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Contract Physical Design Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Baya Systems

Physical Design Engineer

Santa Clara, CA

$159.70K - $164.40K/yr

Physical Design Engineer Location: Santa Clara, CA About the role: We are seeking a seasoned Physical Design Engineer with a strong background in all aspects of Physical Design and Implementation ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167.80K - $172.70K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Beaverton, OR

$141.50K - $145.70K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160.20K - $164.90K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167.80K - $172.70K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167.80K - $172.70K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167.80K - $172.70K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Beaverton, OR · On-site

$141.50K - $145.70K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160.20K - $164.90K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160.20K - $164.90K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Baya Systems

Physical Design Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$159.70K - $164.40K/yr

Physical Design Engineer Location: Santa Clara, CA About the role: We are seeking a seasoned Physical Design Engineer with a strong background in all aspects of Physical Design and Implementation ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160.20K - $164.90K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Ambarella

$140K - $156K/yr

The Physical Design Engineer willbe an integral part of the physical design team with all aspects of physical design implementation and verification tasks for Ambarella's cutting edgelow powerAISoC ...

iFlow Inc

Physical Design Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$159.60K - $164.30K/yr

Physical Design Engineer Location:Sunnyvale, CA OR Austin,TX Duration: Long term experience: 5-18 years only ( No 18+ years profile) Job Overview: We are looking for a highly skilled Physical Design ...

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Contract Physical Design Engineer information

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$95K

$141.5K

How much do contract physical design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of May 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for contract physical design engineer in the United States is $139,408.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $136,000.00 and $140,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

A Contract Physical Design Engineer typically requires a solid background in electrical engineering, strong knowledge of VLSI design, and hands-on experience with ASIC or FPGA physical implementation. Familiarity with EDA tools such as Synopsys ICC2, Cadence Innovus, and scripting languages like Tcl and Perl, as well as understanding of industry standards, is crucial. Standout soft skills include strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication for collaborating with cross-functional teams. These skills ensure the engineer can deliver optimized, manufacturable chip layouts on time and within specification, which is vital for project and product success.

What are some common challenges faced by Contract Physical Design Engineers when joining new projects or teams?

Contract Physical Design Engineers often need to quickly adapt to new workflows, proprietary tools, and unique design methodologies used by different clients or teams. They may also face tight project timelines and the need to rapidly understand complex chip architectures. Effective communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams, such as verification and RTL design engineers, are critical to ensure design hand-offs and resolve issues efficiently. Flexibility, strong organizational skills, and a proactive approach to learning new environments are key to overcoming these challenges.

What are Contract Physical Design Engineers?

Contract Physical Design Engineers are professionals who specialize in the layout and implementation of integrated circuits (ICs) for semiconductor devices, typically working on a temporary or project-based basis. They focus on transforming circuit designs into physical layouts that can be fabricated on silicon chips, ensuring optimal performance, power, and area efficiency. Their work involves tasks such as floorplanning, placement, routing, timing analysis, and design rule checking. Contract roles allow companies flexibility in staffing for specific projects or peak development periods, and engineers in these positions often work for consulting firms or as independent contractors.
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What cities are hiring for Contract Physical Design Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Contract Physical Design Engineer job openings:
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Contract Physical Design Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Contract Physical Design Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 83% Full Time, and 17% Contract. Highlights an 66% In-person, 17% Hybrid, and 17% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $139,408 per year, or $67 per hour.
Physical Design Engineer

Physical Design Engineer

Central Business Solutions, Inc

San Jose, CA

$159.40K - $164.10K/yr

Other

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

Title: Physical Design Engineer
Location: 100% Remote
Duration: Long Term Contract role
Responsibilities
  • Develop and own physical design implementation of multi-hierarchy low-power designs including physical-aware logic synthesis, design for testability, floorplan, place and route, static timing analysis, IR Drop, EM, and physical verification in advanced technology nodes.
  • Resolve design and flow issues related to physical design, identify potential solutions, and drive execution
  • Deliver physical design of an end-to-end IP or integration of ASIC/SoC design

Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, with 5 years of relevant physical design experience
  • Strong understanding in the RTL2GDSII flow and design tapeouts in 16nm/14nm or below process technologies
  • Experience with low power implementation, power gating, multiple voltage rails, strong UPF/CPF knowledge.
  • Experience working with most EDA tools like DC/Genus, ICC2/Innovus, Primetime, Redhawk/Voltus, Calibre.

Preferred Qualification:
  • Experience in running physical-aware logic synthesis and achieving optimal synthesis QoR on low power designs
  • Knowledge of static timing analysis and concepts, defining timing constraints and exceptions, corners/voltage definitions.
  • Experience in Block-level and Full-chip floor-planning, power grid planning
  • Experience with custom or regular clock tree synthesis implementation at block level or top level, and clock power reduction techniques.
  • Experience with Python, TCL, Perl programming.

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