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.
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INTRODUCTION
The Global Payments team is building a platform to provide cross-border payment solutions for all ByteDance's products and services, which are growing rapidly worldwide. The Frontend team in Global Payments is committed to building a highly integrated payment product that can be easily connected to the Web, App, cross-platform and other forms of Global Payment capabilities. In addition, we provide efficient and comprehensive services to Developers, Merchants, and others through a series of platforms.
Responsibilities
- Architect and develop efficient and highly reusable front-end systems that drive complex web applications
- Build modular, reusable components and features
- Focus on rendering performance in order to ensure a superior experience for a heavy interaction platform
- Continuously work to bolster front-end design and implementation processes in order to improve quality and efficiency
- Code optimization to improve scalability, reliability, security, and performance of web applications
- Collaborate with product design, product management, and software engineering teams to deliver best in class user experience
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or related technical discipline
- 3+ years experience in frontend engineering, with demonstrable experience in JavaScript /Node.js/ HTML/ CSS, React/ Vue/ Angular and packaging frameworks like Webpack/ Rollup/ Babel/ AST/ Gulp
- Familiar with key concepts like functional and asynchronous programming, closures and types, layouts, specificity, animation, cross browser compatibility, data security, and accessibility
- Good understanding of multi-tier application architecture and protocols, familiarity with product and software development lifecycle process
- Self-learner, highly self-motivated with strong sense of product ownership and creative problem solver
- Deeply passionate about software coding/development and building great mobile/web applications
- Good collaborator and team player, comfortable working in a fast-moving, culturally diverse and globally distributed team environment
About us
Founded in 2012, ByteDance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.
WHY JOIN BYTEDANCE
Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and enrich life - a mission we work towards every day. As ByteDancers, we strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our Company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
ByteDance is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
ByteDance is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request
JOB INFORMATION
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually) The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $162000 - $387600 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates: Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
See All 858+ Software Engineer Jobs in California
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Find Software Engineer JobsSoftware Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Software Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Google77

- TikTok46

- Speechify32

- NVIDIA24

- Apple23

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software36
- Electronics & Hardware9
- Automotive4
- Banking & Financial Services4
- Manufacturing3
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 Google, TikTok, and Speechify, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 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 Jose, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale 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 67% of California software engineer openings are remote or hybrid as of August 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 858+ Software Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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