Kubernetes Engineer Jobs in California
Kubernetes Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, and fintech across seniority levels from junior engineer through principal and staff roles. The largest hiring metros are San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles, where established employers like Google, Apple, and Salesforce maintain deep infrastructure engineering teams. Specialties in highest demand include platform engineering, GitOps workflows, and cloud-native security. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Kubernetes Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 4 of 19+ Kubernetes Engineer jobs







It all started when engineer Fred Luddy wrote code that automated a tedious task for his coworker, Phyllis. She cried tears of joy. That moment inspired Fred to build a company that could do that for everyone—freeing people from busywork so they could focus on meaningful work. Today, ServiceNow is the AI control tower for business reinvention. Our ServiceNow AI platform brings together any AI, any data, and any workflow— helping 85% of the Fortune 500® work smarter, faster, and better. We're building an AI-native culture where technology and talent are unstoppable together. And we're just getting started.
Join us to put AI to work for people.
Job Description
Position Location:
This is a Flexible (Hybrid) position. Flexible positions require 2 days per week in a ServiceNow office location. We have offices in several locations, including San Francisco, CA; Pleasanton, CA; Santa Clara, CA; San Diego, CA; and Kirkland, WA
About the team:
As a Senior Software Engineer with the Data Platform organization, you will be responsible for designing and implementing features and services within our cloud-native platform.
What you get to do in this role:
- You will design, build, and operate features and services within the cloud-native platform, delivering well-defined work from implementation through to production with limited guidance.
- You will break features down into clear, executable tasks and deliver them iteratively, raising risks and trade-offs as you find them.
- You will collaborate with staff and senior engineers to align your work with the team’s designs and the platform’s standards.
- You will contribute to the reliability, scalability, and operability of what you build — writing tests and instrumentation, improving runbooks, and participating in on-call.
- You will spend nearly all of your time hands-on building — automation, tooling, and platform services that other teams depend on.
- You will support junior engineers through code review, pairing, and sharing what you learn.
Qualifications
To be successful in this role you have:
- Experience leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into engineering work — whether using AI-powered coding and operational tooling, automating workflows, or reasoning about how AI changes the way software and infrastructure are built.
- 5+ years of software development experience with a Bachelor's degree; OR 3+ years with a Master's degree; OR a PhD without experience; OR equivalent work experience.
- Hands-on experience building production software, with exposure to deploying and operating workloads on Kubernetes.
- Some hands-on experience with at least one major hyperscaler (AWS, Azure, GCP) and its core compute and networking primitives.
- A track record of reliably delivering features and improvements as a productive member of an engineering team.
- Working knowledge of containers, CI/CD pipelines, and Git-based development workflows.
- Good programming skills in Go (or another systems language with a willingness to work primarily in Go).
It also helps if you have:
- Experience running workloads on managed Kubernetes (EKS/AKS/GKE).
- Familiarity with GitOps-based delivery and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform.
- Exposure to observability tooling — metrics, logging, and dashboards.
- Familiarity with networking and security fundamentals — DNS, TLS, and IAM.
- Experience participating in an on-call rotation.
For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $128,900 - $219,100, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.
Additional Information
Work Personas
We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.
Equal Opportunity Employer
ServiceNow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. In addition, all qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with legal requirements.
Accommodations
We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are unable to use this online application and need an alternative method to apply, please contact globaltalentss@servicenow.com for assistance.
Export Control Regulations
For positions requiring access to controlled technology subject to export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ServiceNow may be required to obtain export control approval from government authorities for certain individuals. All employment is contingent upon ServiceNow obtaining any export license or other approval that may be required by relevant export control authorities.
From Fortune. ©2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.
See All 19 Kubernetes Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Kubernetes Engineer JobsKubernetes Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Kubernetes Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Banking & Financial Services
- Education
- Science & Research
- Aerospace & Defense
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in kubernetes engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field
- Hands-on experience deploying and managing Kubernetes clusters in production environments
- Proficiency with cloud platforms such as Google Cloud, AWS, or Azure in California-dominant stacks
- Experience with containerization tools including Docker and Helm chart management
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, GitOps practices, and infrastructure-as-code using Terraform
- Strong understanding of networking, security hardening, and observability within Kubernetes environments
Kubernetes Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a kubernetes engineer in California?
Kubernetes engineering in California has no state-issued license or registration requirement, so the path runs through education and demonstrated technical skill. Most California employers expect a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, though a strong portfolio and industry certifications such as the Certified Kubernetes Administrator carry real weight. California's large cloud and enterprise software employers also recruit through internship pipelines at UC and CSU campuses, making those programs a practical on-ramp.
How much do kubernetes engineers make in California?
Kubernetes 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 kubernetes engineers in California?
Employers hiring kubernetes engineers in California right now include ServiceNow, Roblox, and Capital One, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's density of cloud-native companies and enterprise technology headquarters means demand is spread across both established platform teams and growth-stage infrastructure organizations.
Which California cities have the most kubernetes engineer jobs?
San Francisco, Redlands, and San Jose have the most kubernetes engineer openings in California. The San Francisco Bay Area leads because of its concentration of cloud infrastructure companies, hyperscalers, and enterprise SaaS headquarters, while Los Angeles has grown steadily as media, fintech, and defense technology companies build out their own platform engineering teams.
Are there remote kubernetes engineer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 50% of kubernetes engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how much of this work involves code, configuration, and cloud consoles rather than physical infrastructure. Platform engineering, cluster operations, and GitOps work are the areas most consistently offered remotely by California employers.
How can I get hired as a kubernetes engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a related infrastructure or DevOps role, such as a systems administrator, site reliability engineer associate, or cloud support engineer, which large California employers like Google, VMware, and Cisco use as feeders into platform engineering teams. Building a portfolio of personal or open-source Kubernetes projects and earning the Certified Kubernetes Administrator credential demonstrates readiness concretely. California community colleges and UC extension programs also offer cloud infrastructure coursework that signals commitment to hiring managers reviewing entry-level applications.
Where can I find and apply to kubernetes engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to kubernetes engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across the state's major metros and remote positions. Find roles that fit your experience and specialization and apply directly through the listings on this page.
See All 19 Kubernetes Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Kubernetes Engineer Jobs