Staff Software Developer Jobs in California
Staff Software Developer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in technology, enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, and fintech across a broad seniority range from mid-level engineers to principal contributors. The San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego are the largest hiring markets, with companies like Google, Apple, and Salesforce maintaining deep engineering headcount across California. The most in-demand specialties are distributed systems, platform engineering, and backend infrastructure at scale. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 766+ Staff Software Developer jobs
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
- 8 years of experience in software development.
- 5 years of experience leading technical project strategy, AI/ML design, and working with industry-scale ML infrastructure (e.g., model deployment, model evaluation, data processing, debugging, fine-tuning).
- 5 years of experience in a technical leadership role.
Preferred qualifications:
- Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
- Experience with generative AI tools and models for creating media, including text, image, and video generation.
- Experience with model quality infrastructure, Direct experience with building evaluation datasets, designing evaluation techniques, and implementing automated or human-in-the-loop rating paradigms for generative AI models.
- Experience in model fine-tuning, quality hillclimbing, and advanced prompt engineering techniques to optimize generative outputs.
- Experience working with or designing AI agents to support creative content generation workflows.
About the job
Google's software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search. We're looking for engineers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software engineer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google’s needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve. We need our engineers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.
We’re building Creative Hub—a next-generation, AI-powered studio integrated directly into the new Business Home. Our mission is to democratize high-end marketing for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) by putting Google's multimodal AI (image, text, and video) directly to the local shop owners and restaurateurs.
By transforming raw ideas into stunning, high-converting posts and content, we help neighborhood businesses captivate local customers, boost foot traffic, and level the playing field. In this role, you won't just build tools; you will shape how millions of shoppers discover and engage with their favorite local spots.
We are looking for a senior level team lead to lead design and development of Content Creative Generational Experiences, the next version of Google Product Studio for Merchant Shopping Organization.
US: $262000 - $364000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits
Learn more about benefits at Google.
Responsibilities
- Work along-side a team of engineers to drive the design and development of content creative generative experiences, with expanding to more AI strategies in future.
- Apply the image/video/text models to generate content that SMBs need.
- Partner with cross-functional teams and research to help provide feedback and improve core model quality for foundational image/video/text models. Work with cross-functional partners such as UX/Product Managers/Program Managers/UX Researchers to define the direction and strategy for the area. Your work will impact 5 Million plus initial merchants, one of the largest merchant ecosystems in the world.
- Acquire and apply skills to build/leverage core ML infrastructure such as evaluations, model tuning, Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI) etc.
- Provide technical guidance/mentoring to the team to build reliable infrastructure.
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
- 8 years of experience in software development.
- 5 years of experience leading technical project strategy, AI/ML design, and working with industry-scale ML infrastructure (e.g., model deployment, model evaluation, data processing, debugging, fine-tuning).
- 5 years of experience in a technical leadership role.
Preferred qualifications:
- Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
- Experience with generative AI tools and models for creating media, including text, image, and video generation.
- Experience with model quality infrastructure, Direct experience with building evaluation datasets, designing evaluation techniques, and implementing automated or human-in-the-loop rating paradigms for generative AI models.
- Experience in model fine-tuning, quality hillclimbing, and advanced prompt engineering techniques to optimize generative outputs.
- Experience working with or designing AI agents to support creative content generation workflows.
About the job
Google's software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search. We're looking for engineers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software engineer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google’s needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve. We need our engineers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.
We’re building Creative Hub—a next-generation, AI-powered studio integrated directly into the new Business Home. Our mission is to democratize high-end marketing for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) by putting Google's multimodal AI (image, text, and video) directly to the local shop owners and restaurateurs.
By transforming raw ideas into stunning, high-converting posts and content, we help neighborhood businesses captivate local customers, boost foot traffic, and level the playing field. In this role, you won't just build tools; you will shape how millions of shoppers discover and engage with their favorite local spots.
We are looking for a senior level team lead to lead design and development of Content Creative Generational Experiences, the next version of Google Product Studio for Merchant Shopping Organization.
US: $262000 - $364000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + equity + benefits
Learn more about benefits at Google.
Responsibilities
- Work along-side a team of engineers to drive the design and development of content creative generative experiences, with expanding to more AI strategies in future.
- Apply the image/video/text models to generate content that SMBs need.
- Partner with cross-functional teams and research to help provide feedback and improve core model quality for foundational image/video/text models. Work with cross-functional partners such as UX/Product Managers/Program Managers/UX Researchers to define the direction and strategy for the area. Your work will impact 5 Million plus initial merchants, one of the largest merchant ecosystems in the world.
- Acquire and apply skills to build/leverage core ML infrastructure such as evaluations, model tuning, Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI) etc.
- Provide technical guidance/mentoring to the team to build reliable infrastructure.
See All 766+ Staff Software Developer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Staff Software Developer JobsStaff Software Developer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Staff Software Developer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Google81
- Anthropic25
- Northrop Grumman21
- Rippling18
- Walmart17
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software192
- Electronics & Hardware26
- Science & Research21
- Banking & Financial Services21
- Artificial Intelligence19
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in staff software developer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field
- Five or more years of professional software development experience in production environments
- Deep proficiency in at least one systems or backend language such as Java, Go, or C++
- Experience designing and owning large-scale distributed systems or cloud-native infrastructure
- Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and lead technical direction across a team
- Familiarity with Agile development practices and cross-functional collaboration in California tech environments
Staff Software Developer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a staff software developer in California?
Reaching a staff software developer level in California typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering followed by several years of progressive engineering experience at companies that operate at scale. California does not require a state-issued license for software developers. Most engineers advance by taking ownership of complex systems, mentoring junior engineers, and developing a record of shipping impactful technical projects at California-based technology companies.
How much do staff software developers make in California?
Staff software developers 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 staff software developers in California?
Employers hiring staff software developers in California right now include Google, Anthropic, and Northrop Grumman, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of major technology headquarters and enterprise software companies means staff-level engineering roles are consistently available across a wide range of product and infrastructure domains.
Which California cities have the most staff software developer jobs?
San Francisco, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View have the most staff software developer openings in California. The Bay Area leads because it is home to the global headquarters of companies like Google, Apple, Meta, and Salesforce, while Los Angeles and San Diego have grown into significant hubs driven by entertainment technology, defense contractors, and a fast-expanding startup ecosystem.
Are there remote staff software developer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 55% of staff software developer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how well the role translates to distributed work. Platform engineering, backend infrastructure, and architecture-focused positions are the most likely to be fully remote, though roles that involve close collaboration with hardware or on-site product teams tend to require in-person presence.
How can I get hired as a staff software developer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a new-graduate engineering role or an associate software engineer position at a California technology company, then building toward staff level through consistent promotion. Large California employers like Google, Apple, and Meta run structured university-hire and internship-to-full-time programs designed for candidates without professional experience. Building a portfolio of open-source contributions, completing a computer science degree from a California university, and targeting roles in platform or infrastructure teams can accelerate the path to staff-level consideration.
Where can I find and apply to staff software developer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to staff software developer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across technology, enterprise software, fintech, and infrastructure. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 766+ Staff Software Developer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Staff Software Developer Jobs