Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs in California

Senior Software Development Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, fintech, and consumer technology across one of the world's densest tech ecosystems at every level from mid-level contributor through staff and principal engineer. The largest hiring metros are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Google, Apple, and Salesforce maintain deep engineering organizations and consistently recruit at the senior level. The most in-demand specialties right now are distributed systems, machine learning platform engineering, and full-stack cloud-native development. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles1,463+
Top employerNVIDIA
Top citySan Francisco, CA
Cities hiring75
Work type74% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 1,463+ Senior Software Development Engineer jobs

Fivetran
Senior Software Engineer
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Fivetran
New 46m ago
Senior Software Engineer
Fivetran
Oakland, California
Software Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
Backend Engineering
$175k - $210k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's

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General Motors (GM)
Senior Software Engineer
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General Motors (GM)
New 2h ago
Senior Software Engineer
General Motors (GM)
San Francisco, California
Software Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
Technical Product & Program Management
Backend Engineering
Technical Program Management
$202k - $206k/yr
Remote (US)
Master's
10,000+

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Traba
Senior Software Engineer
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Traba
New 7h ago
Senior Software Engineer
Traba
San Francisco, California
Software Engineering
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Full-stack Engineering
Backend Engineering
$200k - $240k/yr
On-Site
None
2-10

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Workday
Senior Software Engineer
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Workday
New 21h ago
Senior Software Engineer
Workday
Pleasanton, California
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Backend Engineering
Technical Program Management
$160k - $285k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's
10,000+

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Speechify
Senior Software Engineer
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Speechify
Added 1d ago
Senior Software Engineer
Speechify
Sunnyvale, California
Software Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
Backend Engineering
Cloud Engineering
$140k - $200k/yr
On-Site
None

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See All 1,463+ Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs in California

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Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

San Francisco
319 jobs
Santa Clara
173 jobs
Mountain View
141 jobs
Sunnyvale
122 jobs
San Jose
107 jobs
San Mateo
98 jobs
Cupertino
65 jobs
Los Angeles
49 jobs
San Diego
42 jobs

Senior Software Development Engineer Job Market in California

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

Who's Hiring

  • NVIDIA
    NVIDIA88
  • Apple
    Apple79
  • Roblox
    Roblox60
  • Google
    Google56
  • Nuro
    Nuro41

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software839
  • Electronics & Hardware189
  • Artificial Intelligence83
  • Consulting & Professional Services65
  • Banking & Financial Services53

What California Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in senior software development engineer jobs across California.

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field
  • Seven or more years of professional software development experience in production environments
  • Deep proficiency in at least one major language such as Java, Python, C++, or Go
  • Experience designing and operating large-scale distributed systems or microservices architectures
  • Demonstrated ability to lead technical design, mentor engineers, and drive cross-team projects
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure in an enterprise setting

Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a senior software development engineer in California?

California does not require a state-issued license or registration to work as a software development engineer, so the path runs through education and experience rather than a credentialing board. Most senior roles require a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field, followed by several years building production systems. California employers place particular weight on experience with high-scale distributed systems, a portfolio of shipped products, and evidence of technical leadership such as design ownership or mentoring.

How much do senior software development engineers make in California?

Senior software development 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 software development engineers in California?

Employers hiring senior software development engineers in California right now include NVIDIA, Apple, and Roblox, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's concentration of enterprise software, cloud, and consumer technology companies means senior engineering demand is spread across both global headquarters and large regional engineering centers throughout the state.

Which California cities have the most senior software development engineer jobs?

San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Mountain View have the most senior software development engineer openings in California. The San Francisco Bay Area leads by volume because it anchors the headquarters of some of the world's largest technology companies, while Los Angeles has grown substantially as a hub for media tech, fintech, and aerospace software, and San Diego draws heavily from defense, biotech, and wireless technology employers concentrated in that region.

Are there remote senior software development engineer jobs in California?

Yes, and more than most fields. Software development is highly suited to remote and hybrid work because the core output is code rather than physical presence, and California employers have long operated distributed engineering teams. About 26% of senior software development engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how embedded flexible work has become in the state's technology industry. The most fully remote roles tend to be in backend platform, infrastructure, and data engineering, where synchronous collaboration requirements are lowest.

How can I get hired as a senior software development engineer in California with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path is through an associate or junior software engineer role at a California technology company, which provides the production experience senior positions require. Large California employers like Salesforce, Adobe, and Kaiser Permanente run structured new-graduate programs and rotational engineering tracks specifically designed for candidates without industry experience. Adjacent roles in QA automation, technical support engineering, or DevOps can also open the door, and contributing to open-source projects or building a strong portfolio of deployed personal projects gives California hiring managers concrete evidence of capability in lieu of years of employment.

Where can I find and apply to senior software development engineer jobs in California?

You can find and apply to senior software development engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from employers actively hiring for the role. Find the roles that fit your experience and apply directly to the ones that match.

See All 1,463+ Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs in California

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

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