June 2026 data
Backend startup salary data
As of June 2026, the median Backend salary at startups is $150k across 8 verified Hacker News “Who is Hiring” listings.
Based on 8 verified Backend listings from Hacker News “Who is Hiring”. Sample size is shown so you know how much weight to give the number.
Market Signal (August 2026)
Top Hirers: Caplight leads hiring for Backend roles with 1 active posts, followed by ChipStack.
🌍 Location & Remote Dynamics
SF Centric: Backend roles are concentrated in the SF Bay Area (38% of listings), often paying a location premium. Onsite Premium: Onsite Backend roles offer a 25% higher median salary ($175,000) than remote alternatives.
💡 Tech Stack Context
Common Stack: 25% of Backend jobs also require Full Stack, and 25% mention Artificial Intelligence.
💰 Compensation Analysis
The median base salary for Backend developers is $150,000, with top-tier roles (P75) reaching $200,000.
Backend jobs
| COMPANY | ROLE | SALARY | VIBE | STACK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caplight | Backend/Fullstack Engineer | USD 225,000 - USD 350,000 |
[F] grind
|
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| ChipStack | Senior Software Engineer | USD 200,000 + |
[F] grind
|
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| Neon Health | Senior Backend Engineer | USD 175,000 - USD 225,000 |
[F] CRUNCH
|
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| Ohr | Founding AI Infrastructure Engineer | USD 150,000 - USD 220,000 |
[F] zen
|
||
| Falconer | Founding Backend Engineer | USD 150,000 - USD 250,000 |
[E] grind
|
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| Icario Health | Sr. Software Engineer | USD 140,900 - USD 157,600 |
[E] stable
|
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| Apsis Labs | Staff Frontend Engineer | USD 132,000 - USD 132,000 |
[E] zen
|
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| Defense Digital Service | Engineer | USD 123,041 - USD 191,900 |
[E] grind
|