Staff Engineer Jobs in California
Staff Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in technology, semiconductor design, aerospace, and clean energy across a seniority range from early-career to principal-level. The largest hiring markets are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Apple, Lockheed Martin, and Qualcomm maintain deep engineering workforces and hire staff engineers continuously. The most in-demand specializations include distributed systems, embedded hardware, and machine learning infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Staff Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 2,087+ Staff Engineer jobs
INTRODUCTION
Looking for a place that values your unique talents? Discover Stryker's award-winning culture.
We are proud to offer you our total rewards package which includes bonuses, healthcare, insurance benefits, retirement programs, wellness programs, as well as service and performance awards – not to mention various social and recreational activities, all of which are location specific.
JOB DESCRIPTION
We are excited to be named one of the World’s Best Workplaces by Fortune Magazine! We are proud to offer you 12 paid holidays annually. For an overview of our benefits and time off, please follow this link to learn more: US Stryker employee benefits.
Staff Engineer – R& D
Irvine, CA
The Staff Engineer – R&D leads technical design activities for complex medical device development programs, from early concept through final product design. This role focuses on translating user and clinical requirements into system-level designs, developing and evaluating components and assemblies, and ensuring alignment with manufacturing and regulatory expectations.
What You Will Do
- Lead design and development of components, subassemblies, and full medical device systems from concept through validation
- Translate user needs and clinical requirements into system-level engineering designs and detailed specifications
- Evaluate and select prototyping and testing methods to verify product performance and reliability
- Design and review injection-molded components for functionality, manufacturability, and cost efficiency
- Develop engineering drawings, CAD models, and design documentation aligned with design control requirements
- Drive innovation by generating invention disclosures, patents, or trade secrets based on technical developments
- Collaborate with Quality, Manufacturing, Regulatory, Clinical, Marketing, and Project Management to meet project milestones
- Mentor engineers and contribute to the development of engineering processes, tools, and best practices
What You Will Need
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline
- Minimum 4 years of experience working in a regulated environment
- Experience in medical device development processes
- Experience designing injection-molded components
- Experience developing mechanical assemblies using DFM principles and CAD tools (SolidWorks or equivalent)
- Knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, and product development technologies
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline
- Experience in cardiovascular or vascular medical device development
United States of America Pay Ranges:
- Puerto Rico: $77,700 - $129,500 USD Annual
- USN: $89,300 - $148,800 USD Annual
- US5: $93,800 - $156,200 USD Annual
- US10: $98,200 - $163,700 USD Annual
- US15: $102,700 - $171,100 USD Annual
- US20: $107,200 - $178,600 USD Annual
- US30: $116,100 - $193,400 USD Annual
View the U.S. work location and transparency guide to find the pay range for your location.
Health benefits include: Medical and prescription drug insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, personalized healthcare support, wellbeing program and tobacco cessation program. Financial benefits include: Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), basic life and AD&D insurance, and short-term disability insurance. Stryker offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 150 million patients annually. Depending on customer requirements employees and new hires in sales and field roles that require access to customer accounts as a function of the job may be required to obtain various vaccinations as an essential function of their role.
INTRODUCTION
Looking for a place that values your unique talents? Discover Stryker's award-winning culture.
We are proud to offer you our total rewards package which includes bonuses, healthcare, insurance benefits, retirement programs, wellness programs, as well as service and performance awards – not to mention various social and recreational activities, all of which are location specific.
JOB DESCRIPTION
We are excited to be named one of the World’s Best Workplaces by Fortune Magazine! We are proud to offer you 12 paid holidays annually. For an overview of our benefits and time off, please follow this link to learn more: US Stryker employee benefits.
Staff Engineer – R& D
Irvine, CA
The Staff Engineer – R&D leads technical design activities for complex medical device development programs, from early concept through final product design. This role focuses on translating user and clinical requirements into system-level designs, developing and evaluating components and assemblies, and ensuring alignment with manufacturing and regulatory expectations.
