Electrical Design Technician Jobs in California
Electrical Design Technician jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, semiconductors, utilities, and commercial construction, with openings from entry-level drafters through senior design leads. The heaviest hiring happens in the Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Diego metros, where employers like Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Pacific Gas and Electric maintain large technical teams. The most in-demand specialties include AutoCAD and Revit electrical drafting, power distribution design, and low-voltage systems. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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The application window is expected to close on: 08/01/2026. Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Meet the Team
The Common Hardware Group (CHG) creates innovative hardware platforms central to the AI era, powering Cisco’s core Switching, Routing, and Wireless products for organizations globally. Our innovations in silicon, optics, and hardware platforms—like Silicon One—are shaping the technology industry. We're a global team of creative experts, bringing our unique backgrounds and bold ideas to push boundaries and help each other grow. Because full product development—from design to qualification to production—is within our team, we’re able to think differently, experiment more, and work quickly. Join us to power the future of the digital world.
Your Impact
- Fullchip Floorplan by understanding the architecture of the design, foundry integration guidelines and IP placement constraints
- Collaborate with the system and package design teams to understand the requirements and incorporate into the fullchip floorplan
- Perform hierarchical implementation flow, including partition, pin assignment, clock plan and bump planning; Hands-on experience with Fullchip clock mesh and Flex-HTree methods
- RTL-to-GDSII implementation: Floorplan, Power Grid plan, place and route, static timing analysis, power integrity, physical verification and equivalence checks with a focus on performance, power and die size optimization.
- Analyze existing tool flows and methodologies, identifying efficiency gaps and implementing incremental or transformative enhancements.
- Work closely with RTL, DFT, implementation, EDA vendors, and tool/flow teams to enable best-in-class design methodology.
- Proficiency in low-power design methodologies using UPF
- Work with Foundry and standard cell IP vendors to define the signoff methodologies and validate/adjust them when you receive feedback from Post-Silicon Validation teams
- Experience in using AI tools to improve productivity
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with 8+ years of Physical Design experience or Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with 6+ years of Physical Design experience, or PhD in Electrical Engineering with 3+ years of Physical Design experience.
- Experience with RTL2GDSII flow and design tapeouts in 7nm/5nm/3nm or below process technologies.
- Experience working with EDA tools like Innovus, Tempus/Primetime, Redhawk/Voltus or Calibre/Pegasus.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working on Fullchip activities; including floor-planning, power-grid planning, partitioning and pin-assignment.
- Experience with hierarchical design, timing closure, physical design convergence, and power integrity analysis.
- Experience with static timing analysis and concepts, defining timing constraints and exceptions, corners/voltage definitions.
- Experience with custom clock (H-Tree or Mesh) at chip level.
- Experience with Python and usage of AI tools by giving accurate prompts.
Why Cisco?
At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.
Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.
We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.
Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:
The starting salary range posted for this position is $183,800.00 to $263,600.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.
Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.
U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:
- 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
- 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
- Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees
- Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)
- 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next
- Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members
- Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.
Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:
- .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;
- 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;
- 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and
- Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.
For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.
The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:
New York City Metro Area:
$183,800.00 - $303,100.00
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:
$163,600.00 - $269,800.00
- For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.
Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.
See All 19 Electrical Design Technician Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsElectrical Design Technician Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Electrical Design Technician Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Cisco6

- Apple3

- Astera Labs2

- Google2

- Microchip Technology2

Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware15
- Technology & Software2
- Consulting & Professional Services1
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in electrical design technician jobs across California.
- Associate degree or higher in electrical technology, drafting, or a closely related field
- Proficiency in AutoCAD Electrical or Revit MEP for schematic and layout drawings
- Working knowledge of the National Electrical Code and California Electrical Code
- Experience reading and interpreting one-line diagrams, wiring schematics, and panel schedules
- Familiarity with power distribution systems, low-voltage systems, or control panel design
- Strong coordination skills for collaborating with licensed engineers and project managers on-site
Electrical Design Technician Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a electrical design technician in California?
Most employers in California expect an associate or bachelor's degree in electrical technology, drafting technology, or electrical engineering technology from a California community college or state university. The California Department of Consumer Affairs oversees the broader construction trades, but electrical design technicians working under a licensed electrical engineer do not require their own state license. Earning an AutoCAD certification or an Electronics Technicians Association credential strengthens a candidacy considerably in competitive California markets.
How much do electrical design technicians make in California?
Electrical design technicians in California earn a median of about $86,090 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $59,590 for the lowest 10% to over $138,400 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire electrical design technicians in California?
Employers hiring electrical design technicians in California right now include Cisco, Apple, and Astera Labs, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's dense concentration of aerospace primes, investor-owned utilities, and large commercial construction firms means steady baseline demand across multiple industries rather than dependence on any single sector.
Which California cities have the most electrical design technician jobs?
San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Irvine have the most electrical design technician openings in California. The Los Angeles metro drives volume through aerospace and defense contractors as well as large commercial construction activity, while San Jose reflects Silicon Valley's semiconductor and clean-energy sectors, and San Diego's concentration of defense systems integrators sustains consistent demand in that region.
Are there remote electrical design technician jobs in California?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely analytical fields because electrical design technicians frequently coordinate on-site with engineers, contractors, and fabrication teams. About 5% of electrical design technician openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting selective flexibility. The tasks most often performed remotely are CAD drafting, schematic updates, and design review rather than field verification or panel layout work.
How can I get hired as a electrical design technician in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is completing an electrical technology or drafting program at a California community college, such as those offered through the California Community Colleges system, then applying to internship or technician-in-training roles at defense contractors, engineering consulting firms, or investor-owned utilities. Adjacent roles like CAD drafter, electrical estimator assistant, or field technician helper give candidates transferable experience that hiring managers recognize. Building a portfolio of sample drawings and earning an AutoCAD certification before applying gives early-career candidates a concrete edge.
Where can I find and apply to electrical design technician jobs in California?
You can find and apply to electrical design technician jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated regularly. Find the roles that fit your experience and location and apply directly through each listing.
See All 19 Electrical Design Technician Jobs in California
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