Software Engineer AI Jobs in California

Software Engineer AI jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in technology, defense, biotech, and enterprise software, with openings from entry-level machine learning engineers through principal and staff AI researchers. The largest hiring markets are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where established employers like Google, Apple, and Qualcomm maintain significant AI engineering teams. In-demand specialties include large language model development, computer vision, and ML infrastructure engineering. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

Find Software Engineer AI Jobs

Overview

Open roles1,689+
Top employerApple
Top citySan Francisco, CA
Cities hiring65
Work type77% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 1,689+ Software Engineer AI jobs

OpenAI
Software Engineer, AI Safety
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OpenAI
Added 1w ago
Software Engineer, AI Safety
OpenAI
San Francisco, California
Software Engineering
Data Science & Analytics
Technical Product & Program Management
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Backend Engineering
$185k - $325k/yr
On-Site
None

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Harvey
Senior Software Engineer, AI Platform
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Harvey
Added 2w ago
Senior Software Engineer, AI Platform
Harvey
San Francisco, California
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Backend Engineering
Technical Program Management
$185k - $325k/yr
On-Site
None

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BlackLine
Staff II Software Engineer AI/ML Ops
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BlackLine
Added 3w ago
Staff II Software Engineer AI/ML Ops
BlackLine
Pleasanton, California
Software Engineering
Data Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
ML (Machine Learning)
DevOps
$245k - $307k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's
1,001-5,000

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Roboforce Inc.
Lead Software Engineer, AI & Robotics Test Infrastructure
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Roboforce Inc.
Added 3w ago
Lead Software Engineer, AI & Robotics Test Infrastructure
Roboforce Inc.
Milpitas, California
Software Engineering
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Technical Product & Program Management
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
ML (Machine Learning)
Technical Program Management
On-Site
Associate's

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Applied Medical
Software Engineer - AI Engineer II/III
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Applied Medical
Added 3w ago
Software Engineer - AI Engineer II/III
Applied Medical
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Software Engineering
Data Science & Analytics
Cloud & DevOps
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
Backend Engineering
$80k - $140k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
1,001-5,000

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Software Engineer AI Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

San Francisco
428 jobs
San Jose
217 jobs
Santa Clara
165 jobs
Mountain View
126 jobs
Sunnyvale
120 jobs
Cupertino
117 jobs
Palo Alto
74 jobs
San Diego
68 jobs
San Mateo
61 jobs

Software Engineer AI Job Market in California

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

Who's Hiring

  • Apple
    Apple171
  • TikTok
    TikTok65
  • NVIDIA
    NVIDIA62
  • Google
    Google52
  • Adobe
    Adobe45

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software849
  • Electronics & Hardware251
  • Artificial Intelligence176
  • Banking & Financial Services105
  • Automotive84

What California Employers Look For

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

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, AI, or a closely related engineering field
  • Proficiency in Python and at least one ML framework such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
  • Experience designing, training, and deploying machine learning models in production environments
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure for AI workloads
  • Strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, and software engineering best practices
  • Experience with LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, or retrieval-augmented generation pipelines

Software Engineer AI Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a software engineer ai in California?

Software engineer ai roles in California do not require a 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 field, with many preferring a master's for research-oriented positions. Building a portfolio of AI projects, contributing to open-source ML repositories, and completing recognized certifications in deep learning or cloud AI platforms strengthens a candidacy considerably with California technology employers.

How much do software engineer AIs make in California?

Software engineer AIs 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 software engineer ais in California?

Employers hiring software engineer ais in California right now include Apple, TikTok, and NVIDIA, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's dense concentration of technology headquarters and defense contractors means a wide range of company sizes and sectors are actively recruiting, from large consumer technology platforms to aerospace and biotech firms.

Which California cities have the most software engineer ai jobs?

San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Clara account for the largest share of software engineer ai openings in California. The Bay Area leads because of its concentration of major technology headquarters and venture-backed AI startups, Los Angeles draws from its growing enterprise software and entertainment technology sectors, and San Diego's strong defense and biotech industries anchor demand there.

Are there remote software engineer ai jobs in California?

Yes, and more than most fields. About 23% of software engineer ai openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how naturally the work lends itself to distributed teams. Model development, research, and data pipeline engineering are the sub-areas most likely to offer fully remote arrangements, while roles involving proprietary hardware or on-site lab infrastructure tend to require in-person presence.

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

The most realistic entry path is securing a junior or associate machine learning engineer role at a mid-size California technology company that invests in on-the-job training. Large California employers like Apple and Qualcomm run structured new-graduate programs, and Bay Area AI startups frequently hire candidates who demonstrate ability through a strong GitHub portfolio or published Kaggle competition results. Lateral moves from software engineering, data analysis, or data science roles are common entry points, and completing a recognized ML specialization certificate gives candidates without a graduate degree a measurable credential to point to.

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

You can find and apply to software engineer ai jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from employers actively hiring. Search the available roles, find the ones that fit your background and target location, and apply directly to the ones that match.

See All 1,689+ Software Engineer AI Jobs in California

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

Find Software Engineer AI Jobs