Hardware Engineer Jobs in Palo Alto, CA
Hardware Engineer jobs in Palo Alto are in strong demand, with openings concentrated in the Stanford Research Park, downtown core, and the El Camino Real corridor across semiconductor design, consumer electronics, and deep-tech hardware startups. Leading employers include Tesla, Rivian, and Normal Computing Corporation. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 495+ Hardware Engineer jobs
Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start around January 2027 and continue through the entire Spring term (ending approximately May 2027 or later, if available). We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, Full - Time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. Recent graduates seeking employment after graduation and not returning to school should apply for full-time positions, not internships.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.
The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We are dedicated to providing an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
The Tesla AI Hardware team is at the forefront of revolutionizing artificial intelligence through cutting-edge hardware innovation. Comprising brilliant engineers and visionaries, the team designs and develops advanced AI inference chips tailored to accelerate Tesla’s machine learning capabilities. A key part of this effort is Dojo, Tesla's custom supercomputer system built to efficiently train massive neural networks on vast video data from the fleet. The work of Tesla's AI Hardware team powers the neural networks behind Full Self-Driving (FSD), and Tesla humanoid robot, Optimus, pushing the boundaries of computational efficiency and performance. By creating custom silicon and optimized architectures, the team ensures Tesla remains a leader in AI-driven automotive and energy solutions, shaping a future where intelligent machines enhance human life.
The role will focus on developing Post-Silicon validation plan, tools, and infrastructure for Tesla’s custom SoCs and Platforms designs. As a Silicon Validation Engineer, the candidate will take on challenges like validating High-Speed Serdes, perform system level power characterization, and troubleshooting complex hardware bugs and field returns. The candidate will regularly take part in hardware design and schematics review, firmware development, and building automated test infrastructures for running large volume of post silicon system level tests. The candidate will also possess good system-level and architectural knowledge and some experience with DFT and PDE work.
What You'll Do
- Create and execute synthetic workloads that stress the various functional blocks inside the silicon platforms such as the NPU, CPU, Camera Interface, etc.
- Assist in identifying and fixing any hardware bugs before going into production
- Bring up and characterize Autopilot Custom Silicon and PCBA
- Collaborate with diverse teams in hardware design, schematic reviews, firmware development, and building automated test infrastructures
- Write test plans, develop test cases, and catch design bugs before production
- Characterize and improve power and performance consumption at a system level
- Perform Failure Analysis on Factory and field return units
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field within a graduation date between May 2027 - December 2027
- Deep knowledge of computer architecture
- Microcontroller & Embedded Systems Programming Experience in C/C++
- Python and bash scripting
- Familiarity with git and version control systems
- Design, verification or validation disciplines, system/platform level debug and root cause isolation, methodology and tools
- Experience with Test Automation Framework Development
- Familiarity with Logic or Protocol Analyzer equipment
- Familiarity with ARM and/or x86 microarchitecture
- Familiarity with JTAG and/or OpenOCD
Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start around January 2027 and continue through the entire Spring term (ending approximately May 2027 or later, if available). We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, Full - Time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. Recent graduates seeking employment after graduation and not returning to school should apply for full-time positions, not internships.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.
The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We are dedicated to providing an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
The Tesla AI Hardware team is at the forefront of revolutionizing artificial intelligence through cutting-edge hardware innovation. Comprising brilliant engineers and visionaries, the team designs and develops advanced AI inference chips tailored to accelerate Tesla’s machine learning capabilities. A key part of this effort is Dojo, Tesla's custom supercomputer system built to efficiently train massive neural networks on vast video data from the fleet. The work of Tesla's AI Hardware team powers the neural networks behind Full Self-Driving (FSD), and Tesla humanoid robot, Optimus, pushing the boundaries of computational efficiency and performance. By creating custom silicon and optimized architectures, the team ensures Tesla remains a leader in AI-driven automotive and energy solutions, shaping a future where intelligent machines enhance human life.
