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TikTok · 2 weeks ago

Backend Software Engineer Intern(Media Platform) - 2026 Summer (BS/MS)

San Jose, CA

Internship

Onsite

Intern

$45/hr - $45/hr

Start in 2026 Summer

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video, and they are seeking a Backend Software Engineer Intern for the 2026 summer program. The intern will join the backend engineering team to design and build core services for TikTok’s global video infrastructure, working on projects that impact billions of users.

Content CreatorsContent DiscoveryMedia and EntertainmentSocial MediaVideo

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Work on real-world projects that impact billions of users

Develop high-performance backend components and tools that improve the reliability and efficiency of video processing systems

Contribute to internal tooling, service improvements, and cross-team integration efforts

Learn and apply best practices in large-scale distributed system development

Qualification

GolangCC++Data structuresAlgorithmsSystem designBackend systemsDistributed computingCloud infrastructureMedia processingNetwork performance optimizationWillingness to learnCollaborative environment

Required

Currently pursuing an Undergraduate/Master in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline

Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2026

Programming experience with Golang, C, C++, or similar languages

Understanding of data structures, algorithms, and system design fundamentals

Willingness to learn and contribute in a fast-paced, collaborative environment

Preferred

Previous internship or project experience with backend systems or distributed computing

Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, media processing, or network performance optimization

Benefits

Day one access to health insurance

Life insurance

Wellbeing benefits

10 paid holidays per year

Paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year)

Housing allowance

Company

TikTok

Glassdoor3.4

TikTok is a short-form video entertainment app and social network platform. It is a sub-organization of ByteDance.

Founded in 2003

Los Angeles, California, USA

10001+ employees

https://www.tiktok.com

H1B Sponsorship

TikTok has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

Represents job field similar to this job

Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (979)

2024 (601)

2023 (387)

2022 (322)

2021 (133)

2020 (72)