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Associate Software Engineer Jobs in Pacifica, CA

Lyft

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA

As an associate software engineer, you will be designing, building, and launching the services that power the platform's core products. Compared to similarly-sized technology companies, the set of ...

Lyft

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

As an associate software engineer, you will be designing, building, and launching the services that power the platform's core products. Compared to similarly-sized technology companies, the set of ...

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All JobsAssociate Software Engineer JobsAssociate Software Engineer Jobs in Pacifica, CA

Associate Software Engineer information

See Pacifica, CA salary details

$22

$48

$113

How much do associate software engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for associate software engineer in Pacifica, CA is $48.66, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $35.19 and $51.54 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by associate software engineers when transitioning from academic projects to real-world development teams?

Associate Software Engineers often encounter challenges such as adapting to larger, more complex codebases and learning to work within established development workflows. Unlike academic projects, real-world development involves collaboration with cross-functional teams, adhering to coding standards, and following agile processes. Additionally, balancing learning new technologies with delivering features on tight deadlines can be demanding. However, support from mentors and structured onboarding programs usually helps smooth this transition.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an associate software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Associate Software Engineer, you need a solid understanding of programming fundamentals, algorithms, and data structures, typically supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with programming languages like Java, Python, or C++, as well as experience using version control systems like Git, are commonly required. Strong problem-solving skills, teamwork, and effective communication set standout candidates apart. These skills and qualities are crucial for delivering reliable software solutions, collaborating within development teams, and adapting to rapidly evolving technologies.

Is 25 too late to become a software engineer?

The associate software engineer role is open to individuals of various ages, and starting a career at 25 is common. Many successful software engineers begin in their mid-20s or later, often after gaining skills through coding bootcamps, online courses, or degree programs. Age is generally not a barrier if you develop relevant skills and gain practical experience.

What is an associate software engineer?

An associate software engineer works with a team of engineering professionals and developers to improve existing software or design new applications. As an associate software engineer, your job duties include coding software, coordinating with hardware engineers to ensure that different types of technology can run the software, and helping the QA team to test software before release. Typical qualifications for the career include a bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field and relevant technical experience with software applications. You also need excellent communication, coding, and analytical problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to work as part of a team.

More about Associate Software Engineer jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Software Engineer jobs in Pacifica, CA? The most popular types of Software Engineer jobs in Pacifica, CA are:
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What job categories do people searching Associate Software Engineer jobs in Pacifica, CA look for? The top searched job categories for Associate Software Engineer jobs in Pacifica, CA are:
What cities near Pacifica, CA are hiring for Associate Software Engineer jobs? Cities near Pacifica, CA with the most Associate Software Engineer job openings:
Associate Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Associate Software Engineer job openings in Pacifica, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 69% Full Time, 27% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $101,216 per year, or $48.7 per hour.

Associate Software Engineer, RLE

Handshake

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$135K - $150K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 19 days ago

Job description

About Handshake

Handshake was founded on a simple belief that everyone deserves a path to a great career, regardless of where they went to school or who they know. Today, we power 25 million job seekers, 1 million+ employers, and 1,600 educational institutions.

In 2025, we started Handshake AI and built the fastest-growing AI data business in history. We work directly with frontier AI lab researchers to create evaluations, publish benchmarks, and push the boundary of data. We’ve grown from $0 to ~$1B run rate and pay ~$60M to over 30K individuals every month.

Why join Handshake now:

  • Shape how every career evolves in the AI economy, at global scale, with impact your friends, family and peers can see and feel

  • Partner hand-in-hand with world-class AI labs, Fortune 500 partners and the world’s top educational institutions

  • Work together with engineers, scientists, operators, and more from Palantir, Meta, Scale AI, and former YC founders

  • Build a massive, fast-growing business with billions in revenue

About Handshake AI

Human data is the core infrastructure to AI advancement. Frontier AI labs currently improve model capabilities with various data-intensive post-training techniques. We believe that data spend for AI training will increase by 3-5x in the next few years and continue for much longer as models take on new domains. Handshake AI supports all of the frontier AI labs, working on their most complex data at the largest scale.

About the Role

We’re hiring an Associate Software Engineer to help build our Reinforcement Learning Environments (RLE) platform—the systems where frontier AI models learn to complete real-world work.

This is a hands-on, growth-oriented role where you’ll contribute to building core systems, learn quickly from senior engineers, and gain exposure to cutting-edge AI infrastructure.

Location: San Francisco, CA (in-office, 5 days/week)

What You’ll Do

  • Contribute to building RLE environments and supporting infrastructure

  • Implement features across backend systems and frontend interfaces

  • Work with senior engineers to improve system reliability and performance

  • Help build modular workflow domains (e.g., engineering, finance, legal)

  • Support data pipelines that power model training and evaluation

What We’re Looking For

  • 0–2 years of experience (internships or full-time) in software engineering

  • Familiarity with backend development and APIs

  • Working knowledge of ReactJS and TypeScript

  • Understanding of databases (e.g., PostgreSQL) and basic system design

  • Eagerness to learn and operate in fast-paced environments

Nice to Have

  • Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, GCP)

  • Experience with data pipelines or ML-adjacent systems

  • Interest in AI/ML or simulation systems

What Success Looks Like

  • Ships reliable features that improve RLE functionality

  • Grows into owning small components independently

  • Contributes to faster iteration and better developer velocity

Perks

Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supported—and thrive at work and in life.

The below benefits are for full-time US employees.

🎯 Ownership: Equity in a fast-growing company

💰 Financial Wellness: 401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching

🍼 Family Support: Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coachin

💝 Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision, mental health support, $500 wellness stipend

📚 Growth: $2,000 learning stipend, ongoing development

💻 Office: Commuting support, free lunch, and gym in our SF office

🏝 Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days

🤝 Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses

Compensation Range: $135K - $150K