Software Engineer Jobs in California

Software engineer jobs in California sit at the center of the US tech industry, with more openings than any other state and pay among the highest in the country. Most of the hiring is in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley, in cities like San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale, where companies like Apple, NVIDIA, and Google hire at every level from junior developer to staff and principal engineer. Demand runs strongest in software, hardware, and AI. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

Find Software Engineer Jobs

Overview

Open roles19,097+
Top employerApple
Top citySan Francisco, CA
Cities hiring289
Work type81% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 19,097+ Software Engineer jobs

Fivetran
Senior Software Engineer
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Fivetran
New 35m ago
Senior Software Engineer
Fivetran
Oakland, California
Software Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
Backend Engineering
$175k - $210k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's

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Zscaler
Senior Staff Software Engineer
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Zscaler
New 2h ago
Senior Staff Software Engineer
Zscaler
Santa Clara, California
Software Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
Backend Engineering
$158k - $225k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's
501-1,000

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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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Qualcomm
Senior Camera Software Engineer
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Qualcomm
New 2h ago
Senior Camera Software Engineer
Qualcomm
San Diego, California
Software Engineering
Embedded Systems Engineering
Backend Engineering
$117k - $175k/yr
On-Site
Master's
10,000+

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ByteDance
Software Engineer - Applied Machine Learning
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ByteDance
New 3h ago
Software Engineer - Applied Machine Learning
ByteDance
San Jose, California
Software Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
DevOps
Backend Engineering
$317k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's

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Software Engineer Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

San Francisco
3,023 jobs
Santa Clara
2,161 jobs
San Jose
2,140 jobs
Sunnyvale
1,276 jobs
Cupertino
1,226 jobs
San Diego
927 jobs
Mountain View
926 jobs
Los Angeles
728 jobs
Irvine
645 jobs

Software Engineer Job Market in California

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

Who's Hiring

  • Apple
    Apple2,367
  • NVIDIA
    NVIDIA842
  • Google
    Google456
  • Amazon
    Amazon425
  • TikTok
    TikTok323

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software7,057
  • Electronics & Hardware4,464
  • Consulting & Professional Services1,752
  • Science & Research773
  • Banking & Financial Services629

What California Employers Look For

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

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field
  • Proficiency in one or more languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, or C++
  • Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure
  • Familiarity with agile development methodologies and version control systems like Git
  • Ability to design, build, and maintain scalable distributed systems or APIs
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills for cross-functional engineering teams

Software Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a software engineer in California?

California does not require a state-issued license to work as a software engineer, so the path runs through education and demonstrated technical skill. Most California employers expect a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related discipline, though strong portfolios and bootcamp graduates are hired at some companies. Building projects, contributing to open-source work, and completing technical interviews are the concrete steps that move candidates through California hiring pipelines.

How much do software engineers make in California?

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 software engineers in California?

Employers hiring software engineers in California right now include Apple, NVIDIA, and Google, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's density of technology companies, from large enterprise firms to early-stage startups, means active hiring is spread across a wide range of industries including cloud infrastructure, consumer apps, and defense technology.

Which California cities have the most software engineer jobs?

San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Jose have the most software engineer openings in California based on current listings. These hubs reflect California's established technology corridors, from the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley to the growing engineering communities in Southern California.

Are there remote software engineer jobs in California?

Yes. About 19% of California software engineer openings are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, much higher than most fields thanks to the tech sector's flexibility. Backend, cloud, and platform engineering roles carry the biggest share of fully remote arrangements.

How can I get a software engineer job in California with little experience?

Target new-grad and university hiring programs, which large California employers like Apple, Google, and NVIDIA run specifically for early-career engineers, alongside the many Bay Area startups that hire junior talent. A strong GitHub portfolio and solid technical-interview performance count more than years of experience, so focus on shipping real projects and practicing interviews.

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

You can find and apply to software engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across industries and seniority levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly from each listing without any additional steps required.

See All 19,097+ Software Engineer Jobs in California

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

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