Test Engineer Jobs in San Jose, CA
Test Engineer jobs in San Jose are concentrated in North San Jose, Downtown, and the Alviso corridor, across semiconductor, enterprise software, and networking hardware sectors. Employers hiring right now include TikTok, Muon Space, and Cisco. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Job Title: Scientific Application Test Engineer III – Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry
Job Location: San Jose, California
As part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, you’ll do meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life by enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.
How will you make an impact?
As a Scientific Application Test Engineer III – Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry you will help ensure the quality, reliability, and performance of analytical instruments and scientific software used in chromatography and mass spectrometry workflows.
Working as part of a global Agile/Scrum team, you will combine hands-on laboratory instrumentation experience with software and system testing expertise. You will develop and execute verification strategies, evaluate end-to-end LC-MS and GC-MS workflows, troubleshoot complex instrument and software issues, and provide technical insight that helps deliver reliable, customer-focused products.
What will you do?
- Test analytical instruments and related software, including chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, and end-to-end LC-MS and GC-MS workflows.
- Independently connect, configure, calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instrumentation.
- Develop and execute verification strategies, test plans, and test cases for instrument features, software capabilities, workflows, integrations, and product releases.
- Perform exploratory, regression, system, and release-readiness testing across integrated hardware and software environments.
- Identify verification gaps and technical risks and recommend appropriate testing approaches and coverage.
- Investigate, reproduce, document, and verify complex instrument, software, workflow, and integration defects.
- Assess customer impact, technical risk, and potential release implications of identified issues.
- Analyze recurring defects and contribute to preventive quality and testing improvements.
- Collaborate with software, hardware, product, project, and scientific teams to clarify requirements and improve product testability.
- Communicate technical findings, quality risks, test results, blockers, and release-readiness information to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
- Improve verification methods, instrument setup, documentation, workflows, and overall team efficiency.
How will you get here?
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, physical science, life science, chemistry, bioinformatics, or a related discipline; or equivalent professional experience.
Experience
- Typically 3+ years of experience in product evaluation, software testing, laboratory systems, analytical instrumentation, scientific software, or a related field.
- Hands-on experience with chromatography, mass spectrometry, instrument-control software, or related analytical technologies.
- Experience setting up, configuring, calibrating, maintaining, and troubleshooting laboratory instruments.
- Experience investigating and resolving instrument, software, workflow, or system-integration issues.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative analytical chemistry and laboratory workflows.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to independently manage assigned responsibilities and provide clear technical recommendations.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical findings clearly.
- Ability to collaborate effectively across software, hardware, product, project, and scientific teams.
- Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, matrixed, global environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with software testing methodologies, test management tools, and defect-tracking systems in an Agile environment.
- Experience developing or applying verification strategies for instruments, software, or integrated systems.
- Understanding of interactions among firmware, software, hardware, and instrument interfaces.
- Experience with software or hardware validation in a regulated environment.
- Familiarity with FDA expectations, Quality System Regulations, or laboratory compliance practices.
- Software testing certification, such as ISTQB.
- Project coordination or project management experience.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range estimated for this position based in California is $90,900.00–$136,350.00.This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:
A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs
Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement
At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy
Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan
Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount
For more information on our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.thermofisher.com/global/en/total-rewards
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Find Test Engineer JobsTest Engineer Job Market in San Jose
Who's Hiring
- TikTok100

- Muon Space100

- Cisco29

- Nokia29

- Etched29

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software100
- Electronics & Hardware86
- Telecommunications29
- Medical Devices14
- Consulting & Professional Services14
Test Engineer Jobs in San Jose: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a test engineer job in San Jose?
Start by targeting the sectors that dominate San Jose hiring: semiconductor design, networking hardware, and enterprise software. North San Jose and the downtown core hold the heaviest concentration of test engineering roles, particularly at chip fabrication and communications infrastructure companies. Candidates with hands-on experience in automated test equipment, hardware validation, or JTAG debugging stand out in this market. Familiarity with industry-standard protocols common in silicon and networking products gives a clear competitive edge here.
Which companies hire test engineers in San Jose?
Companies currently hiring test engineers in San Jose include TikTok, Muon Space, and Cisco, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. San Jose's hiring base skews heavily toward semiconductor manufacturers, networking equipment makers, and enterprise cloud infrastructure firms with large local engineering campuses.
Are there remote test engineer jobs in San Jose?
Yes, though it depends on the role: software and automation-focused test engineers work remotely more often than those doing hardware validation or lab-based testing, which generally requires physical access to equipment. About 23% of test engineer openings tied to San Jose are remote or hybrid as of September 2026. Software QA and test automation roles attached to San Jose's enterprise software employers tend to offer the most location flexibility.
How can I get a test engineer job in San Jose with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Jose is targeting associate or junior test engineer roles at mid-size networking and semiconductor companies in North San Jose, which tend to have structured onboarding for early-career engineers. Internship programs at San Jose's larger chip and hardware firms also convert to full-time positions at a meaningful rate. A portfolio showing hands-on lab work, scripted test automation, or a capstone project involving hardware validation helps candidates compete against more experienced applicants.
Which industries hire the most test engineers in San Jose?
San Jose test engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Electronics & Hardware, and Telecommunications, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. San Jose's position as a hub for semiconductor design, enterprise networking, and cloud infrastructure hardware means demand for test engineers here is tightly tied to product development cycles in those capital-intensive sectors.
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