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Associate Software Development Engineer Jobs in California

Jiffy

Software Development Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Jiffy.com is seeking a Software Development Engineer with deep hands-on experience orchestrating AI coding agents to ship production software at pace. Reporting directly to an Engineering Manager and ...

Adobe

Software Development Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$93K - $179K/yr

Participating in all aspects of software development activities, including design, coding, code review, testing, bug fixing, and code/API documentation. * Collaborate with engineers and participate ...

Fortinet, Inc.

Software Development Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$100K - $120K/yr

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (preferred). * Solid software development experience with Golang, Java, or Python. * Proven experience in developing ...

Adobe, Inc.

Software Development Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$114K - $214K/yr

Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field. * 3+ years of industry experience in software development. * Hands-on experience building large-scale microservices ...

Adobe, Inc.

Software Development Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$93K - $179K/yr

Participating in all aspects of software development activities, including design, coding, code review, testing, bug fixing, and code/API documentation. * Collaborate with engineers and participate ...

Amazon

Software Dev Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

... software engineering & best practices for full software development life cycle, including coding standards, software architectures, code reviews, source control management, continuous deployments ...

Adobe

Software Development Engineer

San Jose, CA

AEP is seeking a Software Development Engineer to join the AEP Core Platform team. We build scalable, performant services and tools to handle end-to-end customer lifecycle from building the platform ...

Adobe

Software Development Engineer

San Jose, CA

Contribute to engineering procedures by providing guidance towards code review, test coverage, and promoting high standard methodologies in software development. * Steer technical design and ...

Adobe, Inc.

Software Development Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

The B2B CDP team within the Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) is looking for a driven Software Development Engineer eager to face new challenges and grow their career. Join us in San Jose, CA, to ...

Adobe, Inc.

Software Development Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$93K - $179K/yr

The Opportunity We are seeking a Software Engineer to join the AEP Lakehouse team. In this position ... Contribute to the development of data pipelines and backend services for real-time and batch ...

Adobe

Software Development Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

They are seeking a Software Development Engineer to enhance their Mobile E2E framework by integrating AI techniques, improving test coverage, and ensuring reliable automation workflows for their ...

Fortinet, Inc.

Software Development Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$100K - $120K/yr

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (preferred). * Solid software development experience with Golang, Java, or Python. * Proven experience in developing ...

Fortinet

Software Development Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$100K - $120K/yr

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (preferred). * Solid software development experience with Golang, Java, or Python. * Proven experience in developing ...

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All JobsAssociate Software Development Engineer JobsAssociate Software Development Engineer Jobs in California

Associate Software Development Engineer information

See California salary details

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$41

$97

How much do associate software development engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 26, 2026, the average hourly pay for associate software development engineer in California is $41.68, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $30.14 and $44.13 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Associate Software Development Engineers?

Associate Software Development Engineers are entry-level professionals who assist in designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software applications. They typically work under the guidance of senior developers, contributing to coding, debugging, and documenting software projects. This role serves as a foundational position in a software engineering career, providing opportunities to learn industry best practices and collaborate with experienced team members. Associate Software Development Engineers often participate in code reviews, troubleshoot issues, and help ensure that software meets quality and performance standards.

What is an associate software development engineer?

An Associate Software Development Engineer (SDE) is an entry-level software developer who assists in designing, coding, testing, and maintaining software applications. They typically work under the supervision of senior engineers and are expected to have foundational programming skills in languages such as Java, C++, or Python, along with knowledge of development tools and methodologies.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior software engineers, especially those in high-demand fields like machine learning, cloud computing, or with extensive experience at major tech companies, can earn $500,000 or more annually through base salary, bonuses, and stock options. Achieving this level typically requires advanced skills, a strong track record, and often working in competitive markets or leadership roles.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Associate Software Development Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Associate Software Development Engineer, you need a solid grasp of programming languages (such as Java, Python, or C++), algorithms, and data structures, often supported by a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with integrated development environments (IDEs), version control systems like Git, and basic software development lifecycle methodologies is typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, a willingness to learn, and effective teamwork set standout candidates apart. These skills and qualities are vital for building reliable software, adapting to evolving technologies, and collaborating in dynamic development teams.

