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400K Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

David Joseph & Company

Account Executive

San Francisco, CA · Hybrid

$150K - $200K/yr

San Francisco, CA · On-site (5 days) · Full-time Compensation: $150,000-$200,000 base + $300-400K ... Technical-adjacent (CS, solutions engineering, ex-founder) * On-site in SF, 5 days a week Nice to ...

Hired Recruiters

Software Engineer II

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$114K - $157K/yr

As a Software Engineer II, working on our data systems, you will help us to determine what 300M ... 400k+ communities in our network. With this knowledge, you will enable Fandom to build the rich ...

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All Jobs400K Engineer Jobs400K Engineer Jobs in California

400K Engineer information

How does a 400k engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-impact projects?

A 400K Engineer is often expected to work closely with product managers, designers, and other engineers to drive complex projects from ideation to launch. This role involves not only technical expertise but also strong communication skills to align stakeholders and ensure project requirements are clearly understood. Collaboration might include participating in architecture reviews, code reviews, sprint planning, and strategy meetings. Being proactive in sharing knowledge and mentoring junior team members is also common, contributing to overall team success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a 400k engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a 400K Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, with expertise in high-voltage power systems design and analysis, often supported by a bachelor's degree and relevant certifications like a Professional Engineer (PE) license. Familiarity with industry-standard tools such as AutoCAD, ETAP, and power system simulation software is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills in this role. These skills and qualifications are important to ensure the safe and efficient design, operation, and maintenance of high-voltage electrical systems.

What is a 400k engineer?

A 400K Engineer is a software engineer or tech professional who earns a total annual compensation of $400,000 or more, typically through a combination of base salary, bonuses, and stock options. These high earnings are usually found at top tech companies such as FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) or other leading firms. Achieving this level of compensation generally requires a mix of experience, specialized skills, negotiation, and sometimes working in high cost-of-living locations. The title is not an official job position but rather refers to a compensation milestone within the tech industry.

What is the difference between 400K Engineer vs Software Developer?

Aspect400K EngineerSoftware Developer
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's or master's in CS or related field, with extensive experienceUsually holds a bachelor's degree in CS or related field
Work EnvironmentHigh-level technical roles, often in tech firms, startups, or financeDevelops software applications across various industries
Industry UsageCommon in tech, finance, and consulting sectorsWidely used across tech, healthcare, finance, and more

The 400K Engineer and Software Developer roles share foundational skills in programming and problem-solving. However, 400K Engineers typically have more experience, higher compensation, and focus on system architecture or high-level technical leadership, whereas Software Developers focus on coding and application development. Both roles are essential in tech-driven industries, but the 400K Engineer often operates at a senior or specialized level.

What are popular job titles related to 400K Engineer jobs in California?

For 400K Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching 400K Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for 400K Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for 400K Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most 400K Engineer job openings:

400K Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various 400K Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution.

Staff Software Engineer

Idler

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$300K - $400K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 5 hours ago

Job description

What we do

Idler builds reinforcement learning environments that teach AI models to code like 0.01% engineers. Our training environments are based on real-world coding scenarios that frontier models will actually encounter.

What you'll do

Build agentic systems that create and QA coding environments at scale. Most of your day will be spent designing these systems to be extremely sound. A big part of our work is thinking critically about what makes a coding environment and task "good" and "fair". This requires high agency and philosophical thinking alongside technical execution.

Concretely, you'll:

  • Design and build scaleable systems that generate RL environments

  • Create automated QA systems to validate environment quality and fairness

  • Work directly with AI researchers at leading labs to understand what makes training data effective

  • Support new product lines as we expand beyond coding environments

Staff Engineer Responsibilities & Requirements

  • Lead the process of identifying, specifying, and implementing core technology primitives that maximize the leverage of the rest of the team.

  • Understand and own the technology stack end-to-end.

  • 8+ years of professional software engineering experience.

  • Lead and mentor more junior members of the team.

You'll work with

The founding team, a founding engineer, and a small group of engineers (we're hiring quickly). You'll have direct access to AI researchers at frontier labs.

Tech stack

Typescript, React, NodeJS, Postgres, Redis, Vercel, Cursor

Benefits

  • Healthcare coverage, 401(k), and 15 days PTO.

  • Meals, coffee, and snacks (that you will actually enjoy) covered during working days.

  • Latest MacBook Pro and equipment.

  • Relocation assistance available.

  • Team offsites and events (we love hanging out).

This is an in-person role in San Francisco. We're a tight-knit founding team and we play to win. Join us if you like to win too.

Compensation Range: $300K - $400K