Photonics Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California

California is one of the most active states for photonics engineer visa sponsorship, driven by defense contractors, semiconductor firms, and laser technology companies concentrated in Silicon Valley, San Diego, and the Los Angeles basin. Major employers including II-VI Incorporated, Lumentum, Coherent, and UCSB-affiliated startups regularly file Labor Condition Applications for photonics roles.

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Overview

Open Jobs60+
Top Visa TypeH-1B
Work Type83% On-site
Median Salary$183K
Top LocationSan Jose, CA
Most JobsAyar Labs

Showing 5 of 60+ Photonics Engineer Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship jobs

Apple
Photonics Engineer
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Apple
Added 3d ago
Photonics Engineer
Apple
Cupertino, California
Specialized Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
$126,800/yr - $220,900/yr
On-Site
4+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's
10,000+

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PsiQuantum
Senior High-Speed Photonics Engineer
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PsiQuantum
Added 2mo ago
Senior High-Speed Photonics Engineer
PsiQuantum
Palo Alto, California
Specialized Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
$185,000/yr
On-Site
3+ yrs exp.
Master's

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Coherent Corp.
Photonics Engineer
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Coherent Corp.
Added 2mo ago
Photonics Engineer
Coherent Corp.
Santa Clara, California
Specialized Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
Hybrid
3+ yrs exp.
Master's

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Aurora
Senior Photonics Engineer
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Aurora
Added 2mo ago
Senior Photonics Engineer
Aurora
Mountain View, California
Specialized Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
$240,000/yr
Hybrid
4+ yrs exp.
Doctorate

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Cisco
Silicon Photonics Design Engineer
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Cisco
Added 4d ago
Silicon Photonics Design Engineer
Cisco
Carlsbad, California
Specialized Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
$122,000/yr - $222,400/yr
Remote (US)
5+ yrs exp.
Bachelor's
10,000+

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See all 60+ Photonics Engineer Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship

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Photonics Engineer Job Roles in California

Engineering (Non-Software)58 jobs
Specialized Engineering53 jobs
Electrical Engineering51 jobs
Manufacturing Engineering24 jobs
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering22 jobs
Mechanical Engineering19 jobs
Manufacturing Operations5 jobs
Project Management3 jobs
Backend Engineering2 jobs
Project & Program Management2 jobs

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Photonics Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies sponsor visas for photonics engineers in California?

California-based employers with consistent H-1B filing histories for photonics roles include Lumentum, II-VI Incorporated (now Coherent Corp.), Viavi Solutions, Broadcom, and Intel. Defense contractors such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman also sponsor in Southern California, though some positions require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency due to security clearance requirements. Sponsorship patterns vary by product line and project type.

Which visa types are most common for photonics engineer roles in California?

The H-1B is the most frequently used visa for photonics engineers in California, as the role typically qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring at least a bachelor's degree in photonics, optical engineering, electrical engineering, or physics. O-1A visas are an option for engineers with demonstrated extraordinary ability. Some employers also support EB-2 or EB-3 green card sponsorship after initial H-1B approval. USCIS has detailed criteria for each category.

Which cities in California have the most photonics engineer sponsorship jobs?

San Jose and the broader Silicon Valley corridor lead in photonics engineering sponsorship activity, anchored by semiconductor and fiber optics companies. San Diego has a strong cluster tied to defense photonics, LIDAR, and biophotonics firms. Los Angeles and the South Bay area host aerospace and defense employers. Santa Barbara benefits from proximity to UC Santa Barbara, a nationally recognized photonics research university that feeds local industry hiring.

How to find photonics engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California?

Migrate Mate lists photonics engineer roles in California filtered by visa sponsorship history, drawing on DOL Labor Condition Application data to surface employers who have actively sponsored international engineers. You can search by city, employer, or visa type to narrow results to active California opportunities. This makes it faster to identify companies already familiar with the H-1B process for photonics and optical engineering positions specifically.

What state-specific factors should photonics engineers know about sponsorship in California?

California employers must post LCA public access files and meet DOL prevailing wage requirements specific to the metropolitan statistical area where the role is located, which means wage levels in San Jose or San Diego may differ significantly from national averages. Engineers can check location-specific prevailing wages using the OFLC Wage Search tool. California also has state labor laws that interact with H-1B employment terms, so employers and candidates should be aware of both federal and state obligations.

What is the prevailing wage for sponsored photonics engineer jobs in California?

U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.

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