The role will focus on developing Post-Silicon validation plan, tools, and infrastructure for Tesla’s custom SoCs and Platforms designs. As a Silicon Validation Engineer, the candidate will take on challenges like validating High-Speed Serdes, perform system level power characterization, and troubleshooting complex hardware bugs and field returns. The candidate will regularly take part in hardware design and schematics review, firmware development, and building automated test infrastructures for running large volume of post silicon system level tests. The candidate will also possess good system-level and architectural knowledge and some experience with DFT and PDE work.
What You'll Do
- Create and execute synthetic workloads that stress the various functional blocks inside the silicon platforms such as the NPU, CPU, Camera Interface, etc.
- Assist in identifying and fixing any hardware bugs before going into production
- Bring up and characterize Autopilot Custom Silicon and PCBA
- Collaborate with diverse teams in hardware design, schematic reviews, firmware development, and building automated test infrastructures
- Write test plans, develop test cases, and catch design bugs before production
- Characterize and improve power and performance consumption at a system level
- Perform Failure Analysis on Factory and field return units
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field within a graduation date between May 2027 - December 2027
- Deep knowledge of computer architecture
- Microcontroller & Embedded Systems Programming Experience in C/C++
- Python and bash scripting
- Familiarity with git and version control systems
- Design, verification or validation disciplines, system/platform level debug and root cause isolation, methodology and tools
- Experience with Test Automation Framework Development
- Familiarity with Logic or Protocol Analyzer equipment
- Familiarity with ARM and/or x86 microarchitecture
- Familiarity with JTAG and/or OpenOCD
Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
See All 495+ Hardware Engineer Jobs in Palo Alto
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Find Hardware Engineer JobsHardware Engineer Job Market in Palo Alto
Who's Hiring
- Tesla428
- Rivian23
- Normal Computing Corporation23
- Also11
- ALTEN11
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Manufacturing
Hardware Engineer Jobs in Palo Alto: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a hardware engineer job in Palo Alto?
The strongest path into Palo Alto's hardware market runs through its semiconductor firms, consumer electronics companies, and venture-backed deep-tech startups clustered in Stanford Research Park and along Page Mill Road. Hands-on experience with PCB design, FPGA development, or mixed-signal systems stands out here. Familiarity with the product development cycles common to Silicon Valley hardware companies, combined with a portfolio of shipped or prototyped work, gives candidates a clear edge over generalist applicants.
Which companies hire hardware engineers in Palo Alto?
Employers hiring hardware engineers in Palo Alto right now include Tesla, Rivian, and Normal Computing Corporation, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Palo Alto's employer mix leans toward established semiconductor companies, consumer electronics OEMs, and well-funded hardware startups with roots in the Stanford ecosystem.
Are there remote hardware engineer jobs in Palo Alto?
Yes, though hardware engineering is one of the less remote-friendly disciplines given the hands-on lab, prototyping, and test requirements of most roles. About 4% of hardware engineer openings tied to Palo Alto are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and those tend to be in design verification, firmware development, or systems architecture where bench work is minimal.
How can I get a hardware engineer job in Palo Alto with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Palo Alto is through an internship or a junior test engineer role at one of the mid-size semiconductor or consumer electronics firms in Stanford Research Park, where structured engineering rotations are common. Entry-level positions in hardware validation, product test, or bring-up engineering are the typical on-ramp. A strong senior design project, coursework in VLSI or embedded systems, and any prototyping experience you can point to will move your application forward with Palo Alto employers.
Which industries hire the most hardware engineers in Palo Alto?
The sectors hiring the most hardware engineers in Palo Alto are Technology & Software and Manufacturing, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Palo Alto's position at the center of Silicon Valley means those sectors are anchored by both legacy semiconductor firms and a steady wave of well-capitalized hardware startups drawing talent from nearby Stanford and the broader Bay Area.
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