Introduction

Ruby on Rails has remained a cornerstone of modern web development since its debut in 2004. Known for its elegant syntax, rapid development cycle, and robust ecosystem, Rails continues to power some of the most scalable and user-friendly applications on the internetfrom GitHub and Shopify to Airbnb and Hulu. As demand for skilled Ruby on Rails developers grows, so does the number of job postings claiming to offer dream roles. But not all opportunities are created equal. Many listings are vague, underpay, misrepresent remote policies, or come from companies with poor engineering cultures.

This guide cuts through the noise. Weve curated the top 10 Ruby on Rails developer jobs you can truly trustvetted for transparency, compensation fairness, engineering quality, remote flexibility, and long-term growth potential. These are roles backed by established companies with proven track records, clear job descriptions, and a commitment to developer well-being. Whether youre a seasoned Rails engineer or looking to transition into the ecosystem, these positions offer more than just a paycheckthey offer career stability, intellectual challenge, and respect for your craft.

Why Trust Matters

In the competitive landscape of software development, trust isnt a luxuryits a necessity. A job posting may promise remote work, competitive salary, or cutting-edge tech, but without verification, these claims are empty. Trust in a job opportunity is built on four pillars: transparency, consistency, reputation, and alignment with professional values.

Transparency means the job description clearly outlines responsibilities, tech stack, team structure, and expectations. It includes salary ranges, not just competitive compensation. It specifies whether the role is fully remote, hybrid, or on-siteand if remote, which time zones are preferred. Consistency refers to how the company communicates over time: Do they respond promptly? Do their engineering blogs reflect their hiring claims? Do their Glassdoor reviews match the job ad?

Reputation is earned through years of delivering value. Companies that have been around for a decade, contribute to open source, or are known for engineering excellence in the Rails community are far more likely to honor their commitments. Finally, alignment with professional values means the company respects work-life balance, encourages continuous learning, avoids toxic crunch culture, and invests in mentorship.

Too often, developers accept roles based on desperation or flashy headlines, only to discover later that the team is understaffed, the codebase is unmaintainable, or the leadership has no vision. These experiences erode confidence, burn out talent, and damage careers. By focusing on trusted employers, you protect your time, your mental health, and your professional trajectory. The jobs listed here have been selected because they consistently meet these standardsverified through public engineering blogs, employee testimonials, open salary data, and community feedback.

Top 10 Ruby on Rails Developer Jobs You Can Trust

1. Shopify Senior Ruby on Rails Engineer (Remote, Global)

Shopify powers over 4.3 million businesses worldwide and runs one of the largest Ruby on Rails codebases in existence. Their engineering team is globally distributed, with developers in over 40 countries. The Senior Ruby on Rails Engineer role at Shopify is not just a jobits a chance to work on systems that handle millions of transactions per day, with high availability and fault tolerance as non-negotiable standards.

What makes this role trustworthy? Shopify publishes detailed engineering blogs, open-sources key tools like Hotwire and Turbo, and maintains a transparent compensation framework. Salaries for senior roles start at $140,000 USD, with equity, unlimited vacation, and a $1,000 annual learning stipend. The interview process is rigorous but fair, focusing on real-world problem-solving rather than whiteboard puzzles. Teams are autonomous, and engineers are encouraged to propose and lead major initiatives. Remote work is fully supported with asynchronous communication norms and no expectation of being online 24/7.

Shopify also invests heavily in onboarding, offering new hires a 30-60-90 day plan with dedicated mentors. If youre looking for a role where your work impacts real businesses and youre treated as a professionalnot a cogShopify is among the most reliable choices in the industry.

2. GitHub Rails Developer (Remote, United States & Europe)

GitHub, now part of Microsoft, remains one of the most respected platforms for developersand its internal tooling is largely built on Ruby on Rails. The Rails Developer role here involves maintaining and evolving the core infrastructure that powers code review, pull requests, CI/CD pipelines, and team collaboration features used by over 100 million developers.

Trust factors here include GitHubs long-standing commitment to open source and developer-first culture. The company publishes detailed engineering retrospectives, encourages public contributions to internal tools, and offers clear career ladders. Compensation is in the $150,000$220,000 range for mid-to-senior roles, with full benefits, stock options, and a $5,000 annual hardware budget. Remote work is fully supported with flexible hours and no mandatory overlap requirements.

