Telecom OPT Jobs in California
California is one of the top states for telecom F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs, with major employers including AT&T, T-Mobile, Qualcomm, and Cisco operating across Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Diego. The state's dense concentration of wireless infrastructure, semiconductor, and network engineering firms creates consistent demand for OPT-eligible candidates in technical and engineering roles.
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One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.
The ViaSat Access Edge Terminal Software team is responsible for the design, development, delivery and support of software running on embedded satellite terminal products (Ka-band, L-band, 5G) that are used in aviation, maritime, residential and other sectors.
You’ll be a software engineer working as part of a software team with a technical lead. You will be engaging & collaborating with other software teams working on embedded software, to achieve development, design, quality and agility goals.
The day-to-day
- Software engineering as part of an agile development team
- Design, develop and drive software products
- Participate in design, development and code reviews of software with a view to deliver quality products in the short and long term
- Collaborate & coordinate with other software engineers and teams in driving timely delivery of quality software
- Produce software as an individual contributor
- Travel up to 10%
This position is site-based. Site based employees work 3+ days (60%+) per week from a Viasat office or work location within a standard five day work week. While this means employees are mostly and consistently onsite, Viasat embraces a flexible work environment.
- Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in computer science or computer engineering
- 3-5 years of experience in hands-on software development using C/C++ and Python
- 3-5 years of experience with Linux/UNIX
- Hands-on experience with Objected Oriented methodology & development
- Experience with using AI tooling in software development
- Strong analytical skills & ability to evaluate software design, including existing codebases
- Strong sense of ownership
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to collaborate and communicate in a team environment and with other engineering teams
- Being detail oriented with strong analytical problem-solving skills
What will help you on the job
- Experience using C/C++, Python, Rust
- Experience writing unit tests for C/C++, Python, Rust
- Experience with Posix and Bash shell scripting
- Experience with build infrastructure tools such as GitHub Actions and Jenkins
- Experience with Linux kernel development
- Understanding of multiheaded programming and applications
- Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., git)
- Coursework or familiarity with RF and satellite communications principles
Salary range
$117,000.00 - $185,000.00 / annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $145,000.00 - $218,000.00 / annually
At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat’s comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.
EEO Statement
Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this online application, please click here.
About us
One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.
The ViaSat Access Edge Terminal Software team is responsible for the design, development, delivery and support of software running on embedded satellite terminal products (Ka-band, L-band, 5G) that are used in aviation, maritime, residential and other sectors.
You’ll be a software engineer working as part of a software team with a technical lead. You will be engaging & collaborating with other software teams working on embedded software, to achieve development, design, quality and agility goals.
The day-to-day
- Software engineering as part of an agile development team
- Design, develop and drive software products
- Participate in design, development and code reviews of software with a view to deliver quality products in the short and long term
- Collaborate & coordinate with other software engineers and teams in driving timely delivery of quality software
- Produce software as an individual contributor
- Travel up to 10%
This position is site-based. Site based employees work 3+ days (60%+) per week from a Viasat office or work location within a standard five day work week. While this means employees are mostly and consistently onsite, Viasat embraces a flexible work environment.
- Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in computer science or computer engineering
- 3-5 years of experience in hands-on software development using C/C++ and Python
- 3-5 years of experience with Linux/UNIX
- Hands-on experience with Objected Oriented methodology & development
- Experience with using AI tooling in software development
- Strong analytical skills & ability to evaluate software design, including existing codebases
- Strong sense of ownership
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to collaborate and communicate in a team environment and with other engineering teams
- Being detail oriented with strong analytical problem-solving skills
What will help you on the job
- Experience using C/C++, Python, Rust
- Experience writing unit tests for C/C++, Python, Rust
- Experience with Posix and Bash shell scripting
- Experience with build infrastructure tools such as GitHub Actions and Jenkins
- Experience with Linux kernel development
- Understanding of multiheaded programming and applications
- Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., git)
- Coursework or familiarity with RF and satellite communications principles
Salary range
$117,000.00 - $185,000.00 / annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $145,000.00 - $218,000.00 / annually
At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat’s comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.
EEO Statement
Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this online application, please click here.
OPT Telecom Job Roles in California
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Search Telecom Jobs in CaliforniaTelecom OPT Sponsorship Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which telecom companies in California sponsor F-1 OPT workers?
Several large telecom and telecom-adjacent employers in California have a documented history of hiring F-1 OPT workers, including Qualcomm, Cisco, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Lam Research. Semiconductor and networking equipment companies based in the Bay Area and San Diego also regularly hire OPT candidates for engineering and research roles. Sponsorship practices vary by team, role, and headcount, so confirming directly with each employer's recruiting team is important.
Which cities in California have the most telecom F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
San Jose and the broader Bay Area lead for networking and wireless engineering roles, driven by companies like Cisco and Juniper Networks. San Diego is a major hub for wireless technology and semiconductor R&D, largely due to Qualcomm's headquarters there. Los Angeles has growing demand in telecom infrastructure and media connectivity. These three metro areas account for the majority of posted telecom OPT roles in California.
What types of telecom roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship in California?
Roles that most commonly qualify under F-1 OPT in telecom are those directly related to a technical or engineering degree field. These include RF engineer, network engineer, systems engineer, hardware design engineer, signal processing engineer, and software engineer positions within telecom or wireless divisions. Roles requiring a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or computer engineering align well with OPT eligibility requirements.
How do I find telecom F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students and focuses on employers that actively sponsor work visas, including F-1 OPT. You can filter by industry and state to surface telecom roles in California posted by companies with a sponsorship history. Searching through Migrate Mate avoids the manual work of identifying which employers are OPT-friendly and lets you focus on applying to positions where sponsorship is already part of the hiring conversation.
Are there any California-specific considerations for F-1 OPT sponsorship in telecom?
California's strict employment classification laws mean telecom employers there tend to hire OPT workers as direct full-time employees rather than through certain contractor arrangements, which can actually be favorable for OPT holders who need documented employment for USCIS purposes. STEM OPT extensions are particularly relevant in telecom since most qualifying roles fall under STEM-designated CIP codes, allowing eligible graduates to extend their OPT work authorization from 12 months to up to 36 months.