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Senior Backend Engineer — AI

Perplexity· San Francisco, CA· Ref. EXP-2026-0030 4.5 (95 reviews)
Easy applyFull-timeHybrid
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Salary
$155k – $215k / year
Type
Full-time
Location
San Francisco, CA · San Francisco (California) · Hybrid
Valid through
10/31/2026

Additional details

Posted
Posted 4 days ago
Applications
42
on Ganloss
Experience
Mid · 3+ years
Education
BS/MS CS, ML, or equivalent experience
Region
California
Team
Perplexity — AI team
Company size
100-250
Founded
2022

Job description

Perplexity is hiring a Senior Backend Engineer — AI (Full-time) hybrid. This llm engineer role is part of the AI hiring market in San Francisco (California). Scale low-latency serving paths for millions of daily queries. Listed compensation: $155k – $215k / year. Stack: Go, Python, Distributed systems, LLM.

LLM Engineer profiles are in high demand in San Francisco: San Francisco and the Bay Area host the largest share of US AI hiring: LLM, MLOps, foundational research, and GenAI products. OpenAI partners, Databricks, Scale AI, and hundreds of…

The team

Perplexity — AI team

Responsibilities

  • Ship production AI features with measurable quality and latency targets
  • Partner with product and design on roadmap and customer feedback
  • Improve observability, evals, and safe rollout practices

Requirements

  • Strong Python or TypeScript fundamentals and 3+ years relevant experience
  • Hands-on LLM, ML, or data platform work in production
  • Clear written communication and async collaboration

Tech stack

GoPythonDistributed systemsLLM

Benefits

Health, dental, vision
401(k) match
Equity
Learning budget
Flexible PTO

Hiring process

  1. 1Recruiter screen (30 min)
  2. 2Technical interview (60 min)
  3. 3Team fit
  4. 4Offer

Experience: Mid · 3+ years · Education: BS/MS CS, ML, or equivalent experience

Salary guide — LLM Engineer in San Francisco

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FAQ — Senior Backend Engineer — AI

What is the salary for Senior Backend Engineer — AI at Perplexity?
Listed range: $155k – $215k / year (Full-time). Packages often include PTO, remote options, and equity depending on the company.
Where is the Senior Backend Engineer — AI role based?
San Francisco, CA, San Francisco (California). Work mode: Hybrid.
How do I apply to Perplexity?
Create a free Ganloss candidate account, then apply in one click. Job reference: EXP-2026-0030. Process: Recruiter screen (30 min) → Technical interview (60 min) → Team fit → Offer.
Is Perplexity hiring other AI roles?
Perplexity (Consumer AI) hires across LLM, ML, data, and AI product. See all openings on the Ganloss company page.

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