Role report · Software
Backend Engineer: what employers ask for
Of 250 Backend Engineer postings from 131 employers in the United States and Canada over the last 180 days, 52% ask for Distributed Systems, 44% for AWS, 43% for REST APIs, 42% for Kubernetes and 41% for Go.
From 250 Backend Engineer postings in the United States and Canada, April 23, 2026 to October 20, 2026. Updated October 20, 2026. How we count
- Postings read
- 250from 131 employers
- Remote
- 48%of postings
- Most common level
- Senior47% of postings
- Experience asked
- 5 yearsmedian, from 145 postings that state it
- Advertised pay
- $202,000median a year, from 87 postings in US dollars
The skills employers ask for most
The share of Backend Engineer postings that name each skill, and how often a posting that names it lists it as required rather than nice to have.
| Skill | Share of postings | Required when named |
|---|---|---|
| Distributed Systems | 91% | |
| AWS | 78% | |
| REST APIs | 98% | |
| Kubernetes | 70% | |
| Go | 79% | |
| Python | 75% | |
| Observability | 81% | |
| PostgreSQL | 70% | |
| Code Review | 99% | |
| Microservices | 91% | |
| Docker | 72% | |
| Java | 83% | |
| Git | 94% | |
| CI/CD | 87% | |
| GCP | 62% | |
| AI Agents | 75% | |
| SQL | 91% | |
| Testing | 95% | |
| Apache Kafka | 60% | |
| Azure | 72% |
Taking a larger share
Month on month, comparing like with like; only moves clear of noise are named.
Seniority
| Level | Share | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior | 118 | |
| Mid | 78 | |
| Staff | 35 | |
| Lead | 8 | |
| Principal | 8 | |
| Director+ | 3 |
Professional skills
Asked for alongside the technical ones.
- Communication50%
- Stakeholder Management33%
- Leadership31%
- Collaboration14%
- Technical Leadership12%
Advertised pay
87 of these postings state pay in US dollars. The middle half of their ranges' midpoints runs from $171,000 to $214,000 a year, with a median of $202,000. Pay by level, and what each skill adds to it like for like, is in the app.
Employers with the most postings
- GitLab26 postings
- SumUp16 postings
- Horizon3.ai8 postings
- Verkada8 postings
- Palo Alto Networks8 postings
- LaunchDarkly6 postings
- Stripe5 postings
- Spotify5 postings
Quick answers
What skills does a Backend Engineer need?
The skills named most often in Backend Engineer postings are Distributed Systems, AWS, REST APIs, Kubernetes and Go. Distributed Systems appears in 52% of them.
Are Backend Engineer jobs remote?
48% of the 250 Backend Engineer postings in the last 180 days were remote.
How much experience do Backend Engineer jobs ask for?
Postings that state it ask for a median of 5 years. The most common level is Senior (47% of postings).
What does a Backend Engineer earn?
Postings that state pay advertise a typical $171,000 to $214,000 a year, with a median of $202,000, from 87 postings in US dollars.
Which skills are growing for Backend Engineer roles?
AI Coding Tools, Observability, Rust and AI Agents are taking a larger share of Backend Engineer postings, month on month and comparing like with like.