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Entry Level High Performance Computing Engineer Jobs in Berkeley, CA

About you Ideal backgrounds include high-performance computing, custom CUDA kernels and GPU programming, AI/ML + data systems at scale. * Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software ...

Cloud HPC Engineer

Walnut Creek, CA · On-site +1

$130K - $200K/yr

Work will focus on (1) building a cloud-based high-performance computing platform for nanoscale materials and chemistry, (2) planning and organizing the work of the engineering team, (3) establishing ...

Showing results 21-40

Entry Level High Performance Computing Engineer information

See Berkeley, CA salary details

$36.7K

$84.9K

$144.5K

How much do entry level high performance computing engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level high performance computing engineer in Berkeley, CA is $84,930.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $63,100.00 and $96,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an entry level high performance computing engineer?

An Entry Level High Performance Computing (HPC) Engineer is a professional who assists in designing, building, and maintaining high-speed computing systems used for complex computations and large-scale data analysis. They typically work with supercomputers or computer clusters in fields like scientific research, finance, or engineering. Responsibilities often include configuring hardware, optimizing software, and troubleshooting system issues, usually under the guidance of more experienced engineers. Entry-level engineers may also help monitor system performance and support users in running high-performance applications.

What are some common challenges faced by entry level high performance computing engineers, and how can new hires successfully navigate them?

Entry level HPC engineers often encounter challenges such as working with complex parallel computing architectures, optimizing code for performance, and troubleshooting across large-scale, distributed systems. New hires may also need to quickly learn job-specific tools and adapt to rapidly evolving hardware and software environments. To navigate these challenges, it’s important to proactively seek mentorship, participate in team code reviews, and continuously build your skills through hands-on experience and training opportunities. Open communication and collaboration with experienced team members also play a key role in overcoming technical hurdles and growing within the HPC field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an entry level high performance computing engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level High Performance Computing Engineer, you typically need a solid background in computer science or engineering, familiarity with parallel computing concepts, and proficiency in programming languages like C/C++ or Python. Experience with Linux environments, HPC cluster management tools, and knowledge of batch schedulers or MPI/OpenMP are often required. Strong problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication help you excel in collaborating with researchers and technical teams. These skills ensure efficient support and optimization of complex computing systems critical for scientific and technical advancements.

What is the difference between Entry Level High Performance Computing Engineer vs Entry Level Data Scientist?

AspectEntry Level High Performance Computing EngineerEntry Level Data Scientist
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; knowledge of parallel computingBachelor's in Data Science, Statistics, or related; programming skills in Python/R
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, tech companies, supercomputing centersBusiness, tech firms, research institutions
Industry UsageHigh-performance computing, scientific research, simulationsData analysis, machine learning, predictive modeling

Entry Level High Performance Computing Engineers focus on developing and optimizing computational systems for scientific and technical applications, while Entry Level Data Scientists analyze data to extract insights. Both roles require programming skills and a strong technical background, but they serve different industry needs and environments.

Infographic showing various Entry Level High Performance Computing Engineer job openings in Berkeley, CA as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 83% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 16% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $84,930 per year, or $40.8 per hour.

HPC Platform Engineer, Software, Center for Quantum Computing

San Francisco, CA • On-site, Remote

Amazon
IT Services • 10K+ employees

$67.75 - $91/hr

Full-time

Re-posted 8 days ago


Amazon rating

7.4

Company rating: 7.4 out of 10

Based on 7,180 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

The Models, Quantum, & Silicon (MQS) Center for Quantum Computing (CQC) is a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and technicians, on a mission to develop a fault-tolerant quantum computer.
We are looking to hire an HPC Platform Engineer to develop, automate, and maintain high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure on AWS that CQC scientists and engineers use for quantum computing hardware design and simulation. You will work closely with our experimental and theoretical physics teams to enable large-scale HPC workloads with MPI-based parallelism on EC2 instances, manage graphical environments for computer-aided engineering applications, and accelerate the research computing lifecycle through automation and infrastructure-as-code. The ideal candidate will be able to translate high-level science and simulation requirements into reliable deliverables (including cluster orchestration, job scheduling, CI/CD pipelines, reproducible environments, and artifact management) that are performant, scalable, and secure

This requires someone who (1) has a strong desire to work within a team of scientists and engineers, (2) demonstrates ownership by initiating and driving projects to completion, and (3) is comfortable operating at the intersection of traditional HPC and cloud-native infrastructure.
Why MQS?
Models, Quantum, & Silicon is a brand new organization within Amazon. We're building the full stack of compute to power the next era of innovation. One Org

One Mission. Limitless Impact.
Diverse Experiences
Amazon values diverse experiences.

Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn't followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don't let it stop you from applying.
Work/Life Balance
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture

When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there's nothing we can't achieve in the cloud.
Inclusive Team Culture
Here at MQS, it's in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empower us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon (gender diversity) conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.
Mentorship and Career Growth
We're continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth's Best Employer

That's why you'll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
Key job responsibilities
Responsibilities include some combination of the following:
* Administer and automate cloud-based HPC environments by deploying and maintaining clusters, managing OS and software stacks, building containers, provisioning users, and securing systems.
* Support computer-aided engineering and computational science workflows (e.g., Palace) by improving HPC environment robustness, performance, and availability across instance types and regions.
* Anticipate and expand CQC computational capacity, leveraging AWS to accelerate the quantum hardware design cycle.
* Design reproducible development environments and own dependency, build, and release management across interdependent research software projects.
* Develop CI/CD pipelines and automate provisioning using infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Docker, AWS CDK).
* Maintain Amazon's high security bar while enabling fast-paced development; implement observability and monitoring for rapid debugging and high uptime.
We are looking for candidates with strong engineering principles, a bias for action, superior problem-solving, and excellent communication skills. Working effectively within a team environment is essential. As an HPC Platform Engineer embedded in a research organization, you will have the opportunity to work on new ideas and stay abreast of the field of experimental quantum computation.
A day in the life
The majority of your time will be spent on projects that strengthen and scale our HPC platform and accelerate the computational workflows that underpin quantum hardware design

This requires working backwards from the needs of our science staff in the context of our larger experimental roadmap. You will translate science and software requirements into design proposals, balancing implementation complexity against time-to-delivery. Once a proposal has been reviewed and accepted, you'll drive implementation and coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure a smooth rollout.

You will work closely with engineers and scientists on the team to understand their simulation workloads, parallelism requirements, and tooling needs.
About the team
You will be joining the Software team within the MQS Center of Quantum Computing. Our team is comprised of scientists and engineers who are building scalable software that enables quantum computing technologies.


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About Amazon

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Amazon.com, Inc., commonly known as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and initially started as an online marketplace for books. Since then, Amazon has expanded its operations and become one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. Amazon's primary business is its online retail platform, where customers can purchase a vast array of products, including electronics, clothing, books, home goods, and much more. The company offers a convenient and user-friendly shopping experience, with features such as fast shipping, customer reviews, and personalized recommendations. In addition to its e-commerce platform, Amazon has diversified its business into various other areas. One of its notable ventures is Amazon Web Services (AWS), a comprehensive cloud computing platform that provides services such as storage, compute power, and database management to individuals and businesses. AWS has become a leader in the cloud computing industry, powering many websites and applications worldwide. Amazon has also developed its own consumer electronics, including the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader, Fire tablets, Fire TV streaming devices, and the Alexa-powered Echo smart speakers. The Alexa voice assistant, integrated into these devices, allows users to interact with their devices using voice commands, perform tasks, and access information. Furthermore, Amazon has expanded into media and entertainment. It operates Prime Video, a streaming service that offers a wide range of movies, TV shows, and original content. Amazon Music provides a platform for streaming and purchasing digital music, while Audible offers audiobooks and other audio content. The company's commitment to customer satisfaction and convenience is demonstrated by its membership program, Amazon Prime. Prime members receive various benefits, including free two-day shipping, access to streaming services, exclusive deals, and more.

Industry

It services, book publishers, retail, real estate, computer and electronic product manufacturing and software development

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Seattle, WA, US