5 Active Listings Updated February 2026

Backend Salary Data

Real compensation packages for Backend developers at high-growth startups. Based on direct data from Hacker News "Who is Hiring" threads.

Median Salary

$140,900

/year

Based on 5 verified postings

Market Range (P25 - P75)

$132,000-$176,000

Top Earners (Max)

$200,000

Entry ($123,041)MedianTop ($200,000)

Top Companies Hiring

Location Distribution

Other100%

verified_listings

ChipStack

Senior Software Engineer

[F]grind

$200,000 +

Backend Platform Artificial Intelligence Customer Facing Application Gtm Engineers

DuckDuckGo

Multiple Roles

@HRgrind

$176,000 - $242,000

C++Apple Backend Windows Desktop App

Icario Health

Sr. Software Engineer

[E]stable

$140,900 - $157,600

Cloud Java Java Kubernetes Backend

Apsis Labs

Staff Frontend Engineer

[E]zen

$132,000 - $132,000

Frontend Full Stack Backend

Defense Digital Service

Engineer

[E]grind

$123,041 - $191,900

Frontend Backend Hardware Data Machine Learning

COMPANY	ROLE		VIBE	STACK
ChipStack	Senior Software Engineer	$200,000 +	[F]grind	Backend Platform Artificial Intelligence+2	Y
DuckDuckGo	Multiple Roles	$176,000 - $242,000	@HRgrind	C++Apple Backend+1	Y
Icario Health	Sr. Software Engineer	$140,900 - $157,600	[E]stable	Cloud Java Java+3	Y
Apsis Labs	Staff Frontend Engineer	$132,000 - $132,000	[E]zen	Frontend Full Stack Backend	Y
Defense Digital Service	Engineer	$123,041 - $191,900	[E]grind	Frontend Backend Hardware+2	Y

Showing 5 of 5 jobs

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Commonly Paired With

Java 40%Frontend 40%Platform 20%

## Market Signal (February 2026)

Top Hirers: ChipStack leads hiring for Backend roles with 1 active posts, followed by DuckDuckGo.

### 🌍 Location & Remote Dynamics

### 💡 Tech Stack Context
Common Stack: 40% of Backend jobs also require Java, and 40% mention Frontend.

### 💰 Compensation Analysis
The median base salary for Backend developers is $140,900, with top-tier roles (P75) reaching $176,000.