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Chip Architect Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Phinity Labs, Inc.

Chip Architect

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$140 - $190/hr

The Role The Chip Architect role is for an experienced silicon engineer who wants to architect and lead a a chip, heavily using AI to speed up development. Some example responsibilities include:

New

P3Hired

Wireless Chip Architect

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$75 - $98.75/hr

As a Wireless Architect, you drive the definition of connectivity subsystem architectures for next-generation products including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB with mixed analog/digital hardware. You will ...

Ceva

Wireless Chip Architect

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$75 - $98.75/hr

As a Wireless Architect, you drive the definition of connectivity subsystem architectures for next-generation products including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB with mixed analog/digital hardware. You will ...

Conductor

Wafer Architect

Austin, TX · On-site

$180 - $260/hr

You will work with the XPU/Compute chip architect and the memory architect to synthesize the final wafer-level architecture. Ideal Background: An ideal candidate will have: * Deep understanding and ...

New

Conductor

Wafer Architect

Boston, MA · On-site

$180 - $260/hr

You will work with the XPU/Compute chip architect and the memory architect to synthesize the final wafer-level architecture. Ideal Background: An ideal candidate will have: * Deep understanding and ...

New

Conductor

Wafer Architect

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180 - $260/hr

You will work with the XPU/Compute chip architect and the memory architect to synthesize the final wafer-level architecture. Ideal Background: An ideal candidate will have: * Deep understanding and ...

New

Conductor

XPU Architect

Boston, MA · On-site

$150 - $230/hr

Hands-on experience with AI chip architecture and tapeouts * End to end ownership of at least one ... AI ASIC project * History of product delivery (regardless of ultimate commercial success of said ...

New

Conductor

XPU Architect

Austin, TX · On-site

$150 - $230/hr

Hands-on experience with AI chip architecture and tapeouts * End to end ownership of at least one ... AI ASIC project * History of product delivery (regardless of ultimate commercial success of said ...

New

Conductor

XPU Architect

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150 - $230/hr

Hands-on experience with AI chip architecture and tapeouts * End to end ownership of at least one ... AI ASIC project * History of product delivery (regardless of ultimate commercial success of said ...

New

Retym

Optical DSP Chief Architect

Austin, TX · On-site

Work closely with hardware, firmware, and Chip architect to optimize DSP implementation for performance, power, and area. * Conduct system-level modelling and simulations to validate DSP algorithms ...

Apple

Display Silicon Architect

Cupertino, CA · On-site

Description As a Display Silicon Architect owning the chip architecture and specification in a chip design, you will have responsibilities spanning all aspects of display silicon design: • ...

Conductor

NoC Architect (Network on Chip)

Boston, MA · On-site

$180 - $230/hr

We're looking for an architect to own the NoC (network on chip) inside our XPU, as well as its integration into the broader network and system. Ideal Background: * Hands on experience in designing ...

Conductor

NoC Architect (Network on Chip)

Austin, TX · On-site

$180 - $230/hr

We're looking for an architect to own the NoC (network on chip) inside our XPU, as well as its integration into the broader network and system. Ideal Background: * Hands on experience in designing ...

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Chip Architect information

See salary details

$46.5K

$128.8K

$201.5K

How much do chip architect jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for chip architect in the United States is $128,756.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $91,000.00 and $166,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a chip architect?

To thrive as a Chip Architect, you need deep expertise in computer architecture, digital circuit design, and strong analytical skills, usually supported by an advanced degree in electrical engineering or a related field. Familiarity with hardware description languages (like Verilog or VHDL), EDA tools, and simulation platforms is essential, along with knowledge of industry-standard protocols. Strong problem-solving abilities, effective communication, and leadership skills set outstanding chip architects apart when collaborating across multidisciplinary teams. These competencies are crucial for designing efficient, innovative chips that meet performance, power, and cost requirements in a highly competitive technology industry.

What are some common challenges faced by chip architects when translating system requirements into chip designs?

