Senior AI Software Engineer Jobs in California
Senior AI Software Engineer jobs in California represent one of the most active and competitive markets in the country, concentrated in enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, autonomous systems, and biotech AI across companies at every level from growth-stage startups to global headquarters. The largest hiring hubs are San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles, where employers such as Google, Meta, and Salesforce maintain deep senior engineering teams focused on large language models, MLOps, and AI platform development. The most in-demand specialties are generative AI, reinforcement learning, and applied machine learning at scale. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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INTRODUCTION
We're looking for outstanding AI systems engineers to develop groundbreaking technologies in the inference systems software stack! We build innovative AI systems software to accelerate for AI inference. As a member of the team, you'll develop libraries, code generators, and GPU kernel technologies for NVIDIA's hardware architecture. This means designing and building things like new abstractions, efficient attention kernel implementations, new LLM inference runtimes components, and kernel code generators to accelerate large language models, agents, and other high-impact AI workloads.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
What You'll Be Doing
- Innovating and developing new AI systems technologies for efficient inference
- Designing, implementing, and optimizing kernels for high impact AI workloads
- Designing and implementing extensible abstractions for LLM serving engines
- Building efficient just-in-time domain specific compilers and runtimes
- Collaborating closely with other engineers at NVIDIA across deep learning frameworks, libraries, kernels, and GPU arch teams
- Contributing to open source communities like FlashInfer, vLLM, and SGLang
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What We Need To See
- Masters degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience); PhD are preferred
- 6+ years (academic/industry) experience with ML/DL systems development preferable
- Strong experience in developing or using deep learning frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow, ONNX, etc) and ideally inference engines and runtimes such as vLLM, SGLang, and MLC.
- Strong Python and C/C++ programming skills
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd
- Background in domain specific compiler and library solutions for LLM inference and training (e.g. FlashInfer, Flash Attention)
- Expertise in inference engines like vLLM and SGLang
- Expertise in machine learning compilers (e.g. Apache TVM, MLIR)
- Strong experience in GPU kernel development and performance optimizations (especially using CUDA C/C++, cuTile, Triton, or similar)
- Open source project ownership or contributions
COMPENSATION
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 184,000 USD - 287,500 USD. You will also be eligible for equity and benefits. Applications for this job will be accepted at least until June 6, 2026. This posting is for an existing vacancy.
NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes. NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.
JR2014705
See All 852+ Senior AI Software Engineer Jobs in California
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Find JobsSenior AI Software Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior AI Software Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Apple83

- NVIDIA72

- Adobe29

- Capital One27

- Zoox25

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software410
- Electronics & Hardware123
- Artificial Intelligence70
- Automotive59
- Banking & Financial Services52
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior AI software engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, machine learning, or a related field
- Five or more years of software engineering experience with a focus on AI or machine learning systems
- Proficiency in Python and at least one deep learning framework such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
- Demonstrated experience deploying large-scale ML models in production cloud environments
- Strong background in distributed systems, data pipelines, and model optimization techniques
- Experience collaborating cross-functionally with research scientists and product teams on AI initiatives
Senior AI Software Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior ai software engineer in California?
Reaching the senior level in California typically requires a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a closely related discipline combined with several years of hands-on experience building and shipping production AI systems. There is no state-issued license for this role in California, so advancement depends on a portfolio of measurable technical contributions, experience with large-scale infrastructure, and often a track of mentorship or technical leadership recognized by California employers in technology, defense, and life sciences.
How much do senior AI software engineers make in California?
Senior AI software 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 senior ai software engineers in California?
Employers hiring senior ai software engineers in California right now include Apple, NVIDIA, and Adobe, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's density of AI-focused headquarters and research labs means hiring activity is especially consistent across the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles corridors.
Which California cities have the most senior ai software engineer jobs?
San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Jose have the most senior ai software engineer openings in California. San Francisco and San Jose dominate because the Bay Area houses the global headquarters and core engineering campuses of the largest AI-driven technology companies, while Los Angeles has grown into a significant hub driven by entertainment tech, aerospace AI, and a rapidly expanding startup ecosystem.
Are there remote senior ai software engineer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 25% of senior ai software engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how much of the work centers on code, model development, and cloud infrastructure rather than on-site hardware. The portions of the role most frequently offered remotely include model research, ML platform engineering, and data pipeline development.
How can I get hired as a senior ai software engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is securing an associate or junior machine learning engineer role and building toward seniority through measurable project ownership. Large California employers such as Google, Apple, and Salesforce run structured new-grad and university-hire programs that place candidates into AI and ML teams with mentorship built in. Lateral moves from software engineering, data science, or research engineering are also common. A strong GitHub portfolio demonstrating end-to-end model development, or a published contribution to an open-source AI project, gives California candidates a clear edge in a crowded applicant pool.
Where can I find and apply to senior ai software engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to senior ai software engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated regularly. Search the available roles, find the ones that fit your background and location, and apply directly through each listing.
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