Avalara software engineer candidates report an online aptitude test and HackerRank coding round, followed by DSA and resume-focused interviews and an HR or manager conversation. Reports vary by role and year.
$112K
Avg. Base Comp
$115K
Avg. Total Comp
3-4 rounds
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
Candidates describing Avalara software engineering interviews most often start with an online screen. Reports mention an aptitude test, in one case 40 questions in 20 minutes plus a personality assessment, and in another a 40-minute test with math and verbal reasoning. A HackerRank coding round follows. One candidate saw three problems ranging from easy to hard, and another saw two problems over about two hours. Another described the coding level as moderate to difficult from the first question.
The early rounds are a steep filter in these reports. One candidate said that of the 16 people from their college who cleared the coding round, only 6 reached the HR and managerial round, and only three received offers. Prepare data structures and algorithms fundamentals. Also practice a task that involves calling an API. One candidate had to make an HTTP request, parse the response and compute a result, and said it was the part they had not prepared for.
The later interviews lean on your background. One candidate spent about forty minutes of a ninety-minute technical interview on their resume and projects. Another said the interviewer asked mostly about internships and past work. Be ready to explain your project decisions clearly, then reason through DSA and CS fundamentals aloud. Candidates describe the final conversation with a hiring manager or HR as more conversational.
Experiences after the interviews are mixed. One candidate said HR stopped responding at the end of the process, so keep your own notes and confirm next steps in writing. Outcomes include one offer and several rejections, so reports are too limited to define a fixed process.
Synthesized from 9 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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Real interview reports from people who went through the Avalara process.
The Avalara interview process started with an aptitude test—basic questions with a one-minute timer for each, which felt like a quick filter to move forward. Once I passed that, I moved into a coding round that jumped straight to moderate-to-difficult problems. There was no easing in. I found the technical bar was genuinely high; they clearly expect deep knowledge of data structures and algorithms, not just surface-level familiarity. After the coding round came the in-person interview, which had two phases: first a technical round where they drilled deeper into DSA concepts, then an HR round. The technical questions themselves required a lot of thinking before answering; they weren't straightforward implementations but problems that demanded I reason through the approach carefully. The company is definitely geared toward people who like a real challenge and enjoy tackling novel problems. Fair warning: compensation wasn't discussed openly during my process, which was a bit frustrating when evaluating the offer.
Prep tip from this candidate
Drill DSA fundamentals thoroughly—not just knowing algorithms but being able to explain the reasoning behind your approach under time pressure. The aptitude test filters quickly, so don't overlook the basics, and prepare for a coding round that jumps into moderate-to-difficult complexity without warm-up problems.
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Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Avalara
Create top_ads with the top 3 ads and return the row counts for inner, left, right, and cross joins with ads
| Question | |
|---|---|
| Your Strengths and Weaknesses | |
| 2nd Highest Salary | |
| Empty Neighborhoods | |
| Top Three Salaries | |
| Closest SAT Scores | |
| Merge Sorted Lists | |
| Subscription Overlap | |
| Monthly Customer Report | |
| Rolling Bank Transactions | |
| Random SQL Sample | |
| Top 3 Users | |
| Top 5 Turnover Risk | |
| String Shift | |
| Customer Orders | |
| Comments Histogram | |
| Minimum Change | |
| Raining in Seattle | |
| Bagging vs Boosting | |
| Flight Records | |
| Scrambled Tickets | |
| Prime to N | |
| Find the First Non-Repeating Character in a String | |
| Over 100 Dollars | |
| Upsell Transactions | |
| Maximum Profit | |
| Retailer Data Warehouse | |
| First Touch Attribution | |
| Download Facts | |
| Job Recommendation |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates report an online aptitude test before any interview. One described 40 questions in 20 minutes plus a personality assessment, and another a 40-minute test of math and verbal reasoning. Timing and content appear to vary, so practice quick, basic reasoning under a clock.
Candidates report a HackerRank assessment with two or three problems. Reported content includes counting word frequencies and an API-based task that required making an HTTP request and parsing the response. Another candidate found the coding moderate to difficult from the start. This round acts as an early filter, so practice DSA and API handling.
Candidates who advanced describe a technical interview centered on their resume, projects and internships, plus DSA and CS fundamentals. One reported about 40 minutes on past work within a roughly 90-minute session, with some database and server topics. Expect to explain your decisions and reasoning, not only give answers.
Candidates describe a final HR, managerial or hiring manager conversation. One found it conversational, about 30 to 45 minutes, covering experiences, challenges and team fit. Outcomes after this stage varied, and one candidate said HR stopped responding at the end, so follow up politely and confirm next steps in writing.