Chip Architects often face the challenge of balancing performance, power consumption, and cost constraints while translating high-level system requirements into detailed chip architectures. They must ensure that their designs can be efficiently implemented in silicon, taking into account factors like manufacturability, scalability, and integration with existing hardware and software. Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams—such as hardware, software, and verification engineers—is essential to address issues early and ensure alignment throughout the development process. Staying updated with rapidly evolving semiconductor technologies and industry standards is also a key part of overcoming these challenges.

What is the difference between Chip Architect vs Hardware Design Engineer?

AspectChip ArchitectHardware Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields; experience in chip design and architectureBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields; focus on circuit design and implementation
Work EnvironmentDesign teams, R&D labs, collaborative project settingsDesign labs, testing facilities, manufacturing environments
Employer & Industry UsageSemiconductor companies, tech firms, integrated circuit manufacturersElectronics companies, semiconductor firms, hardware development labs

The main difference is that a Chip Architect focuses on designing the overall architecture and high-level specifications of chips, while a Hardware Design Engineer concentrates on implementing circuit designs based on specifications. Both roles require electrical engineering expertise, but the Chip Architect is more involved in conceptual and architectural decisions, whereas the Hardware Design Engineer handles detailed circuit development and testing.

What does a chip architect do?

A chip architect designs the overall structure and specifications of integrated circuits, including processors and other hardware components. They analyze performance requirements, create architectural models, and collaborate with engineers to ensure the design meets technical and functional goals, often using tools like CAD software and simulation environments.
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Chip Architect jobs near you
Infographic showing various Chip Architect job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 79% Physical, 7% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $128,756 per year, or $61.9 per hour.

Chip Architect

Phinity Labs, Inc.

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$140 - $190/hr

Other

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 2 days ago

New

Job description

About Phinity

Phinity is building prompt-to-silicon: the agent infrastructure that enables AI agents to design, verify, optimize, and ultimately tape out chips. By 2028, any company will be able to specify a set of requirements for a chip and Phinity will deliver them a GDS file in weeks, not years.

Today, chip development requires large teams, fragmented tools, and multi-year development cycles. We are building a closed-loop system in which models can reason about hardware, use engineering tools, learn from verification feedback, and perform increasingly consequential parts of the chip-development process.

We work with leading frontier AI labs and are building a small team with deep experience across AI research, silicon architecture, design, and verification. Our long-term goal is autonomous tapeout, making custom silicon accessible enough to accelerate technological progress at breakneck speed.

The Role

The Chip Architect role is for an experienced silicon engineer who wants to architect and lead a a chip, heavily using AI to speed up development. Some example responsibilities include:

  • Architect and drive the development of edge compute chips, owning the microarchitecture and the PPA, timing, area, power, and physical-feasibility tradeoffs that define a good design
  • Make the chip- and subsystem-level architecture decisions that have to survive verification, timing, area, power, and physical constraints, and own the technical bar across the design
  • Establish rigorous verification and signoff practice across simulation, formal, and physical design
  • Articulate why a design decision is good, and help us encode that judgment into the tooling that lets a small team design hardware at unusual speed
  • Work hands-on with unreleased frontier models as part of how the chip gets built

The role will involve you working directly with the founders and collaborating frequently with frontier lab researchers.

Requirements
  1. 8+ years architecting and shipping complex chips or subsystems, with designs taken through tapeout
  2. Knowledge across the design stack: RTL and microarchitecture, PPA optimization, verification, understanding of physical design and signoff
  3. Experience using AI to develop chips
  4. Strong communication skills and willingness to try new methods in ambiguous and fast-moving environments
Why you should work with us
  • Build a real chip with unlimited AI usage
  • Access non-publicly released foundation models and learn what the frontier of intelligence is before everyone else
  • Own architecture decisions for novel chip design end-to-end

We offer competitive salary and equity. We work in-person from SF and also have benefits including:

  • Health insurance
  • Retirement plans
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Paid parental leave
  • Lunch and dinner provided in-office
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