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 JobsOverview
Showing 4 of 959+ Design Engineer jobs









Join a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver outstanding performance for wireless products. As a senior member of the Product RF Design team, you will be at the forefront of wireless technology, pushing the boundaries of achievable performance for innovative products. You'll bring deep, hands-on expertise to a product development team that shapes current and future generations of Apple products, and you'll play a key role in building team capability — guiding junior engineers, fostering collaboration, and strengthening the team's technical culture as it grows. We're looking for an experienced engineer with strong fundamentals and a proven track record in RF/wireless and electromagnetic theory, antenna design, system integration, and wireless communications.
Description
As a mid/senior RF Design Engineer, you bring broad, deep knowledge across RF architecture, design, integration, and manufacturing. You have deep theoretical and practical expertise in electromagnetic theory, RF and wireless circuit design, communication theory, and product design trade-offs — and you know how to apply that expertise to resolve complex, ambiguous technical problems independently. You use electromagnetic and system simulation, hands-on prototyping, and test and measurement to understand complex system and sub-system interactions, their implications for product- level design, and manufacturing trade-offs that enable mass production at scale.
Minimum Qualifications
- BSEE or equivalent education.
- 6+ years of experience in antenna/RF design in consumer products.
- Demonstrated ownership of RF/antenna design through at least one full product cycle, from concept to mass production.
- Strong foundation in antenna/RF design, wireless communications, EM theory, or circuit design.
- Deep knowledge of EM or RF hardware and antenna design.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's or above in Electrical Engineering with an Electro-magnetics or RF emphasis.
- Advanced proficiency with electromagnetic simulation tools.
- Extensive hands-on experience with RF lab instrumentation.
- Proven ability to debug desense issues and characterize noise sources independently.
- Experience driving production-environment problem solving and statistical analysis.
- Experience mentoring or technically leading other engineers.
At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $175,000 and $308,500, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits
Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.
Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant
At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.
Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplace
Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants
Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.
See All 959+ 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 JobsDesign Engineer Job Market in San Diego
Who's Hiring
- Apple412

- Qualcomm126

- Blue Origin50

- Northrop Grumman34

- AMD25

Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware67
- Consulting & Professional Services17
- Construction & Real Estate8
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 November 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 33% of design engineer openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of November 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, Consulting & Professional Services, and Construction & Real Estate, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 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.
Related Jobs in California
See All 959+ 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