AI Data Engineer Jobs in California
AI Data Engineer jobs in California represent one of the most active markets in the country, with demand concentrated in technology, entertainment, healthcare, and financial services and openings at every level from entry-level associate to principal engineer. The highest volume of hiring is in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where established employers like Google, Salesforce, and Kaiser Permanente maintain large data engineering teams. The most in-demand specialties are large language model (LLM) pipeline development, real-time feature stores, and MLOps infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find AI Data Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 1,904+ AI Data Engineer jobs











INTRODUCTION
We are looking for the best
About us
42dot is a mobility AI company committed to solving mobility challenges with software and AI. As the Global Software Center of Hyundai Motor Group, 42dot pioneers the future of mobility by advancing the development of software-defined vehicles. We develop safety-first, user-centric software-defined vehicle technologies that deliver the latest performance through continuous updates like smartphones. By advancing software and AI technology, 42dot envisions a world where everything is connected and moves autonomously through a self-managing urban transportation operating system. Our AI Data Pipeline Engineers build up the core data processing pipelines and datasets readiness for autonomous driving cutting edge algorithms. We develop the distributed system of a scalable data pipeline for large-scale dataset (millions of scenes), as well as high-performance data serving SDKs for ML model training / evaluation. The data pipelines we deliver could highly improve the efficiency of ML model development lifecycle, including training, evaluation, deployment, as well as monitoring in the cloud environment.
Responsibilities
- Develop high scale, reliable data extraction pipeline to extract millions of raw data from data collection fleet and convert to high-value scene data
- Develop data labeling pipelines to perform the auto labeling inferences for autonomous driving algorithms
- Develop advanced autonomous driving data SDK, including scene data search, datasets preparation, dataset loading, etc.
- Build up the data lakehouse for autonomous driving scene dataset, including the sensor data, calibration data, as well as annotation data
- Dig into performance bottlenecks all along the data processing pipelines, from data processing latency, data search latency to Test Procedure (TP) coverage
- Bootstrap and maintain infrastructure for data platform components—data processing pipeline, database, data lakehouse and data serving
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including ML algorithm, ML application, and Cloud Infra to align data pipelines with overall autonomous driving system architecture
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, Robotics, or a similar technical field
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in Data Engineering, DataOps or ML Platform roles
- Proficient in Python and solid experience in Python SDK development
- Solid hands-on experience with data pipeline job orchestration with Databricks Workflows or Apache Airflow, as well as integrating data pipelines with machine learning models
- Solid working experience in Databases (e.g., MongoDB, PostgreSQL, etc)
- Extensive experience with data technologies and architectures such as Data Warehouse (e.g., Hive) or Lakehouse (e.g., Delta Lake)
- Experience with Apache Spark or other big data computing engines
- Excellent leadership and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to lead technical projects
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with autonomous vehicle sensor data (e.g., LiDAR, camera, radar)
- Experience with ML model training lifecycle (e.g., data preparation, model training / validation / deployment, etc)
- Understanding of modern AI frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow etc.)
- Understanding data governance principles, data privacy regulations, and experience implementing security measures to protect data
See All 1,904+ AI Data Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find AI Data Engineer JobsAI Data Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
AI Data Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Apple192

- TikTok90

- NVIDIA80

- Amazon59

- Adobe52

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software939
- Electronics & Hardware299
- Artificial Intelligence156
- Banking & Financial Services106
- Consulting & Professional Services73
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in AI data engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, data engineering, or a related technical field
- Proficiency building and maintaining data pipelines using Python, SQL, or Scala
- Hands-on experience with cloud platforms such as Google Cloud, AWS, or Azure
- Demonstrated ability to design and operationalize machine learning data infrastructure at scale
- Experience with orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow, dbt, or Spark
- Familiarity with vector databases and embedding pipelines for generative AI applications
AI Data Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a ai data engineer in California?
Most California employers require a bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, or a closely related engineering discipline, and many prefer a master's for senior roles. There is no California state license required for this role. The practical path is to build proficiency in Python, SQL, and cloud data platforms, earn widely recognized credentials such as Google Professional Data Engineer or AWS Certified Data Engineer, and complete portfolio projects demonstrating AI pipeline work before applying to California's large technology and healthcare employers.
How much do AI data engineers make in California?
AI data engineers in California earn a median of about $141,590 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $77,480 for the lowest 10% to over $224,920 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire ai data engineers in California?
Employers hiring ai data engineers in California right now include Apple, TikTok, and NVIDIA, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's concentration of major technology headquarters, biotech firms, and streaming media companies means the range of industries behind these openings is broader here than in most other states.
Which California cities have the most ai data engineer jobs?
San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Clara have the most ai data engineer openings in California. The Bay Area leads because of its density of technology headquarters and AI-focused startups, Los Angeles draws demand from entertainment technology and e-commerce companies, and San Diego's concentration of biotech and defense contractors drives consistent hiring in that market.
Are there remote ai data engineer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 22% of ai data engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how much of this work is performed on cloud infrastructure rather than on-site hardware. Pipeline development, model monitoring, and feature engineering roles tend to be the most remote-friendly, while roles requiring close collaboration with on-site research teams are more likely to require in-office presence.
How can I get hired as a ai data engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving from a data analyst or software engineering role where you already work with pipelines or SQL, then building AI-specific projects publicly to demonstrate readiness. Large California employers including Google, Meta, and Kaiser Permanente run structured associate and rotational data programs that accept recent graduates. Completing a Google Professional Data Engineer certification and contributing to open-source LLM tooling gives your application a concrete edge over candidates without a portfolio.
Where can I find and apply to ai data engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to ai data engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across technology, healthcare, financial services, and other industries. Find the roles that fit your experience and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 1,904+ AI Data Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find AI Data Engineer Jobs