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Entry Level R&D Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Del Real Foods

Junior Food Scientist

Eastvale, CA · On-site

Support R & D department by identifying any opportunity of product and/or process improvement ... Bachelor's degree in food science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field * 0-2 years of ...

DEL REAL LLC

Junior Food Scientist

Eastvale, CA · On-site

Support R & D department by identifying any opportunity of product and/or process improvement ... Bachelor's degree in food science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field * 0-2 years of ...

Shifamed

Quality Engineer

Los Gatos, CA · On-site

$95K - $120K/yr

Our Quality Engineer will proactively drive quality and compliance in the production support area ... Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Operations and R&D. * Support Operations ...

DEL REAL LLC

Junior Food Scientist

Mira Loma, CA · On-site

$21 - $27/hr

Support R & D department by identifying any opportunity of product and/or process improvement ... Bachelor's degree in food science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field * 0-2 years of ...

Orbotech

Applications Development Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$97K - $166K/yr

KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world ...

Crane Company

Systems Engineer II

Burbank, CA · On-site

The Systems Engineer II works under supervision and uses established procedures to perform ... and R&D. * Plan, estimate, prioritize, and manage work activities to support meeting project ...

Crane Company

Systems Engineer II

Burbank, CA · On-site

The Systems Engineer II works under supervision and uses established procedures to perform ... and R&D. * Plan, estimate, prioritize, and manage work activities to support meeting project ...

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Entry Level R D Engineer information

See California salary details

$29.6K

$68.5K

$116.5K

How much do entry level r&d engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level r&d engineer in California is $68,454.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $50,800.00 and $77,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an Entry Level R&D Engineer do?

An Entry Level R&D Engineer assists in the research, design, and development of new products or processes within a company. They typically work under the supervision of senior engineers, conducting experiments, analyzing data, and helping to solve technical challenges. Their responsibilities may also include preparing reports, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and contributing to the improvement of existing products. This role is ideal for recent graduates looking to gain hands-on experience in a laboratory or product development environment.

What is the difference between Entry Level R&D Engineer vs Entry Level Mechanical Engineer?

AspectEntry Level R&D EngineerEntry Level Mechanical Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Engineering, often in R&D or related fieldsBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or related field
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, product development teams, innovation centersManufacturing plants, design offices, testing facilities
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, manufacturing firms, research institutionsAutomotive, aerospace, manufacturing industries
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

Entry Level R&D Engineers focus on developing new products and technologies in research settings, while Entry Level Mechanical Engineers typically work on designing, testing, and improving mechanical systems in manufacturing or industrial environments. Both roles require a bachelor's degree and are common entry points in engineering industries, but their daily tasks and work environments differ.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Entry Level R&D Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level R&D Engineer, you typically need a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, strong analytical skills, and a solid grasp of scientific and mathematical principles. Familiarity with CAD software, laboratory equipment, and data analysis tools is often required, and knowledge of industry-specific standards or certifications can be beneficial. Effective problem-solving, creativity, and strong teamwork and communication abilities help individuals stand out in this role. These skills and qualities are important because they enable engineers to develop innovative solutions, collaborate efficiently with multidisciplinary teams, and contribute to the advancement of new products and technologies.

What types of projects and responsibilities can I expect as an Entry Level R&D Engineer?

As an Entry Level R&D Engineer, you will typically work on a variety of projects that support the development and improvement of new products or technologies. Your responsibilities may include conducting experiments, analyzing data, assisting with prototype design, and collaborating with more experienced engineers and cross-functional teams. You'll also have opportunities to contribute ideas during brainstorming sessions and may be involved in documenting research findings. This role provides hands-on experience and is an excellent way to develop technical skills while learning industry best practices.
What are popular job titles related to Entry Level R&D Engineer jobs in California? For Entry Level R&D Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Entry Level R&D Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Entry Level R&D Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Entry Level R&D Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Entry Level R&D Engineer job openings:
Entry Level R D Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level R&D Engineer job openings in California as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 9% Internship, 73% Full Time, and 18% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $68,454 per year, or $32.9 per hour.

Data Engineer, Human Cohorts

Calico

South San Francisco, CA • On-site

$191K - $195K/yr

Full-time

Posted 17 days ago

Job description

Who We Are:
Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase our understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. Calico's highly innovative technology labs, its commitment to curiosity-driven discovery science, and, with academic and industry partners, its vibrant drug-development pipeline, together create an inspiring and exciting place to catalyze and enable medical breakthroughs.
Position Description:
Calico is seeking a Data Engineer to join our highly collaborative Engineering team and focus on developing high-performance research data infrastructure for large human cohorts. To succeed, you will need to be an enthusiastic team player, detail-oriented, extremely organized, and comfortable working on complex data, software, and scientific problems.
In this position, you will be the engineering lead for data infrastructure to support our human biology teams. You will drive projects from requirements-gathering to production deployment, engineering high-performance data systems that integrate with our internal data systems and our internally-developed AI platform.
Position Responsibilities:
  • End-to-End Project Ownership: Collaborate with data scientists and bench scientists to gather requirements, architect solutions, and deploy production-grade software that facilitates data movement, transformation, analysis, and visualization
  • Data Flow Architecture: Define and optimize data flows across the organization
  • Full-Stack Tool Development: Develop data systems and internal web applications (using React and Python) that allow stakeholders to review, visualize, and communicate complex scientific data
  • Mentorship & Leadership: Serve as a strong technical voice within a larger Engineering team; provide mentorship to junior engineers across Calico and help onboard future hires
  • Engineering Excellence: Champion best practices for infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD, and containerization while helping to set standards for data engineering at Calico
Position Requirements:
  • BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
  • 4+ years (for BS/MS) or 1-2 years (for PhD) of professional software or data engineering experience developing robust, production-grade, and high-performance R&D-focused information systems
  • Experience working with large-scale biological datasets
  • Fluency in Python and SQL with a strong grasp of software and data engineering principles (testing, modularity, design patterns, data modeling)
  • Demonstrated experience developing and deploying cloud-based applications on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) (preferred), AWS, or Azure
  • Strong experience with modern web frameworks and infrastructure, specifically FastAPI, React, Kubernetes, and Terraform
  • Proven ability to lead complex projects involving diverse stakeholders (e.g., ML engineers, computational biologists, bench scientists) from concept to production
  • Experience enforcing robust data governance policies and compliance with internal information security standards and best practices
  • Must be willing to work onsite at least four days per week

The estimated base salary range for this role is $191,000 - $195,000. Actual pay will be based on a number of factors including experience and qualifications. This position is also eligible for two annual cash bonuses.

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