Design Engineer Jobs in California
Design engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, semiconductor and consumer electronics, medical devices, and automotive systems, with openings at every level from entry-level drafters to principal engineers. The largest hiring metros are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where established employers like Lockheed Martin, Apple, and Qualcomm maintain large engineering workforces and hire design engineers across mechanical, electrical, and systems disciplines. California's density of hardware startups and defense contractors keeps demand for CAD proficiency, systems integration, and product development experience consistently high. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Design Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 882+ Design Engineer jobs









What Your Day Will Look Like:
:Yearly Salary Range $90,000-$150,000 +
What You'll Do:
:- Assist with developing typical sections, alignments, profiles, layouts, and cross-sections.
- Support design team in development of design documentation, plans, and reports for specific tasks and quantity calculations.
- Monitor compliance with applicable codes and engineering practices.
- Perform engineering calculations and estimates.
- Collect and process data for topographic surveys and right-of-way engineering for use in design analysis.
What You'll Need:
:- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.
- Minimum four years of transportation engineering experience.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- Proficiency in MicroStation, AutoCAD, and Civil3D software.
- This hybrid job operates between an office environment and a field environment and routinely requires the use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones and copy machines. May require occasional exposure to work environments that may include inclement weather, heat, humidity, noise, hazard, atmospheric conditions, and bodies of water, depending on project requirements.
- While performing the duties of this job, physical demands of the employee include frequent sitting, moving, standing, talking, hearing, and occasional balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, handling, grasping, and feeling. This job may occasionally require operating a company vehicle, and lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling up to 35 lbs.
What Benefits You’ll Enjoy:
We invest in us. Because our team members go above, below, and beyond the surface to care for our communities (inside and out), we do our best to take care of you by providing a comprehensive benefits package! Eligibility for some of the benefits outlined below is based on full-time work status; part-time and contingent positions are only eligible based on hours worked. If you have questions, contact careers@consoreng.com.
- Career Growth & Development – Tuition reimbursement program, paid professional training, major license achievement bonus, extensive on-demand learning center, and paid professional memberships.
- Work-Life Alignment– Industry-competitive PTO, seven paid holidays and two floating holidays, flexible work schedules, paid parental leave, and eligibility for hybrid and remote work options for some employees based on role responsibilities.
- Wellness – Medical, dental and vision insurance, employee assistance program, fitness reimbursement, and HSA and FSA options.
- Life – Employer-paid STD and LTD, employer-paid term life insurance, and retirement 401(k) with company match.
- Community – Quarterly social events, paid group volunteering events, and employee networks and groups.
How Your Career Will Grow:
How We Support Diversity:
Consor welcomes and celebrates equality and diversity in the workplace. Throughout our teams and across leadership, Consor pursues an environment in which each employee and prospective employee is treated respectfully, valuing the uniqueness of individuals and differing perspectives and experiences. At the heart of this is ensuring employment practices at Consor provide and promote equal employment and development opportunity for all employees and prospective employees, in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations governing personnel activities. As such, Consor is an equal opportunity employer and pursues a program of affirmative action across its offices and worksites.
If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact Human Resources at 888-451-6822 ext. 55214. Persons with hearing and speech impairments can contact Consor by using the Virginia Relay Service, a toll-free telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD). Call 711 for TTY/TDD.
If any applicant believes they have been discriminated against or desires further information or assistance, contact us at 888-451-6822 ext. 55214.
Notice: The above job description is intended to relay a general sense of the position's responsibilities and expectations. It does not describe all tasks that may be assigned. As business demands change, the essential functions of this position may also change. The position requires the successful completion of applicable pre-employment substance screening and background checks.
See All 882+ Design Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Engineer JobsDesign Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Design Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Apple73

- Tesla53

- Google32

- NVIDIA27

- AMD15

Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware107
- Technology & Software68
- Manufacturing30
- Consulting & Professional Services26
- Science & Research7
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in design engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or related engineering discipline required
- Proficiency in CAD software such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or CATIA
- Experience with GD&T, engineering drawings, and tolerance analysis
- Familiarity with product lifecycle management and design-for-manufacturing principles
- Knowledge of industry standards relevant to aerospace, medical devices, or consumer electronics
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with manufacturing, test, and systems teams
Design Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a design engineer in California?
Most design engineer roles in California require a bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or systems engineering from an ABET-accredited program. While no single state license is required to work as a design engineer, engineers who sign off on public-works or infrastructure documents must hold a Professional Engineer license issued by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. For product and hardware roles in private industry, employers prioritize CAD skills and relevant internship or co-op experience.
Which companies hire design engineers in California?
Employers hiring design engineers in California right now include Apple, Tesla, and Google, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of aerospace primes, semiconductor firms, and medical device manufacturers means design engineer demand is spread across both large corporations and well-funded hardware startups.
Which California cities have the most design engineer jobs?
The cities with the most design engineer openings in California are San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara. The Bay Area leads because of its dense hardware and semiconductor ecosystem anchored by companies like Apple, Intel, and NVIDIA, while Los Angeles and San Diego draw heavily from aerospace and defense contractors such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon, which maintain large engineering campuses in both metros.
Are there remote design engineer jobs in California?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely software-focused fields, since design engineering typically involves lab work, prototyping, and hands-on collaboration with manufacturing teams. About 30% of design engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and these tend to concentrate in systems engineering, CAD review, and documentation roles where physical presence is not required daily.
How can I get hired as a design engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying to new-graduate or associate engineer programs at California's large aerospace and defense employers, including Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and L3Harris, all of which run structured rotational or early-career programs in Southern California. Entry-level roles with titles like junior mechanical engineer, CAD technician, or product development associate are common stepping stones. A strong portfolio of SolidWorks or CATIA projects from university coursework, an internship with a Bay Area hardware company or San Diego defense contractor, and progress toward an EIT certification through the California Board for Professional Engineers all give candidates a measurable edge.
Where can I find and apply to design engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to design engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from employers hiring now. Find roles that fit your experience and location and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 882+ Design Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Engineer Jobs