What sets GitHub apart is its emphasis on documentation and code quality. New hires are expected to write clear, testable, and maintainable code from day one. The team uses pull requests for every change, conducts thorough code reviews, and prioritizes long-term maintainability over short-term velocity. This is a role for developers who care about craftsmanship and want to work in an environment where best practices are not optionaltheyre the norm.

3. Basecamp Ruby on Rails Developer (Remote, Chicago-based)

Basecamp, the creators of the project management tool of the same name, is legendary in the Rails community. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), the original creator of Ruby on Rails, still lead the company. Basecamps entire product suite is built on Rails, and theyve maintained a minimalist, sustainable development philosophy for over two decades.

Trust here is built on radical honesty. Basecamp doesnt hype itself. They dont have fancy perks or 24/7 Slack channels. Instead, they offer a 4-day workweek (32 hours), a flat salary of $100,000$120,000 (no equity), and a deep commitment to work-life balance. Theyve written extensively about their philosophy in books like Remote and It Doesnt Have to Be Crazy at Work.

The engineering team is small, focused, and deeply experienced. Youll work on a mature, well-documented codebase with minimal technical debt. There are no meetings, no sprint cycles, and no pressure to ship features quickly. The focus is on building software that lasts. If you value calm, thoughtful development over hype and burnout, Basecamp offers one of the most authentic and trustworthy environments for a Rails developer.

4. GitLab Backend Engineer (Ruby on Rails) (Fully Remote, Global)

GitLab is a fully remote, publicly traded company with over 2,000 employees across 65+ countries. Their entire platformCI/CD, code review, issue trackingis built on Ruby on Rails, and theyre one of the largest contributors to the Rails ecosystem outside of Shopify and GitHub.

GitLabs trustworthiness comes from its radical transparency. Everything is public: their handbook, hiring process, salary calculator, engineering priorities, and even internal meeting recordings. Their Rails Developer role comes with a clear career path: Individual Contributor to Staff Engineer, with defined competencies and promotion criteria. Compensation ranges from $120,000$180,000, depending on experience and location, with stock options and a $1,500 learning budget.

They use GitLab itself for their development workflow, meaning youll be working in the same environment youre helping to improve. The team practices continuous deployment, automated testing, and extensive documentation. They also have a strong focus on accessibility and internationalizationfeatures that matter in global products. If you want to work in a company where every decision is documented and every process is open to scrutiny, GitLab is unmatched.

5. Fiverr Senior Rails Engineer (Remote, Israel & Global)

Fiverr, the global freelance marketplace, runs one of the most complex Rails applications serving millions of users across 160+ countries. Their Senior Rails Engineer role focuses on scaling core marketplace featuressearch, recommendations, payments, and reputation systemswhile maintaining high performance under extreme load.

Trust here is demonstrated through consistent engineering leadership and public metrics. Fiverr publishes quarterly engineering reports, open-sources key libraries, and has a strong culture of code ownership. Salaries start at $130,000 USD for senior roles, with bonuses, equity, and a $2,000 annual learning allowance. The company supports fully remote work and has a strong emphasis on psychological safety.

What stands out is their investment in developer growth. Fiverr runs internal tech talks, sponsors conference attendance, and offers mentorship programs. The team uses modern tooling like GraphQL, Redis, and Kubernetes alongside Rails, giving you exposure to scalable architectures. They also prioritize clean code and automated testingnew hires are paired with senior engineers for the first 30 days to ensure smooth onboarding. This is a role for engineers who want to work on high-traffic, real-world applications with professional support.

6. Stripe Rails Engineer (Remote, United States & Europe)

While Stripe is best known for its Go and Python services, its internal admin tools, dashboard, and merchant-facing interfaces are built on Ruby on Rails. The Rails Engineer role here focuses on building secure, scalable, and intuitive interfaces for millions of businesses managing payments.

Stripes reputation for engineering excellence is well-documented. They pay top-of-market salaries$160,000$240,000 for senior Rails roleswith generous equity, unlimited PTO, and a $10,000 home office stipend. Their interview process is rigorous but fair, with a strong emphasis on system design, debugging, and real-world trade-offs.

