Backend developer salary in the San Francisco Bay Area
24 backend developer roles in the San Francisco Bay Area, from 20 employers and posted Oct 20–26, 2026, list a yearly salary range. The median bottom of those ranges is $180K and the median top is $271K. The middle half of the bottoms runs from $158K to $208K, and the middle half of the tops from $216K to $303K.
These are the ranges employers published in their own postings. They are not offers, not what people are paid and not a market average. Of the 30 backend developer roles in the San Francisco Bay Area RoleWeek lists, 24 are counted here. Roles of every level are counted together and shown apart under By level. Data as of .
How the posted ranges spread
| Measure | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom of the posted range | $158K | $180K | $208K |
| Top of the posted range | $216K | $271K | $303K |
Not counted: 6 roles list no salary. Pay by the hour, week or month is never converted or mixed with yearly ranges, and each page uses one currency.
By level
| Level | Roles | Bottom of range median, middle half | Top of range median, middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | 12 | $176K $152K–$190K | $259K $200K–$281K |
Level is RoleWeek’s reading of each posting. A level with fewer than 10 roles that list a yearly range is left out.
Roles that list a yearly salary
All 24, newest first. Show all backend developer roles in the San Francisco Bay Area that list a salary
Lead Backend Engineer, Studio
CiscoMilpitas, CAHybrid$186.9K–$267.7K/yrPythonAWS8+ yrsSenior / Staff Software Engineer — Product (Backend-Focused)
Snorkel AISan Francisco, CAHybrid$208K–$315K/yrPythonJavaNo account needed7+ yrsBacked by GreylockSenior Software Engineer (Distributed Systems)
WorkdayPleasanton, CA$190.1K–$285.1K/yrdbtTrino8+ yrsSenior Backend Engineer - Access Control
VerkadaSan Mateo, CA$150K–$300K/yrPythonGoNo account needed5+ yrsBacked by General CatalystSenior Backend Engineer
MeshSan Francisco, CARemote$180K–$200K/yrAzureC#No account needed7+ yrsSenior Backend Engineer/Infrastructure
Perfect VenueSan FranciscoHybrid$160K–$200K/yrAWSTerraformSoftware Engineer, Backend, Level 3
SnapSan Francisco, Bellevue +3$118K–$176K/yrJavaPythonSeniorProduct Platform - Backend Engineer
BasetenSan Francisco, Seattle +1Hybrid$165K–$330K/yrSparkPython5+ yrsBacked by GreylockSenior Software Engineer, Fleet Intelligence Backend
NVIDIASanta Clara, Seattle$152K–$287.5K/yrPostgreSQLPrometheus5+ yrsSenior/Staff Backend Software Engineer
GridCARERedwood CityOn-site$184K–$284K/yrPythongRPC8+ yrsSenior Backend Engineer | Accounting
RampSan Francisco, New YorkHybrid$172K–$280K/yrBacked by Founders FundPrincipal Distributed Systems Engineer
WorkdayPleasanton, CA$222.9K–$334.3K/yrdbtTrino14+ yrsSenior Backend Engineer - Device Platform
VerkadaSan Mateo, CA$190K–$275K/yrPythonRubyNo account needed6+ yrsBacked by General CatalystSoftware Engineer II (Backend) - Fares Platform
UberSan Francisco, Sunnyvale$171K–$190K/yrGoPythonNo account neededMidSenior Engineering Manager, Backend Platform
HarveySan Francisco, New YorkHybrid$272K–$355K/yrPythonFlask10+ yrsBacked by a16zSoftware Engineer, Backend, Level 5
SnapSan Francisco, Bellevue +3$209K–$313K/yrJavaC++Staff+Integration Engineer - Hands
1XSan Carlos, CAOn-site$125.1K–$220.8K/yrLinuxC++5+ yrsJava Developer
CognizantSunnyvale, New YorkHybrid$130K–$150K/yrAngularSpring Boot5+ yrsPlatform Integration Engineer
IntelSanta Clara, CAHybrid$164.5K–$232.2K/yrVerilogPython6+ yrsSenior Backend Software Engineer
WingPalo Alto, CA$228K–$237K/yrC++Java8+ yrsSenior Systems Integration Engineer, Simulation Platform
Rivian and Volkswagen Group TechnologiesPalo Alto, IrvineHybrid$135.1K–$185.8K/yrPythonCI/CDSenior Software Engineer - Backend
HappyRobotSan FranciscoOn-site$220K–$250K/yrGo5+ yrsBacked by a16zSoftware Engineer - Backend
HappyRobotSan FranciscoOn-site$180K–$250K/yrGo2+ yrsBacked by a16z
How these numbers are made
- Source: the yearly salary ranges employers publish in their own job postings, for roles RoleWeek lists as posted in the last 7 days. They are what employers advertise, not offers, not what people are paid, and not a market average. RoleWeek lists a share of all developer roles, and an employer decides whether to post a range at all.
- One role is one card: an opening listed for several places counts once on a page. A role listed in several cities counts on each city’s page.
- Bottom and top of each posted range are summarised separately: the median, and the 25th and 75th percentiles (half of the roles fall between them). A role that posts a single figure counts as both its bottom and its top.
- Yearly ranges only, in one currency per page: CA$ for the Canadian cities, $ for US cities and remote roles. Pay by the hour, day, week or month is never converted or mixed in.
- A page exists only when 15 or more roles list a yearly range; a level gets a row at 10. The numbers are rebuilt every day from the roles posted in the last 7 days.
The roles themselves: Backend developer jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area (30 posted in the last 7 days). Every city and role type: developer salary ranges by city.