What You Will Do
- Lead design and development of components, subassemblies, and full medical device systems from concept through validation
- Translate user needs and clinical requirements into system-level engineering designs and detailed specifications
- Evaluate and select prototyping and testing methods to verify product performance and reliability
- Design and review injection-molded components for functionality, manufacturability, and cost efficiency
- Develop engineering drawings, CAD models, and design documentation aligned with design control requirements
- Drive innovation by generating invention disclosures, patents, or trade secrets based on technical developments
- Collaborate with Quality, Manufacturing, Regulatory, Clinical, Marketing, and Project Management to meet project milestones
- Mentor engineers and contribute to the development of engineering processes, tools, and best practices
What You Will Need
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline
- Minimum 4 years of experience working in a regulated environment
- Experience in medical device development processes
- Experience designing injection-molded components
- Experience developing mechanical assemblies using DFM principles and CAD tools (SolidWorks or equivalent)
- Knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, and product development technologies
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline
- Experience in cardiovascular or vascular medical device development
United States of America Pay Ranges:
- Puerto Rico: $77,700 - $129,500 USD Annual
- USN: $89,300 - $148,800 USD Annual
- US5: $93,800 - $156,200 USD Annual
- US10: $98,200 - $163,700 USD Annual
- US15: $102,700 - $171,100 USD Annual
- US20: $107,200 - $178,600 USD Annual
- US30: $116,100 - $193,400 USD Annual
View the U.S. work location and transparency guide to find the pay range for your location.
Health benefits include: Medical and prescription drug insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, personalized healthcare support, wellbeing program and tobacco cessation program. Financial benefits include: Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), basic life and AD&D insurance, and short-term disability insurance. Stryker offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 150 million patients annually. Depending on customer requirements employees and new hires in sales and field roles that require access to customer accounts as a function of the job may be required to obtain various vaccinations as an essential function of their role.
See All 2,087+ Staff Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Staff Engineer JobsStaff Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Staff Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Google70
- Rivian63
- Qualcomm56
- Microsoft49
- Zoox49
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software1,096
- Electronics & Hardware319
- Artificial Intelligence173
- Automotive141
- Consulting & Professional Services108
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in staff engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or a closely related technical field
- Seven or more years of hands-on engineering experience with demonstrated technical leadership
- Proven ability to define technical strategy and drive architecture decisions across multiple teams
- Deep expertise in at least one core discipline such as systems software, hardware design, or platform engineering
- Experience mentoring senior engineers and influencing engineering culture at an organizational level
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with product, design, and business stakeholders
Staff Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a staff engineer in California?
Becoming a staff engineer in California typically requires a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or computer science followed by several years of progressive experience leading technical projects. California does not require a state-issued license for software or systems staff engineers, though hardware and civil-adjacent roles may involve Professional Engineer registration through the California Board for Professional Engineers. Most California employers promote into staff roles from senior engineer positions based on demonstrated scope of impact and cross-team influence.
Which companies hire staff engineers in California?
Employers hiring staff engineers in California right now include Google, Rivian, and Qualcomm, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's concentration of technology headquarters, defense contractors, and semiconductor firms means staff engineer demand stays consistent even when broader hiring slows.
Which California cities have the most staff engineer jobs?
San Francisco, Mountain View, and San Jose have the most staff engineer openings in California. The Bay Area leads because of its density of technology headquarters and venture-backed companies, while Los Angeles draws from aerospace, entertainment technology, and a growing startup ecosystem, and San Diego's strength in wireless communications and biotech hardware sustains consistent demand for senior individual contributors.
Are there remote staff engineer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 24% of staff engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how much of the work involves architecture, code review, and cross-team coordination that can happen asynchronously. Roles requiring hands-on lab work, hardware bring-up, or embedded systems development are more likely to require on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a staff engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is landing a senior software or systems engineer role first, then building cross-team impact that justifies a staff-level promotion. Large California employers like Apple, Google, and Intel run university hiring programs and new-grad rotational tracks that feed the senior-to-staff pipeline. Strong open-source contributions, a portfolio showing systems-level design decisions, or experience as a tech lead in a smaller California company can accelerate the timeline considerably.
Where can I find and apply to staff engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to staff engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from employers actively hiring. Search for roles that match your specialization and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 2,087+ Staff Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Staff Engineer Jobs