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Cpu Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Qualcomm

CPU Systems RTL Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$117K - $160K/yr

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU Engineering General Summary: We are hiring talented engineers for CPU RTL development targeted for high performance, low power devices. In this role, you ...

Qualcomm

CPU RTL LLC Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU Engineering General Summary: Qualcomm is a company of inventors that unlocked 5G ushering in an age of rapid acceleration in connectivity and new ...

Qualcomm

CPU RTL LLC Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU Engineering General Summary: Qualcomm is a company of inventors that unlocked 5G ushering in an age of rapid acceleration in connectivity and new ...

Qualcomm

CPU RTL Methodology Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$198K - $298K/yr

Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU Engineering General Summary: We are seeking a highly skilled and versatile engineer who thrives at the intersection of RTL design and CAD ...

Qualcomm

CPU Formal Verification Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$159K/yr

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU Engineering General Summary: Are you interested in working with a world-class CPU design team? Are you interested in the application of formal methods to ...

Qualcomm

CPU Formal Verification Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU Engineering General Summary: Are you interested in working with a world-class CPU design team? Are you interested in the application of formal methods to ...

Qualcomm

RISC-V CPU Compiler Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$200 - $250/hr

Engineering Group, CPU Engineering General Summary: RISC-V CPU Compiler Engineer Are you passionate about maximizing CPU performance and pushing the boundaries of optimization? Join our innovative ...

Qualcomm

RISC-V CPU Compiler Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site +1

RISC-V CPU Compiler Engineer Are you passionate about maximizing CPU performance and pushing the boundaries of optimization? Join our innovative team and play a key role in developing cutting-edge ...

Qualcomm

CPU Verification Engineer (RISC-V)

Santa Clara, CA · On-site +1

$159K/yr

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU Engineering General Summary: As a Design Verification Engineer, you will work with Chip Architects to validate the concepts of CPU and SOC level micro ...

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Showing results 21-40

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Cpu Engineer information

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$12

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How much do cpu engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for cpu engineer in California is $55.26, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $39.62 and $73.56 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Cpu Engineer vs Hardware Engineer?

AspectCpu EngineerHardware Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer EngineeringBachelor's or Master's in Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering
Work EnvironmentDesigning and testing CPU architectures, working in R&D labs or tech companiesDeveloping and testing various hardware components, often in manufacturing or R&D settings
Industry UsagePrimarily in semiconductor, computer hardware, and tech companiesBroader industry including consumer electronics, aerospace, and industrial equipment

Cpu Engineers focus specifically on designing and developing central processing units, while Hardware Engineers work on a wider range of electronic hardware components. Both roles require similar technical skills and often overlap in work environments, but Cpu Engineers specialize in CPU architecture and performance optimization.

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For Cpu Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

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Cpu Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Cpu Engineer job openings in California as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 6% Internship, 82% Full Time, and 12% Contract. Highlights an 88% In-person, 6% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $114,938 per year, or $55.3 per hour.

CPU Systems RTL Engineer

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

Qualcomm
Technology, Communication and Media • 10K+ employees
Learn more about Qualcommexternal

$117K - $160K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 15 days ago

Qualcomm rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 11 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

48th of 247 rated software companies

Job description

Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU Engineering
General Summary:
We are hiring talented engineers for CPU RTL development targeted for high performance, low power devices. In this role, you will work with chip architects to conceive of the micro-architecture and help with architecture/product definition through early involvement in the product life cycle.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
Required for this Role:
  • MS degree in Computer or Electrical Engineering with 5+ years of CPU RTL or similar experience.
  • Thorough knowledge of microprocessor architecture including expertise in one or more of the following areas: Timers, Interrupt controller, Configuration access protocols, RAS and safety aspects, AMU/PMU architecture, Power management architectures - Active and Idle power management, Limit and clock architecture, Debug/Trace and scan dump architecture
  • Knowledge of Verilog and/or VHDL. Experience with simulators and waveform debugging tools.
  • Knowledge of logic design principles along with timing and power implications.

Preferred qualifications:
  • MS degree in Computer or Electrical Engineering.
  • Understanding of low power microarchitecture techniques.
  • Understanding of high-performance techniques and trade-offs in a CPU microarchitecture.
  • Experience using a scripting language such as Perl or Python.

Roles and Responsibilities:
As an RTL engineer you will own or participate in the following:
  • Performance exploration. Explore high performance strategies working with the CPU modeling team.
  • Microarchitecture development and specification. From early high-level architectural exploration, through micro architectural research and arriving at a detailed specification.
  • RTL ownership. Development, assessment and refinement of RTL design to target power, performance, area and timing goals.
  • Functional verification support. Help the design verification team execute on the functional verification strategy.
  • Performance verification support. Help verify that the RTL design meets the performance goals.
  • Design delivery. Work with multi-functional engineering team to implement and validate physical design on the aspects of timing, area, reliability, testability and power.
  • Work alongside with Software, Firmware and platform team to make CPU systems features enabled in the products.

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.
EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.
Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.
Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:
$167,100.00 - $250,700.00
The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer - and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.

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About Qualcomm

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. You interact with products and technologies made possible by Qualcomm every day, including 5G-enabled smartphones that double as pro-level cameras and gaming devices, smarter vehicles and cities, and the technology behind the smart, connected factories that manufactured your latest purchase. Our powerful connectivity solutions keep you connected—even in remote areas. Qualcomm 5G and AI innovations are the power behind the connected intelligent edge. You’ll find our technologies behind and inside the innovations that deliver significant value across multiple industries and to billions of people every day.

Industry

Technology, communication and media

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

San Diego, CA, US

Year founded

1985

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