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First Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Payactiv, Inc.

Senior AWS DevOps Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$165K - $200K/yr

The ideal candidate is a security-first engineer with expertise in AWS, modern containerized platforms (EKS/Docker), AD/IAM integration, Windows workloads, and strong DevOps experience in a regulated ...

Allseas Group S.A.

Third Engineer Deck

San Diego, CA · On-site

$108K - $143K/yr

You'll work on offshore projects worldwide, reporting to the Shift Leader Deck and First Engineer Deck, and collaborating with a skilled technical team. Your responsibilities include: * Perform ...

Circadia Health

Senior DevOps Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$170K - $240K/yr

As we scale toward hundreds of thousands of monitored patients, that substrate is ready for dedicated ownership, and you will be the first engineer whose full attention is on it. What you'll own

Mercor

Software Engineer, Identity

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $325K/yr

First-party authentication on WorkOS. Sign-in, session handling, and directory data for our own ... Strong product engineering fundamentals. You've built and operated systems in production, you care ...

Allseas Group S.A.

Shift Leader Deck

San Diego, CA · On-site

$14.50 - $18/hr

You'll work on offshore projects worldwide, reporting to the First Engineer Deck, First Mechanic, and Chief Engineer, and collaborating with a skilled technical team. Your responsibilities include:

Australia-Employment

Founding Engineer - AI

Long Beach, CA · On-site

$180K - $275K/yr

Not early, first. You will pick the stack, set the architecture, and set the engineering standards for everyone we hire after you. * Nothing is decided yet. No database chosen, no stack locked in, no ...

Circadia Health

Senior DevOps Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$170K - $240K/yr

As we scale toward hundreds of thousands of monitored patients, that substrate is ready for dedicated ownership, and you will be the first engineer whose full attention is on it. What you'll own

Kindredventures

Senior Sales Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

Keep the relationship healthy from the first engineer who championed you to the executive who signs off, sustain momentum through longer cycles, and turn what you see in the field, the recurring ...

Parasail AI Inc

Senior Sales Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

Keep the relationship healthy from the first engineer who championed you to the executive who signs off, sustain momentum through longer cycles, and turn what you see in the field, the recurring ...

Jiffy

Sr. Software Development Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

In an AI-first org, writing is the programming interface. * A high level of integrity, accountability, and ownership, with a commitment to excellence across every deliverable. * Desire to work in a ...

Jiffy

Sr. Software Development Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

In an AI-first org, writing is the programming interface. * A high level of integrity, accountability, and ownership, with a commitment to excellence across every deliverable. * Desire to work in a ...

Circadia Health

Senior DevOps Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$170K - $240K/yr

As we scale toward hundreds of thousands of monitored patients, that substrate is ready for dedicated ownership, and you will be the first engineer whose full attention is on it. What you'll own

Jiffy

Sr. Software Development Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$131K - $173K/yr

In an AI-first org, writing is the programming interface. * A high level of integrity, accountability, and ownership, with a commitment to excellence across every deliverable. * Desire to work in a ...

Jiffy

Sr. Software Development Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

In an AI-first org, writing is the programming interface. * A high level of integrity, accountability, and ownership, with a commitment to excellence across every deliverable. * Desire to work in a ...

Fortinet

Sr. Software Dev QA Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$112K - $137K/yr

First-to-Touch Next-Gen Technology: You will be the very first engineer to power on, validate, and stress-test brand-new hardware models and flagship security capabilities long before general release.

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsFirst Engineer JobsFirst Engineer Jobs in California

First Engineer information

See California salary details

$38.5K

$100.4K

$135.7K

How much do first engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for first engineer in California is $100,420.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,900.00 and $115,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between First Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer?

AspectFirst EngineerMechanical Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in engineering or related field; often requires experience in project managementBachelor's degree in mechanical engineering; may require licensure or certification
Work EnvironmentConstruction sites, industrial plants, or project sites; often involved in overseeing initial phases of projectsDesign offices, manufacturing plants, or R&D labs; focused on design, analysis, and testing
Employer & Industry UsageConstruction, oil & gas, or heavy industry; used for lead or senior roles in project initiationManufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and energy sectors; common for design and development roles

First Engineers typically oversee early project phases and require experience in project management, while Mechanical Engineers focus on design, analysis, and testing within manufacturing or R&D environments. Both roles require engineering degrees but differ in responsibilities and work settings.

