- Home >
- Startup hiring data >
- Backend Engineer Salary in Los Angeles Startups 2026
Backend Engineer Salary and Equity in Los Angeles 2026
How much does a Backend Engineer expect to make at Los Angeles-based startups? The average expected salary for Backend Engineers in Los Angeles-based startups is 157k per year, with a range from 92k to 235k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Backend Engineers in Los Angeles startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
156.7k
Average Salary
4 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average salary for a Backend Engineer in Los Angeles is $156,667, which is 37.3% higher than the average Los Angeles startup salary of$114,125. Backend Engineer salaries in Los Angeles are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$215,083/yr
Range $185k - $235k
Average
$156,667/yr
Range $110k - $187k
Below Average
$135,917/yr
Range $92k - $155k
Industries
The highest average salary a Backend Engineer in Los Angeles can get in Web3, that is $225,000. This pay is 5.7% higher than the average Backend Engineer salary in Los Angeles, which is $212,800. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Web3 (avg $225,000 per year), News (avg $225,000 per year), Social Media Platforms (avg $225,000 per year).
Tech Stack
The highest average salary a Backend Engineer in Los Angeles can get with Kubernetes, that is $170,000. This pay is 49.0% higher than the average salary in Los Angeles startups, which is $114,125. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
Top Tech Stacks
The top-paying Backend Engineer skills in Los Angeles of 2026 are:
1. Kubernetes
$170k
2. TypeScript
$162k
3. MySQL
$152.5k
4. Laravel
$152.5k
5. C++
$145k
6. Rust
$145k
7. SQL
$140k
8. Firebase
$140k
9. GraphQL
$135k
10. Python
$135k
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Backend Engineer in Los Angeles can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $207,000. This pay is 81.4% higher than the average salary in Los Angeles startups, which is $114,125. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
Popular roles
Software EngineerMobile DeveloperAndroid DeveloperiOS DeveloperFrontend EngineerBackend EngineerFull-Stack EngineerSoftware ArchitectMachine Learning EngineerEmbedded EngineerData EngineerDevOpsEngineering ManagerQA EngineerData ScientistDesignerUI/UX DesignerUser ResearcherVisual DesignerCreative DirectorGraphic Designer Product DesignerProduct ManagerOperationsFinance/AccountingH.R.Office ManagerRecruiterCustomer ServiceOperations ManagerSalesBusiness DevelopmentSales Development RepresentativeAccount ExecutiveBD ManagerAccount ManagerSales ManagerCustomer Success ManagerMarketingGrowth HackerMarketing ManagerContent CreatorCopywriterSocial Media ManagerManagementCEOCFOCMOCOOCTOOther EngineeringHardware EngineerMechanical EngineerSystems EngineerOtherBusiness AnalystProject ManagerAttorneyData AnalystInvestorLimited PartnerStrategic InvestorInstitutional InvestorVenture DebtVCSeed FundIndividual InvestorAngelFounder