Generative AI Engineer Jobs in California

Generative AI Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in big tech, enterprise software, and AI-native startups with demand running from entry-level ML engineers through principal and staff-level researchers. The largest hiring markets are San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles, where companies like Google, Meta, and Salesforce maintain major engineering offices and regularly staff generative AI teams. The most in-demand specialties include large language model fine-tuning, retrieval-augmented generation, and AI platform infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

Find Generative AI Engineer Jobs

Overview

Open roles62
Top employerTikTok
Top citySan Jose, CA
Cities hiring20
Work type69% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 62+ Generative AI Engineer jobs

Champions Group Holdings
Digital Content Marketing Intern (Generative AI)
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Champions Group Holdings
New 6h ago
Digital Content Marketing Intern (Generative AI)
Champions Group Holdings
Brea, California
Content & Communications
Creative & Design
Multimedia Production
1,001-5,000

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NVIDIA
PhD Research Intern, Generative AI for Physical AI - 2027
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NVIDIA
Added 1d ago
PhD Research Intern, Generative AI for Physical AI - 2027
NVIDIA
Santa Clara, California
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
$38 - $94/hr
10,000+

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Meta
Product Marketing Manager, Generative AI
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Meta
Added 2d ago
Product Marketing Manager, Generative AI
Meta
Menlo Park, California
Brand Marketing
Growth Marketing
Marketing
$160k - $224k/yr
Master's degree in business administration
10,000+

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Meta
Product Marketing Manager, Generative AI
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Meta
Added 2d ago
Product Marketing Manager, Generative AI
Meta
San Francisco, California
Brand Marketing
Growth Marketing
Marketing
$160k - $224k/yr
Master's degree in business administration
10,000+

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Youtube
Product Manager II, YouTube Generative AI Security
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Youtube
Added 2d ago
Product Manager II, YouTube Generative AI Security
Youtube
San Bruno, California
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
ML (Machine Learning)
$163k - $236k/yr
Master's degree

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See All 62 Generative AI Engineer Jobs in California

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

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Generative AI Engineer Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

San Jose
16 jobs
Mountain View
8 jobs
Cupertino
7 jobs
Santa Clara
5 jobs
Redwood City
4 jobs
Redlands
3 jobs
Los Angeles
3 jobs
San Francisco
3 jobs
Brea
1 job

Generative AI Engineer Job Market in California

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

Who's Hiring

  • TikTok
    TikTok10
  • Google
    Google8
  • Amazon Web Services
    Amazon Web Services5
  • C3 AI
    C3 AI4
  • NVIDIA
    NVIDIA4

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software10
  • Electronics & Hardware2
  • Law & Legal Services1
  • Consulting & Professional Services1

What California Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in generative AI engineer jobs across California.

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, AI, or a closely related engineering field
  • Hands-on experience building or fine-tuning large language models using frameworks like PyTorch or JAX
  • Proficiency in Python and familiarity with cloud platforms such as Google Cloud, AWS, or Azure
  • Experience designing and deploying retrieval-augmented generation or prompt engineering pipelines
  • Ability to evaluate model outputs for safety, accuracy, and alignment with product requirements
  • Strong communication skills to collaborate across research, product, and platform engineering teams

Generative AI Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a generative ai engineer in California?

Generative AI engineering in California has no state-issued license, so the path runs through education and demonstrated technical skill. Most California employers expect at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, machine learning, or a related discipline, with a master's degree increasingly common at larger tech companies. Building a portfolio of fine-tuned models, open-source contributions, or published research is the most direct way to stand out in California's competitive market.

How much do generative AI engineers make in California?

Generative AI engineers in California earn a median of about $174,410 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $105,060 for the lowest 10% to over $272,670 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.

Which companies hire generative ai engineers in California?

Employers hiring generative ai engineers in California right now include TikTok, Google, and Amazon Web Services, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. California's concentration of AI-focused tech headquarters and research labs means the pipeline is unusually active year-round compared to most other states.

Which California cities have the most generative ai engineer jobs?

San Jose, Mountain View, and Cupertino account for the most generative ai engineer openings in California. The San Francisco Bay Area dominates because it is home to the headquarters and flagship AI research labs of the largest technology companies, while Los Angeles has grown quickly as entertainment, media, and enterprise software firms build out generative AI functions of their own.

Are there remote generative ai engineer jobs in California?

Yes, and more than most fields. About 31% of generative ai engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how much of the work is code, research, and model evaluation rather than on-site hardware. Roles focused on prompt engineering, evaluation, and API integration tend to be the most remote-friendly, while positions requiring direct collaboration with hardware or inference infrastructure more often require in-office presence.

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

The most realistic entry path is through an adjacent role such as machine learning engineer, data scientist, or software engineer with a focus on ML tooling, then transitioning internally once you have model-related work to show. Large California employers like Google and Meta run university research programs and new-grad rotations that place candidates directly into AI teams. Building a public portfolio of fine-tuned or RAG-based projects and contributing to open-source AI tooling demonstrates capability when a formal credential alone may not differentiate you.

Where can I find and apply to generative ai engineer jobs in California?

You can find and apply to generative ai engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search the listings for roles that match your experience level and specialty, then apply directly to the ones that fit.

See All 62 Generative AI Engineer Jobs in California

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

Find Generative AI Engineer Jobs