What can you do with an Associates in software engineering?

An associate's degree in software engineering prepares individuals for entry-level roles such as software developer, quality assurance tester, or technical support specialist. It provides foundational skills in programming, coding languages, and software tools, enabling graduates to contribute to software development teams and projects.

What are some common challenges faced by Associate Software Development Engineers when joining a new team?

Associate Software Development Engineers often encounter challenges such as adapting to established codebases, understanding team workflows, and getting acquainted with company-specific development tools. It can take time to become comfortable with version control systems, code review processes, and agile methodologies commonly used by development teams. Building effective communication with senior engineers and learning to balance independent problem-solving with seeking guidance are also key aspects of the initial learning curve.

What is the difference between Associate Software Development Engineer vs Software Development Engineer?

AspectAssociate Software Development EngineerSoftware Development Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in CS or related field, some internshipsBachelor's or higher in CS, more experience preferred
Work EnvironmentEntry-level, team-based projects, training programsMore complex projects, increased responsibility
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, startups, large corporationsSame as Associate role, with more senior positions
Search & Comparison IntentEntry-level roles, career progressionMid-level roles, career growth

The main difference between an Associate Software Development Engineer and a Software Development Engineer lies in experience and responsibility. The Associate role is typically entry-level, focusing on learning and supporting projects, while the SDE has more experience and handles more complex tasks. Both roles are common in tech companies and serve as stepping stones in a software engineering career.

What is L1, L2, L3, and L4 developer?

In the context of an Associate Software Development Engineer role, L1, L2, L3, and L4 typically refer to different levels of seniority and experience, with L1 being entry-level and L4 being more senior or specialized. These levels often correspond to increasing technical skills, responsibilities, and expectations, and are used by companies to structure career progression and compensation. Progression through these levels usually requires gaining experience, demonstrating technical proficiency, and sometimes obtaining relevant certifications or training.
What are the most commonly searched types of Software Development Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Software Development Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Associate Software Development Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Associate Software Development Engineer job openings:
Associate Software Development Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Associate Software Development Engineer job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 68% Full Time, 26% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $86,687 per year, or $41.7 per hour.

Software Development Engineer

Jiffy

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Posted 4 days ago

Job description

Jiffy.com is seeking a Software Development Engineer with deep hands-on experience orchestrating AI coding agents to ship production software at pace. Reporting directly to an Engineering Manager and working closely with Product, GM's and other cross functional teams, you will lead the charge on delivering end-to-end features across our e-commerce platform from storefront and checkout to internal tools and platform services while running multiple AI-driven work streams in parallel.
At Jiffy, engineers no longer write code by hand: every line that reaches production is produced, tested, reviewed, and deployed by coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) under the direction of a human orchestrator. This role is perfect for an individual contributor who has already internalized the shift from "typing code" to "directing agents," has strong architectural taste and review instincts, and wants to help define what an AI-native engineering org looks like. You will thrive here if you are a systems thinker, a builder by nature, and someone who gets more done by managing five parallel agents well than by writing a single function perfectly.
At this time, Jiffy is not able to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa (e.g., H-1B) for this position. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship, now or in the future.
Key Responsibilities
  • Orchestrate AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) across 3-6 concurrent work streams spanning features, refactors, bug fixes, and investigations using worktrees, sub-agents, and background tasks to maximize parallel throughput.
  • Own features end-to-end: translate product intent into clear specifications, decompose work into agent-executable plans, drive agents through implementation, review every diff critically, run QA, land PRs, and verify production health.
  • Design and architect scalable, reliable systems across our stack Rails 8 / Solidus e-commerce, GraphQL APIs, React 19 front end, Kubernetes infrastructure holding the architectural and judgment calls that agents cannot make.
  • Raise the quality bar on AI-generated code by catching hallucinated APIs, enforcing secure and idiomatic patterns, and pushing back on output that is technically working but structurally wrong.
  • Build and evolve Jiffy's internal AI tooling: author skills, rules, prompts, MCP integrations, and evaluation harnesses that make the whole engineering org faster. Contribute to our shared .ai/ skills and rules library.
  • Operate with production rigor: drive agents to produce meaningful test coverage (RSpec, Vitest, Playwright), monitor deploys, respond to incidents, and fully own the services you ship.
  • Partner cross-functionally with Product, Design, Ops, and peer engineering teams to define and ship features; participate in architecture and code reviews; mentor engineers on AI-native workflows and orchestration patterns.
  • Continuously identify where remaining manual work (QA, ops runbooks, data investigations, migrations) can be replaced by agents, and automate it.

