, monitoring application and infrastructure behavior, investigating slowdowns, profiling code or services, and sharing recommendations with engineering teams. Duties vary by company and specialization.

  • What skills are useful for Performance Engineer jobs?question toggle

    Useful skills may include performance testing, programming or scripting, systems and distributed architecture, cloud platforms, databases, observability, and data analysis. Employers may also value experience with CI/CD and clear technical communication.

  • Where do Performance Engineers work?question toggle

    Performance Engineers work in industries that rely on digital services, including technology, financial services, healthcare, retail, and e-commerce. They may focus on applications, platforms, infrastructure, or end-to-end user experience.

  • How can I find Performance Engineer jobs paying $100,000 or more?question toggle

    Browse Performance Engineer listings on Ladders and review each posting for salary, responsibilities, qualifications, and work arrangements. Ladders features vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more.