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

Silvus Technologies

FPGA Design Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$132K - $181K/yr

... R&D. These are exciting projects aimed at addressing challenging real-world communication needs. This position is 100% onsite, Monday through Friday, at Silvus Technologies' Engineering and R&D ...

KLA

Optical Engineering Technician - NPI (E)

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$63K - $108K/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 ...

Intel

AI Research Engineer/Scientist

Santa Clara, CA · Hybrid

$170K - $240K/yr

... development (R/D) purposes.Key Responsibilities:Define architectures and designs that meet ... D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Optics and Optical Engineering.Track record of peer ...

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D. R. Horton

Division CFO (Roseville)

Roseville, CA · On-site

$145K - $175K/yr

... the entry-level and first time move-up markets. The Company also provides mortgage financing and ... D.R. Horton, Inc. is currently looking for a Division CFO . The right candidate will establish ...

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All JobsR&D Engineering JobsEntry Level R&D Engineering JobsEntry Level R&D Engineering Jobs in California

Entry Level R D Engineering information

See California salary details

$29.6K

$68.5K

$116.5K

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

As of Jul 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level r&d engineering 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 is the difference between Entry Level R&D Engineering vs Mechanical Design Engineer?

AspectEntry Level R&D EngineeringMechanical Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Engineering or related fieldBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or similar
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, product development teamsDesign offices, manufacturing settings
Industry UsageResearch and development departments across industriesProduct design and manufacturing companies
Common Search IntentEntry level R&D roles, research-focused positionsDesign-focused engineering roles

Entry Level R&D Engineering and Mechanical Design Engineer roles often require similar educational backgrounds, but differ in focus. Entry Level R&D Engineers typically work on developing new products or technologies in research labs, while Mechanical Design Engineers focus on creating detailed product designs for manufacturing. Both roles are common in engineering industries, but their daily tasks and environments vary.

What is an Entry Level R&D Engineer?

An Entry Level R&D (Research and Development) Engineer is a recent graduate or early-career professional who works on designing, developing, and testing new products, technologies, or processes. They collaborate with senior engineers and scientists to conduct experiments, analyze data, and contribute to innovative solutions. Their responsibilities typically include assisting with prototype development, documentation, and running tests to ensure product quality and functionality. This role helps bridge theoretical engineering knowledge with practical application in a real-world setting.

What types of projects and responsibilities can I expect as an entry-level R&D engineer?

As an entry-level R&D engineer, you'll typically work on a variety of tasks that support the development and improvement of new products or technologies. Your responsibilities may include conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing data, building prototypes, and assisting senior engineers with troubleshooting and documentation. You’ll often collaborate closely with cross-functional teams such as design, manufacturing, and quality assurance to ensure project goals are met. Entry-level roles provide valuable exposure to the full product development cycle and offer plenty of opportunities to learn from experienced colleagues.

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 need a solid background in engineering principles, problem-solving, and data analysis, typically supported by a relevant bachelor's degree. Familiarity with CAD software, lab equipment, data acquisition systems, and sometimes certifications in project management or Six Sigma are valuable. Strong communication, creativity, and teamwork skills help you collaborate effectively and contribute innovative solutions. These abilities are crucial for driving product development, ensuring technical accuracy, and supporting continuous improvement in research environments.
What are popular job titles related to Entry Level R&D Engineering jobs in California? For Entry Level R&D Engineering jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Entry Level R&D Engineering jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Entry Level R&D Engineering jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Entry Level R&D Engineering jobs? Cities in California with the most Entry Level R&D Engineering job openings:
Entry Level R D Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level R&D Engineering job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 79% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 3% Temporary, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 94% In-person, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $68,454 per year, or $32.9 per hour.
Hardware Engineer, Materra

Hardware Engineer, Materra

X, the moonshot factory

Mountain View, CA • On-site

$145K - $192K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 26 days ago

Job description

H a r d w a r e E n g i n e e r , M a t e r r a
Hardware Engineering Mountain View, CA (HQ)
The Team:
Materra is on a mission to radically reduce global waste and move to a true circular economy. The team has developed technology that identifies waste material at the molecular level-starting with plastics. Materra works with industry partners to improve the way recycling centers process plastics using AI and robotics, to make recycling more affordable and scalable.
The Role:
You will be a hands-on senior hardware engineer on the project, working alongside the software team and managing a small team of hardware engineers in the future. You should bring HW automation & actuation expertise, with additional experience in integrating multiple sensors and imaging technologies for large scale data acquisition, and integration with software platforms. Familiarity or experience applying these skills to scientific fields in chemical engineering, materials science, or high-throughput experimentation is a plus. We are looking for passionate and driven people, who are comfortable moving between creative, big-picture thinking and tactical execution in a fast-paced, fluid environment.
This is an incredibly dynamic role and requires high cross-functional communication, people skills, organization, and planning. The ideal candidate is a self-starter and has a track record of effectively operating in a dynamic loosely structured environment while leading/co-leading a small team (e.g. startup, launching a new products or systems from prototype through initial revenue).
How you will make 10X impact:
  • Setting the hardware technical direction for both research prototypes and product deliverables with the early stage leadership team.
  • Guiding and mentoring junior team members
  • Building the whole solution: system integration from lab prototype through customer/field deployment
  • Collaborate and coordinate with the project leadership

What you should have:
  • Industry Experience with an MS, or PhD in a STEM field such as Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or Automation
  • Integration of HW and SW systems experience, especially with automation, robotics, machine learning systems, algorithms or applications such as: deep learning and computer vision.
  • Demonstrated experience delivering a product or service.
  • An ability to thrive in unstructured work environments with rapidly changing requirements.

It'd be great if you also had these:
  • Experience in any or all of the following: optical trains (particularly in spectroscopy), embedded firmware, fusing heterogeneous sensor streams, industrial hardware + relevant deployments, prototyping, materials analysis, Linux programming
  • Demonstrated personal passion to apply talents towards solving big global problems.
  • Startup / early product or platform development experience, and scaling those systems to deployment
  • Excellent at prioritization and time management.
  • Solid written and verbal communication skills.
  • Experience with TensorFlow, Google Cloud tools (Cloud Storage, Compute Engine, BigQuery, Dataflow).

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $159,000 - $239,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.
An Equal Opportunity Workplace
At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at x-accommodation-request@x.team .

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