Design Engineer Jobs in San Diego, CA

Design engineer jobs in San Diego are concentrated in the defense, aerospace, and medtech sectors, with strong demand across Kearny Mesa, Sorrento Valley, and the Torrey Pines corridor. Employers actively hiring include Apple, Qualcomm, and Blue Origin. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.

Find Design Engineer Jobs

Overview

Open roles882+
Top employerApple
Work type70% On-site
Top credentialBachelor's degree in electrical engineering
Companies hiring37

Showing 4 of 882+ Design Engineer jobs

Qualcomm
Mixed Signal Design Verification Engineer
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Qualcomm
Added 1d ago
Mixed Signal Design Verification Engineer
Qualcomm
San Diego, California
Software Engineering
Solutions Engineering & Architecture
Specialized Engineering
Technical Program Management
$140k - $210k/yr
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
10,000+

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GreenWave Radios™
Staff Hardware Design Engineer – Cellular Base Stations
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GreenWave Radios™
Added 1d ago
Staff Hardware Design Engineer – Cellular Base Stations
GreenWave Radios™
San Diego, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Maintenance & Repair
Specialized Engineering
$140k - $170k/yr
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

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Fabric8Labs
Associate Mechanical Design Engineer
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Fabric8Labs
Added 1d ago
Associate Mechanical Design Engineer
Fabric8Labs
San Diego, California
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
Technical Program Management
$65k - $105k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

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Qualcomm
SoC Systems & Infrastructure Engineer (Design • Validation • Debug • FPGA • Emulation • Software)
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Qualcomm
Added 2d ago
SoC Systems & Infrastructure Engineer (Design • Validation • Debug • FPGA • Emulation • Software)
Qualcomm
San Diego, California
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
$99k - $148k/yr
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
10,000+

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See All 882+ Design Engineer Jobs in San Diego

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

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Design Engineer Job Market in San Diego

Who's Hiring

  • Apple
    Apple154
  • Qualcomm
    Qualcomm88
  • Blue Origin
    Blue Origin77
  • General Atomics
    General Atomics44
  • GreenWave Radios™
    GreenWave Radios™33

Top Industries Hiring

  • Electronics & Hardware132
  • Aerospace & Defense33
  • Medical Devices22
  • Technology & Software22
  • Manufacturing11

Design Engineer Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a design engineer job in San Diego?

Target the defense contractors, aerospace firms, and medical device companies that anchor San Diego's engineering economy, particularly those clustered in Kearny Mesa, Sorrento Valley, and the Miramar corridor. Candidates with CAD proficiency, systems design experience, or a background in electromechanical or biomedical products stand out locally. Networking through San Diego's engineering and defense industry events also opens doors that online applications alone do not.

Which companies hire design engineers in San Diego?

San Diego design engineer roles are posted by Apple, Qualcomm, and Blue Origin and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. San Diego's hiring base leans heavily toward defense primes, medical device manufacturers, and aerospace suppliers, with a growing presence from clean energy and autonomous systems startups.

Are there remote design engineer jobs in San Diego?

Yes, though with limits, since most design engineer roles involve hands-on prototyping, lab access, or hardware collaboration that requires on-site presence. About 30% of design engineer openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those arrangements tend to apply to documentation-heavy, systems integration, or software-adjacent design roles rather than product development positions.

How can I get a design engineer job in San Diego with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path in San Diego is targeting contract or junior design roles at medical device companies and defense subcontractors, which regularly bring on early-career engineers for CAD drafting, component testing, and design documentation. UC San Diego and SDSU co-op programs place students directly with local employers. Building a portfolio of SolidWorks or AutoCAD projects and pursuing a CSWA certification strengthens applications for these entry-level openings.

Which industries hire the most design engineers in San Diego?

Most design engineer openings in San Diego sit in Electronics & Hardware, Aerospace & Defense, and Medical Devices, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. San Diego's concentration of defense contracts, FDA-regulated medtech firms, and aerospace suppliers creates sustained demand for design engineers across all experience levels.

See All 882+ Design Engineer Jobs in San Diego

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

Find Design Engineer Jobs