How to get a first engineer job?

To secure a first engineer position, candidates should develop relevant technical skills through education or training, build a portfolio of projects, and gain practical experience via internships or entry-level roles. Strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency with engineering tools, and effective communication are also important for success in the hiring process.

What do beginner first engineers do?

Beginner first engineers typically assist with basic tasks such as troubleshooting, testing, and maintaining systems or equipment. They often work under supervision, learn industry tools and safety protocols, and focus on gaining practical experience in engineering environments.

What does a first engineer do?

A first engineer is an entry-level engineering professional responsible for assisting in design, development, and testing of engineering projects. They often perform routine tasks, follow technical instructions, and work under supervision to gain experience and develop skills in their field.

What cities in California are hiring for First Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most First Engineer job openings:

First Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various First Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $100,420 per year, or $48.3 per hour.

Software Engineer, Product

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Thinking Machines Lab
See more jobs at Thinking Machines Labexternal

$300K - $475K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 9 days ago

Job description

About Thinking Machines
The mission of Thinking Machines is to build AI that extends human will and judgment. We are training frontier models with Inkling, developing Tinker to let people make models their own, and crafting interfaces that broaden human-AI communication. We believe the future worth building is human, and we're hiring people who want to build it.
About the Role
We're hiring a Full Stack Engineer to help conceive, build, and ship new AI-powered products from the ground up. You'll work on early-stage product ideas that sit at the edge of what our models can do - moving from prototype to something real people rely on, often within weeks rather than quarters.
This role sits at the intersection of product, design, and research. You'll partner closely with researchers to translate emerging model capabilities into interfaces and experiences, and with product and design to figure out what's worth building next. You'll frequently be the first engineer on a given idea, which means real ownership over both the technical direction and the product itself.
We're looking for someone who is energized by ambiguity, comfortable working across the entire stack, and motivated by getting new things in front of real users quickly.
What You'll Do
  • Design, build, and ship full stack features across our web applications - from backend services and APIs to production-quality frontend interfaces.
  • Prototype rapidly with new and emerging model capabilities, turning early research results into usable product experiences.
  • Take new product ideas from a rough concept to a live surface that real users can try, iterating quickly based on feedback.
  • Partner with researchers to understand model behavior, constraints, and capabilities, and translate them into product decisions.
  • Work with design and product partners to define what to build, not just how to build it.
  • Own the technical architecture of the products you build, including decisions about scalability, reliability, and maintainability as they mature.
  • Help set engineering practices and technical standards for a growing product engineering team.
Skills & Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
  • 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, with demonstrated ownership across both frontend and backend systems.
  • Strong track record shipping production web applications end to end, from data model and API design through polished user-facing interfaces.
  • Comfort working in ambiguous, fast-changing environments where product direction is still being discovered.
  • Experience making pragmatic technical tradeoffs to move quickly without accumulating unmanageable risk.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience building products on top of large language models or other frontier AI systems, including working around their quirks and limitations.
  • A strong product sense - you enjoy figuring out what's worth building as much as how to build it.
  • Experience as an early or founding engineer at a startup, or leading a product from 0 to 1.
  • Familiarity with modern frontend frameworks and a good eye for interface design and usability.
  • Experience with distributed systems, infrastructure, or backend performance work at scale.
  • A history of working closely and effectively with researchers, designers, or other non-engineering partners.
Logistics
  • Location: This role is based in San Francisco, California.
  • Compensation: Depending on background, skills and experience, the expected annual salary range for this position is $300,000 - $475,000 USD.
  • Visa sponsorship: We sponsor visas. While we can't guarantee success for every candidate or role, if you're the right fit, we're committed to working through the visa process together.
  • Benefits: Thinking Machines offers generous health, dental, and vision benefits, unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, and relocation support as needed.

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