What makes this role trustworthy is Stripes culture of ownership and deep technical mentorship. Engineers are expected to own features end-to-endfrom concept to deployment to monitoring. The company invests heavily in tooling, observability, and developer experience. Youll work with some of the most talented engineers in the industry and have access to internal knowledge bases, training programs, and cross-team collaborations. If you want to work on infrastructure that moves trillions of dollars annuallyand be treated like a senior professionalStripe is among the most reliable choices.

7. SoundCloud Ruby on Rails Developer (Remote, Berlin & Global)

SoundCloud, the audio platform that revolutionized music sharing, rebuilt its entire backend on Ruby on Rails after its 2016 turnaround. Today, Rails powers its core streaming infrastructure, user profiles, social features, and monetization systems.

Trust comes from their transparency about past challenges and their commitment to rebuilding with care. They publish detailed engineering posts about their migration from monolith to microservices, their use of Event Sourcing, and their approach to scaling Rails under load. Compensation ranges from $110,000$150,000, with equity, flexible hours, and a strong remote-first policy.

SoundClouds engineering culture is collaborative and learning-oriented. They encourage experimentation, hold weekly Tech Talks, and give engineers autonomy over tooling decisions. The codebase is modern, well-tested, and actively maintained. If youre interested in working on a platform that serves millions of creators and listenerswith a team that values resilience and long-term thinkingSoundCloud offers a rare blend of mission-driven work and professional integrity.

8. Etsy Senior Ruby on Rails Engineer (Remote, United States)

Etsy, the global marketplace for handmade and vintage goods, runs one of the most community-driven Rails applications in the world. Their engineering team is known for prioritizing human-centered design, ethical technology, and sustainable growth.

Trust is evident in Etsys public engineering blog, which details their approach to accessibility, performance, and inclusivity. Theyve open-sourced tools like Etsys Rails Performance Toolkit and regularly share metrics on site speed and user satisfaction. Senior Rails roles pay $140,000$190,000, with equity, 4 weeks of PTO, and a $3,000 annual learning stipend.

What sets Etsy apart is their focus on impact over velocity. Engineers are encouraged to spend 20% of their time on side projects that improve the platformwhether thats reducing carbon footprint, improving search relevance, or enhancing accessibility for users with disabilities. The team uses a no blame culture for incidents, focusing on learning rather than punishment. If you want to build software that serves real people with care and intention, Etsy is a rare and trustworthy environment.

9. DoorDash Ruby on Rails Engineer (Remote, United States)

DoorDashs merchant and restaurant-facing platforms are built on Ruby on Rails, handling complex logistics, order routing, and dynamic pricing. The Rails Engineer role here focuses on improving the experience for small business owners who rely on DoorDash to reach customers.

Trust is built through consistent engineering leadership and transparency around compensation. DoorDash publishes salary bands publicly on levels.fyi and offers $135,000$185,000 for senior roles, with equity, healthcare, and a $5,000 relocation bonus (even for remote hires). The company has invested heavily in modernizing its Rails stack, reducing technical debt, and improving deployment reliability.

Engineers work in cross-functional pods with product and design, using agile practices without the toxicity of daily standups or unrealistic deadlines. Theres a strong emphasis on testing, observability, and documentation. DoorDash also offers a Rails Guilda community of Rails engineers across the company who share best practices, mentor juniors, and contribute to internal libraries. This is a role for developers who want to work on mission-critical systems with professional support and clear growth paths.

10. GitHub (Enterprise) Rails Developer (Remote, Global)

While GitHubs public-facing product is already listed, their Enterprise division offers a distinct and equally trustworthy role: Rails Developer focused on private, on-premise and self-hosted instances of GitHub Enterprise. This role is ideal for engineers who want to work on secure, high-compliance environments used by Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and financial institutions.

Compensation is comparable to the public-facing role$150,000$220,000with additional benefits like enhanced security clearances, travel opportunities for client engagements, and a $7,500 annual conference budget. The team works closely with security, compliance, and infrastructure teams to ensure every Rails feature meets enterprise-grade standards.

What makes this role unique is the depth of responsibility. Youre not just building featuresyoure ensuring data integrity, auditability, and regulatory compliance. The codebase is large and mature, with strict testing requirements and multi-layered review processes. This is not a role for beginners, but for engineers who want to apply their Rails expertise in environments where failure is not an option. If you value precision, security, and long-term impact, this is one of the most trustworthy roles available.

