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Chip Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Phizenix

Photonics Chip Lead Engineer

Santa Clara, CA

$120K - $158K/yr

You will lead the full lifecycle of photonic chip development-from architecture through physical design and integration-collaborating with multidisciplinary engineering teams. Key Responsibilities

Nvidia

EDA Workflow Optimization Engineer

Durham, NC · Hybrid

$107K - $127K/yr

As an engineer in our EDA Workflow Optimization team, you will partner closely with our engineering ... You will understand workflows covering the full chip design process from inception through study ...

Lightmatter

Chip Architecture Leader

Boston, MA · On-site

We are hiring a Head of Chip Architecture, you will collaborate with both external partners and internal engineering teams to develop and deliver innovative, high-volume photonics products. In this ...

Nvidia

OR · On-site

You'll start with our chip fuse and programming infrastructure, and expand across the full Chip Tools portfolio. This is a role for someone who wants to own something important and make it excellent.

Eridu AI

ASIC Chip Design Lead

Saratoga, CA · On-site

$250K - $280K/yr

The company is in execution mode and has a world-class engineering team with decades of experience ... Position Overview We are seeking a hands-on ASIC Chip Design Lead to own chip design execution from ...

Astera Labs

Chip Lead, Senior Director

San Jose, CA

Drive chip development execution from RTL to GDSII, ensuring architecture, implementation, and ... Anticipate challenges early, drive alignment across all engineering functions, ensuring risks ...

Brahma Consulting Group

Head of AI

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$350K - $500K/yr

You should bring deep expertise in ML for chip design, as well as leadership experience in high-performance engineering teams. Responsibilities * Contribute to building the ML roadmap and research ...

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All JobsChip Engineer Jobs

Chip Engineer information

See salary details

$20K

$87.6K

$179.5K

How much do chip engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for chip engineer in the United States is $87,570.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $39,500.00 and $124,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are chip engineers?

Chip engineers, also known as semiconductor or integrated circuit (IC) engineers, design, develop, and test microchips that power electronic devices such as computers, smartphones, and automotive systems. They work with complex circuitry, ensuring that chips meet performance, size, and energy efficiency requirements. Chip engineers collaborate with other specialists in areas like software, hardware, and manufacturing to bring advanced semiconductor products from concept to production.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Chip Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Chip Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, semiconductor physics, and integrated circuit (IC) design, usually supported by a relevant engineering degree. Proficiency with tools like CAD software (e.g., Cadence, Synopsys), HDL languages (such as Verilog or VHDL), and familiarity with industry standards or certifications are critical. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective teamwork make someone excel in this role. These skills and qualities are essential for designing reliable, high-performance chips that meet rigorous technical requirements and tight project deadlines.

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

AspectChip EngineerHardware Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fieldsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields
Work EnvironmentDesign labs, fabrication facilities, simulation softwareDesign labs, schematic tools, testing environments
Industry UsageSemiconductor companies, electronics firms, tech companiesElectronics manufacturers, consumer device companies, aerospace
Common Search/ComparisonYesYes

Chip Engineers focus on designing and developing integrated circuits and chips, often working on the entire chip architecture. Hardware Design Engineers concentrate on creating detailed schematics and layouts for electronic hardware components, including circuit boards and systems. While both roles require similar educational backgrounds and work environments, Chip Engineers typically work more on the semiconductor level, whereas Hardware Design Engineers focus on the physical hardware implementation.

What are some typical challenges a Chip Engineer faces when working on new semiconductor designs?

Chip Engineers often encounter challenges such as balancing power consumption, performance, and area (PPA) during the design process. Meeting aggressive timelines while ensuring design verification and manufacturability can also be demanding. Additionally, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams like software, hardware, and testing engineers is crucial for resolving integration issues and optimizing chip functionality. Staying updated with rapid advancements in fabrication technologies and EDA tools is essential for success in this fast-paced environment.
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Chip Engineer jobs near you

Founding Machine Learning Engineer

Brahma Consulting Group

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

Founding ML Architect

San Francisco, CA


About this role

We are looking for a world-class ML leader to architect and own our AI roadmap. This is a foundational role that will work closely with the founders to define the technical

trajectory across our platform, including code generation, reinforcement learning, layout optimization etc. You'll lead a growing ML team and work cross-functionally to turn

cutting-edge research into usable tools for chip engineers. You should bring deep expertise in ML for chip design, as well as leadership experience in high-performance

engineering teams.


Responsibilities

  • Contribute to building the ML roadmap and research strategy for Architect across RTL and PD domains.
  • Architect and deploy novel agent-based systems, including fine-tuning models for RTL Code generation, physical design tasks automation and hardware problem
  • reasoning.
  • Lead, mentor, and scale a team of top-tier ML engineers. Guide research direction, implementation standards, and modeling infrastructure.
  • Interface with hardware engineers to identify bottlenecks in chip design pipelines that ML can solve.
  • Stay ahead of state-of-the-art techniques in ML4EDA, agent orchestration, and model compression/deployment.


Tech stack

Python, PyTorch, RL libraries, Transformers, MLOps, JavaScript, TypeScript, Linux,

RTL Code Generation, Physical Design Automation, Hardware Problem Reasoning,

Agentic Systems, Fine-tuning Models, Multi-agent Orchestration, Reinforcement

Learning