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.

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Overview

Open roles450+
Top employerGoogle
Top citySan Francisco, CA
Cities hiring48
Work type48% Hybrid
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 450+ Software Engineer AI jobs

Urgently Hiring: Junior Software Engineer - AI & Automation
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New 5h ago
Urgently Hiring: Junior Software Engineer - AI & Automation
Bober, Peterson & Koby, LLP
Irvine, California
Backend Engineering
Full-stack Engineering
Software Engineering
$120k - $145k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's degree

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Software Engineer, AI
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New 6h ago
Software Engineer, AI
Anduril
Costa Mesa, California
Backend Engineering
Full-stack Engineering
Software Engineering
$167k - $222k/yr
501-1,000

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Software Engineer, Claims & AI Billing
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New 8h ago
Software Engineer, Claims & AI Billing
Commure
Mountain View, California
Cloud Engineering
DevOps
Software Engineering
$130k - $190k/yr
Hybrid

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Senior Software Engineer, AI Storage Infrastructure
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New 8h ago
Senior Software Engineer, AI Storage Infrastructure
Google
Mountain View, California
Cloud Engineering
DevOps
Software Engineering
$174k - $252k/yr
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

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Software Engineering Manager, Eval Infra, Quality Platform, Gemini Cloud Operator, Agentic AI
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New 8h ago
Software Engineering Manager, Eval Infra, Quality Platform, Gemini Cloud Operator, Agentic AI
Google
Sunnyvale, California
Cloud Engineering
DevOps
Software Engineering
$207k - $300k/yr
Doctoral degree in Computer Science
10,000+

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See All 450+ Software Engineer AI Jobs in California

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Software Engineer AI Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Cupertino
14 jobs

Software Engineer AI Job Market in California

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

Who's Hiring

  • Google42
  • TikTok26
  • Apple25
  • NVIDIA16
  • Tesla14

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software44
  • Electronics & Hardware9
  • Artificial Intelligence5
  • Science & Research4
  • Banking & Financial Services4

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 Google, TikTok, and Apple, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 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 Sunnyvale 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 62% of software engineer ai openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 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 450+ Software Engineer AI Jobs in California

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

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