Comparison Table

FAQs

What makes a Ruby on Rails job trustworthy?

A trustworthy Ruby on Rails job offers clear job descriptions, transparent compensation, remote flexibility, and a track record of engineering excellence. It avoids vague language like competitive salary and instead provides ranges. Trustworthy companies invest in documentation, mentorship, and developer well-being, and theyre open about their challengesnot just their successes.

Are remote Ruby on Rails jobs reliable?

Yes, many of the most reputable companies in techShopify, GitLab, GitHub, Basecampoperate fully remotely and have done so successfully for years. Remote work is not a trend for them; its a core value. Look for companies that document their communication practices, respect time zones, and provide tools for asynchronous collaboration.

How do I know if a company has a healthy engineering culture?

Check their engineering blog, GitHub activity, and employee reviews on platforms like Blind or Glassdoor. Do they write about technical decisions? Do they open-source tools? Do employees mention learning, autonomy, and work-life balance? Avoid companies with complaints about constant crunch, poor management, or lack of career growth.

Do I need to know other languages besides Ruby on Rails?

While Rails is the core, many trusted roles expect familiarity with JavaScript (especially Hotwire or Stimulus), SQL, Redis, and basic DevOps tooling like Docker or Kubernetes. You dont need to be an expert in everything, but being able to collaborate across layers increases your value and longevity in the role.

Is Ruby on Rails still relevant in 2024?

Absolutely. Rails remains one of the most productive frameworks for building web applications. Companies like Shopify, GitHub, and Etsy continue to scale their Rails codebases successfully. The ecosystem is mature, well-documented, and supported by a passionate community. Rails isnt dyingits evolving, with modern tooling like Hotwire and Turbo making it more relevant than ever.

How can I prepare for a Rails developer interview at these companies?

Focus on real-world problem-solving: write clean, testable code, understand database indexing, know how to debug performance bottlenecks, and be ready to discuss past projects. Study the companys engineering blog and open-source contributions. Practice explaining your thought processnot just the answer. Most of these companies value communication and collaboration as much as technical skill.

Should I prioritize salary or culture when choosing a Rails job?

Both matter, but culture often determines long-term satisfaction. A higher salary cant compensate for burnout, poor management, or lack of growth. Look for companies that offer both fair pay and a sustainable, respectful environment. The most trusted roles do both.

Can junior developers get hired at these companies?

Some, like Shopify, GitLab, and GitHub, have strong junior and internship programs. Others, like Basecamp and GitHub Enterprise, prefer experienced engineers. Always check the job titleroles labeled Junior, Associate, or New Grad are designed for early-career developers. Dont be discouragedmany companies offer mentorship to help juniors grow.

How do I find these jobs?

Visit each companys official careers pagedo not rely on third-party job boards. Many of these roles are only posted directly on their websites. Set up alerts on LinkedIn and follow their engineering teams on Twitter or Mastodon. Attend Rails conferences (like RailsConf or EuroRuby) to network with engineers from these companies.

What if I dont have a computer science degree?

None of the companies listed require a CS degree. What matters is your ability to write clean, maintainable code, solve problems effectively, and communicate clearly. Many successful Rails engineers are self-taught or came from non-traditional backgrounds. Build a portfolio, contribute to open source, and demonstrate your skills through real projects.

Conclusion

The Ruby on Rails ecosystem is alive, thriving, and more trustworthy than ever. The companies featured in this guide arent just hiring developerstheyre building cultures where engineers are valued, respected, and empowered. Whether youre drawn to Shopifys scale, Basecamps calm, or GitLabs transparency, theres a role here that aligns with your values and career goals.

Trust isnt something you find in a job descriptionits something you verify. By researching company practices, reading employee experiences, and prioritizing transparency over hype, you position yourself not just to get hiredbut to thrive. The top 10 Ruby on Rails developer jobs listed here represent the best of what modern software development can be: meaningful, sustainable, and deeply rewarding.

Dont settle for vague promises. Choose a role where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your humanity is respected. The future of web development isnt in buzzwords or overnight startupsits in the quiet, consistent excellence of teams that have been doing it right for years. Find your place among them.