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Deep Ocean Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

BIRNS OCEANOGRAPHICS INC

Quality Engineer

Oxnard, CA · On-site

$70K - $100K/yr

With a commitment to quality and innovation, we serve critical applications in deep ocean, marine, military, and nuclear power sectors. Summary BIRNS is seeking a Quality Engineer to join our team at ...

BIRNS OCEANOGRAPHICS INC

Quality Engineer

Oxnard, CA · On-site

$70K - $100K/yr

With a commitment to quality and innovation, we serve critical applications in deep ocean, marine, military, and nuclear power sectors. Summary BIRNS is seeking a Quality Engineer to join our team at ...

Sofar Ocean

Staff Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$175K - $222K/yr

You'll need a deep understanding of our customers, their workflows, and critical data they need to operate. You will collaborate with a top-notch team of engineers, ocean scientists and product ...

Mantari

Software Engineer

Torrance, CA · On-site

Our mission is to sense Earth in its entirety - oceans, skies, and space - and close the gap ... Our autonomous edge sensing fleets, deep learning forecast models, and integrated customer decision ...

Saildrone

Staff Software Engineer, Perception

Alameda, CA · On-site

$215K - $270K/yr

... oceans. THE RESPONSIBILITIES * Lead end-to-end perception engineering efforts, owning the technical ... Deep, full-stack perception domain knowledge spanning sensor drivers, calibration, target tracking ...

SeeScan

iOS Developer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$125K - $160K/yr

Deep understanding of async/await, Actors, Combine and the evolution of Swift Concurrency ... engineering, or similar with relevant experience About SeeScan Beneath the ground and below the ...

Seasats

Senior Front End Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$160K - $210K/yr

As part of the team, you'll build a deep understanding of our USVs' capabilities, the vision behind ... A command of software engineering principles including testing, deployment, and performance tuning

Seasats

Senior Front End Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$160K - $210K/yr

As part of the team, you'll build a deep understanding of our USVs' capabilities, the vision behind ... A command of software engineering principles - including testing, deployment, and performance ...

Seasats

Senior Front End Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · Hybrid

$160K - $210K/yr

As part of the team, you'll build a deep understanding of our USVs' capabilities, the vision behind ... A command of software engineering principles - including testing, deployment, and performance ...

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Showing results 1-20

All JobsDeep Ocean Engineering JobsDeep Ocean Engineering Jobs in California

Deep Ocean Engineering information

See California salary details

$45.9K

$144.9K

$171.7K

How much do deep ocean engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for deep ocean engineering in California is $144,945.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $115,000.00 and $170,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in deep ocean engineering projects?

Professionals in deep ocean engineering often encounter challenges such as harsh and unpredictable underwater environments, which can complicate the deployment and maintenance of equipment. Working at significant depths also requires strict adherence to safety protocols and the use of specialized technology, such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) or submersibles. Additionally, close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams—including marine biologists, geologists, and software engineers—is essential to ensure project success and address technical issues quickly. These factors make adaptability, strong communication, and technical problem-solving critical skills in the field.

What is deep ocean engineering?

Deep ocean engineering is a specialized field that focuses on designing, building, and maintaining technology and infrastructure used in deep-sea environments. This includes underwater vehicles, subsea structures, and systems for exploration, research, resource extraction, and environmental monitoring in the deep ocean, often at depths exceeding 200 meters. Engineers in this field address challenges like high pressure, low temperatures, and limited accessibility, making it a highly technical and interdisciplinary area of engineering.

What is the difference between Deep Ocean Engineering vs Marine Engineer?

AspectDeep Ocean EngineeringMarine Engineer
CredentialsEngineering degree, specialized training in oceanic environmentsEngineering degree, maritime certifications often preferred
Work EnvironmentUnderwater, deep-sea, offshore platformsShips, vessels, shipyards, coastal facilities
Industry UsageOil & gas, subsea construction, researchShip design, maintenance, propulsion systems

Deep Ocean Engineers focus on designing and maintaining equipment and structures for deep-sea environments, often working offshore or underwater. Marine Engineers work primarily on ships and maritime vessels, handling propulsion, systems, and maintenance. While both roles require engineering credentials and involve maritime environments, Deep Ocean Engineering emphasizes underwater and offshore projects, whereas Marine Engineering centers on ship operations and design.