Requirements
Basic Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of professional software engineering experience shipping production systems at scale.
  • Hands-on experience using AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or equivalent) as a primary development tool. This is mandatory. You must be able to walk through real features, refactors, or investigations delivered through agent orchestration - not occasional autocomplete usage.
  • Proven ability to run multiple agents in parallel and manage concurrent work streams without losing quality, context, or accountability.
  • Strong software design fundamentals: OO design, API design, data modeling, distributed-system reliability, and performance.
  • Proficiency in at least one server-side language (Ruby, Python, Go, Java, or equivalent) and one modern front-end stack (React / TypeScript or equivalent), with the expectation that agents produce the code while you direct, review, and validate it.
  • Experience with relational databases (Postgres / MySQL), SQL, and building or consuming REST or GraphQL APIs.
  • Elite code-review skills: the ability to read, critique, and correct diffs at speed is the core competency of an AI-first engineer.
  • Strong written communication - clear intent, clear PR descriptions, clear prompts. In an AI-first org, writing is the programming interface.
  • A high level of integrity, accountability, and ownership, with a commitment to excellence across every deliverable.
  • Desire to work in a fast-paced, ambiguous, high-autonomy environment.
Preferred Qualifications
  • AI Tooling Builder: Experience authoring or extending AI developer tooling - custom skills, slash commands, MCP servers, sub-agents, evaluation harnesses, or prompt libraries used by a team.
  • E-commerce Depth: Experience with Ruby on Rails and Solidus / Spree, or other large-scale e-commerce platforms.
  • Modern Front End: Experience with React 19, TypeScript, GraphQL (Apollo), Tailwind, and modern state management (React Query, XState, Jotai).
  • Cloud Native Operations: Experience operating services on Kubernetes (Istio, KEDA, Flagger) and modern observability stacks
  • Automated QA at Scale: Experience driving agents to maintain and extend test suites with Playwright, Vitest, and RSpec.
  • AI-Native Leadership: Track record of mentoring engineers on AI-native workflows, publishing internal patterns, or leading an organization through the shift away from manual coding.
  • Measurable Throughput Gains: Documented improvements in features-per-week, cycle time, or review time directly attributable to AI adoption.
  • High-Growth Environment: Experience shipping in a fast-paced, agile environment at a high-growth startup or tech company.

Benefits
What We Offer
The base compensation for this role is expected to range from $170,000 - $220,000 per year. Actual compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including skills, experience, qualifications, and overall fit for the role.
Total compensation may include base salary, performance-based bonuses, equity, and benefits. Final offers are tailored to each candidate and take into consideration their background and years of experience.
  • Comprehensive Benefits: Full medical, dental, and vision coverage, with a portion of premiums paid by Jiffy.
  • Retirement Planning: 401(k)
  • Wellness Support: Annual wellness benefits to help you stay healthy and balanced.
  • Tools for Success: Choice of MacBook or PC laptop, plus equipment for your home office setup.
  • Perks & Extras: Annual credit of $200 to use on our website plus more team merch drops than you will know what to do with!
  • Professional Development: Annual stipend to support your learning and career growth.

EEO
Jiffy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Jiffy considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

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