Circuit Design Engineer Jobs in California

Circuit Design Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and consumer electronics across a wide band of seniority from junior hardware designer through principal engineer. The largest hiring activity clusters in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and Los Angeles, where established employers such as Qualcomm, Intel, and Northrop Grumman maintain major engineering campuses. The most in-demand specialties right now are mixed-signal IC design, RF and analog circuit design, and low-power embedded hardware for mobile and automotive applications. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

Find Circuit Design Engineer Jobs

Overview

Open roles26
Top employerApple
Top citySan Jose, CA
Cities hiring8
Work type67% On-site
Top industryElectronics

Showing 4 of 26+ Circuit Design Engineer jobs

L3Harris
Lead, Electrical Engineer (Printed Circuit Board Design)
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L3Harris
Added 4d ago
Lead, Electrical Engineer (Printed Circuit Board Design)
L3Harris
San Diego, California
Compliance & Legal
Compliance & Risk
Human Resources
$128k - $237k/yr
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

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Lockheed Martin
Circuit Design Engineer Prin - E6
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Lockheed Martin
Added 5d ago
Circuit Design Engineer Prin - E6
Lockheed Martin
Goleta, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
Specialized Engineering
$205k - $381k/yr
Master's degree
10,000+

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NVIDIA
Senior SRAM Engineer, Circuit Design
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NVIDIA
Added 5d ago
Senior SRAM Engineer, Circuit Design
NVIDIA
Santa Clara, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Mechanical Engineering
Specialized Engineering
$136k - $265k/yr
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
10,000+

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Apple
Digital Circuit Design Engineer
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Apple
Added 1w ago
Digital Circuit Design Engineer
Apple
Cupertino, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Mechanical Engineering
Product Management
$149k - $218k/yr
Master's degree in electrical engineering
10,000+

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See All 26 Circuit Design Engineer Jobs in California

Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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Circuit Design Engineer Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

San Jose
7 jobs
Santa Clara
6 jobs
Sunnyvale
4 jobs
Cupertino
3 jobs
San Diego
3 jobs
Goleta
1 job
Milpitas
1 job
San Francisco Bay Area
1 job

Circuit Design Engineer Job Market in California

A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

Apple
Apple6 open roles
Nokia
Nokia4 open roles
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin3 open roles

Top Industries Hiring

  • Electronics & Hardware
  • Telecommunications

What California Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in circuit design engineer jobs across California.

  • Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related engineering discipline
  • Proficiency with industry-standard EDA tools such as Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics
  • Hands-on experience with analog, digital, or mixed-signal circuit design and simulation
  • Familiarity with PCB layout, signal integrity analysis, and design-for-manufacturability principles
  • Experience collaborating with cross-functional hardware and firmware teams in product development
  • Strong documentation skills for schematics, design reviews, and verification test plans

Circuit Design Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a circuit design engineer in California?

The most direct path is a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from an accredited program, which is the baseline qualification California employers require. California does not mandate a state-issued professional license for most circuit design engineering roles in private industry, though engineers who sign off on public-works projects may pursue licensure through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Building a portfolio of real hardware projects and gaining internship experience at one of California's many semiconductor or defense firms significantly strengthens a candidate's profile.

How much do circuit design engineers make in California?

Circuit design engineers in California earn a median of about $160,520 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $97,140 for the lowest 10% to over $225,400 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.

Which companies hire circuit design engineers in California?

Employers hiring circuit design engineers in California right now include Apple, Nokia, and Lockheed Martin, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. California's deep semiconductor and aerospace ecosystem means openings appear consistently at both large OEMs and specialized IC design houses concentrated in the Bay Area and San Diego corridors.

Which California cities have the most circuit design engineer jobs?

San Jose, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale account for the largest share of circuit design engineer openings in California. The Bay Area leads because it is home to the headquarters and major design centers of the global semiconductor industry, San Diego is anchored by Qualcomm and a dense cluster of wireless and defense electronics firms, and Los Angeles draws from its aerospace and defense prime-contractor base including Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.

Are there remote circuit design engineer jobs in California?

Yes, but they're less common than in purely software-focused roles because circuit design engineering frequently requires access to lab equipment, prototype hardware, and on-site fabrication resources. About 33% of circuit design engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and those positions tend to cover the more simulation-heavy and documentation-intensive phases of design rather than bring-up and verification work.

How can I get hired as a circuit design engineer in California with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry point is a structured internship or new-graduate rotational program at one of California's large semiconductor or aerospace employers, several of which run formal early-career hardware programs targeting recent graduates. Companies such as Qualcomm, Intel, and Northrop Grumman regularly post associate hardware engineer and junior analog design roles that treat a strong senior capstone project or university research contribution as equivalent to industry experience. Candidates who can demonstrate hands-on PCB or IC layout work through a personal or academic portfolio, and who hold an EIT designation from the California Board for Professional Engineers, stand out in a competitive new-graduate pool.

Where can I find and apply to circuit design engineer jobs in California?

You can find and apply to circuit design engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated regularly. Search the listings, find roles that match your experience and location, and apply directly to the ones that fit.

See All 26 Circuit Design Engineer Jobs in California

Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Circuit Design Engineer Jobs