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

To thrive as a Deep Ocean Engineer, you need a solid background in marine engineering, oceanography, and mechanical or electrical engineering, often supported by a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with CAD software, underwater robotics, sonar systems, and certifications in underwater operations or ROV piloting are typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, teamwork, and adaptability to challenging environments help individuals excel in demanding offshore projects. These capabilities are crucial for designing, operating, and maintaining complex systems in harsh deep-sea conditions, ensuring both project success and safety.
What are popular job titles related to Deep Ocean Engineering jobs in California? For Deep Ocean Engineering jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Deep Ocean Engineering jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Deep Ocean Engineering jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Deep Ocean Engineering jobs? Cities in California with the most Deep Ocean Engineering job openings:
Deep Ocean Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Deep Ocean Engineering job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 7% As Needed, and 93% Full Time. Highlights an 93% In-person, and 7% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $144,945 per year, or $69.7 per hour.
Staff Scientist - Marine Acoustics

Staff Scientist - Marine Acoustics

Sofar Ocean

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$121K - $171K/yr

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

The Role
Sofar designs, builds, and deploys ocean sensing networks at a global scale to power ocean intelligence. We are expanding our sensing and intelligence capabilities into underwater acoustics and looking for an experienced scientist/engineer in ocean acoustics to help shape and advance Sofar's underwater acoustics platform.
Responsibilities
  • Help shape Sofar's underwater acoustics strategy, and support the technical vision for an underwater acoustics platform that supports real-world marine applications.
  • Develop capabilities to detect, classify, and localize underwater objects using passive and/or active acoustic sensing methods
  • Advance methods for creating acoustic maps of the marine environment, including characterization of ambient soundscapes, propagation conditions, and relevant oceanographic context
  • Provide an acoustics-centric perspective on sensing system design, deployment strategy, data quality, and performance validation
  • Collaborate with Sofar's oceanic and sensing scientists, software engineers, and firmware teams to translate acoustic research into operational products
  • Coordinate and conduct field experiments, data analyses, and simulation studies to evaluate acoustic system performance in real-world ocean conditions
  • Bring deep expertise in marine acoustics to complement Sofar's ocean science, sensing, and forecasting teams
  • Contribute to product requirements, technical roadmaps, and research priorities for new underwater acoustic capabilities
  • Represent Sofar externally with customers, research partners, government agencies, and the broader ocean acoustics community
Minimum Job Qualifications
  • Deep expertise in underwater acoustics
  • Experience developing acoustic sensing systems or algorithms for detection, classification, localization, mapping, or environmental characterization
  • Strong understanding of marine acoustic propagation, ambient noise, signal processing, and the practical constraints of ocean sensing
  • Experience working with real-world acoustic datasets, field deployments, and/or operational sensing systems
  • Experience applying statistical signal processing, machine learning, or modern AI methods to acoustic detection, classification, or environmental inference
  • Excellent communication skills, and you excel working in a cross-functional team
  • Experience translating scientific research into operational products or customer-facing capabilities
  • Ph.D. in acoustics, ocean engineering, electrical engineering, applied physics, oceanography, or a related field, but we will consider highly qualified candidates of any education level with equivalent experience
  • Strong reputation within the ocean acoustics community, with experience contributing to research programs, technical partnerships, or externally funded work
  • Enthusiasm and experience in leveraging LLMs to magnify personal impact
Bonus Points
  • Familiarity with embedded sensing systems, firmware constraints, or edge processing for acoustic applications
  • Familiarity with the constraints of autonomous ocean platforms, including limited power, bandwidth, onboard compute, sensor calibration, and long-duration deployments
  • Comfort working in production codebases when necessary to personally deliver changes.
Estimated Salary Range:
  • $121,000 - $171,000
  • The range listed is what we reasonably expect to pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and may be modified in the future. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, experience, and equity package.
Our Approach to AI in the Hiring Process:
At Sofar, we use AI tools in our day-to-day work, and we don't expect our hiring process to be any different. Here's how we think about it:
Applying: Write your own first draft - we want to hear your voice and understand your real experience. AI is fine for refining and polishing, not for generating your story.
Take-home assessments: Complete these on your own unless we've explicitly said otherwise. We'll always be upfront about it when AI is allowed.
Interview prep: Go for it. Use AI to research Sofar, practice your responses, and sharpen your thinking before we meet.
During interviews: This is you. We're a small team and we move fast - live conversations are how we get to know you, and we're genuinely curious how you think in real time.
A note on transparency: We're a lean People team, and we use AI to help with things like drafting job descriptions, preparing interview questions, and candidate communications. We don't use it to make hiring decisions - those are always ours.
The through line: use AI to show more of yourself, not less :)
About Working at Sofar:
Hybrid work: We're a hands-on team building hardware and software that operates in the real world - so being together matters. We ask that most team members are in office at least 70% of the time, though some roles (like field technicians or hardware engineering) may require more. Fully remote roles are designated as such in the job posting.
Visa sponsorship: We do sponsor visas and retain an immigration lawyer to support the process. While we can't guarantee sponsorship for every role or situation, if we make you an offer, we'll make every reasonable effort to make it work.
A note on applying: We mean it when we say we want the strongest people - not the most credentialed ones. If you're excited about this work but don't check every box, please apply anyway. Research consistently shows that underrepresented candidates are more likely to self-select out, and that's a loss for everyone. Sofar operates at the intersection of ocean science, climate, and technology - the problems we're solving are consequential, and the perspectives we bring to them matter. We're actively working to build a team that reflects that.

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