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Fpga Emulation Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Astera Labs

Principal Emulation Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$209K - $230K/yr

We are looking for a Principal Emulation Engineer with hands-on experience verifying protocols on ... Experience in emulation and prototyping technologies like Palladium/Zebu/Veloce or HAPS and FPGA ...

Qualcomm

Emulation Methodology Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$140K - $210K/yr

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > ASICS Engineering General Summary: As a leading technology ... Emulation Platforms (FPGA Prototyping, Veloce, Palladium), Emulation tools (Synthesis, Place and ...

Mythic

Senior Silicon Emulation Engineer

Austin, TX

$120K - $225K/yr

The engineer will work closely with RTL, verification, compiler, firmware, and ML software teams to ... Experience with FPGA prototyping or hybrid emulation flows * Exposure to performance modeling or ...

Mythic

Senior Silicon Emulation Engineer

Austin, TX

$120K - $225K/yr

The engineer will work closely with RTL, verification, compiler, firmware, and ML software teams to ... Experience with FPGA prototyping or hybrid emulation flows * Exposure to performance modeling or ...

Mythic

Senior Silicon Emulation Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$120K - $225K/yr

The engineer will work closely with RTL, verification, compiler, firmware, and ML software teams to ... Experience with FPGA prototyping or hybrid emulation flows * Exposure to performance modeling or ...

Talent 101, Inc.

Sr. FPGA Design Engineer

Dallas, TX · On-site

$121K - $167K/yr

About Talent 101 Inc Talent 101 is an Engineering and IT services provider, with clients that range ... Responsible to Synthesize and implement all the logic in Vivado to complete FPGA emulation * After ...

Associates Systems LLC

FPGA Engineer

Tucson, AZ · On-site

$122K - $157K/yr

FPGA Engineer Develop FPGA designs including: Xilinx, Altera,and Microsemi. Designs are implemented ... emulation platforms, such as Veloce #CJ

AVTC Group

FPGA Engineer

Tucson, AZ · On-site

$122K - $157K/yr

FPGA Engineer Develop FPGA designs including: Xilinx, Altera,and Microsemi. Designs are implemented ... emulation platforms, such as Veloce #CJ

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Fpga Emulation Engineer information

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$85K

$147.3K

$198.5K

How much do fpga emulation engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for fpga emulation engineer in the United States is $147,315.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $130,000.00 and $167,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Will FPGA be replaced by AI?

FPGA emulation engineers work with programmable hardware to simulate digital circuits, a task that AI cannot fully replace due to the need for precise hardware behavior modeling. While AI tools can assist in design optimization and automation, FPGA development and emulation require specialized knowledge of hardware description languages and real-time processing, making complete replacement unlikely in the near term.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior FPGA Emulation Engineers with extensive experience, specialized skills in hardware description languages, and certifications can reach or exceed a $500,000 annual salary, especially in high-demand industries like aerospace, defense, or semiconductor design. Compensation varies based on location, company size, and individual expertise, with top-tier professionals often earning this level through bonuses and stock options.

What is the difference between Fpga Emulation Engineer vs FPGA Design Engineer?

AspectFpga Emulation EngineerFPGA Design Engineer
Primary FocusDeveloping and maintaining FPGA-based emulation environments for testing hardware/software integrationDesigning and implementing FPGA logic for specific hardware functions and systems
Skills & CertificationsHardware description languages (VHDL/Verilog), FPGA tools, debugging, verificationHardware description languages, FPGA tools, digital design, verification
Work EnvironmentTesting labs, hardware labs, simulation environmentsDesign labs, development teams, hardware labs
Industry UsageSemiconductor, aerospace, defense, automotive testingConsumer electronics, telecommunications, embedded systems

While both roles require FPGA knowledge and similar certifications, Fpga Emulation Engineers focus on creating emulation environments for testing and validation, whereas FPGA Design Engineers primarily develop FPGA logic for hardware functions. The roles often collaborate but serve different stages of the hardware development lifecycle.

What are the most common challenges faced by FPGA Emulation Engineers during large-scale hardware verification projects?

FPGA Emulation Engineers often encounter challenges such as integrating complex System-on-Chip (SoC) designs onto FPGA platforms, dealing with resource constraints, and ensuring timing closure. Debugging emulation issues can be particularly demanding, as problems may arise from both the hardware and the original RTL code. Collaborating effectively with design, verification, and software teams is crucial to resolve issues quickly and meet project deadlines. Managing these challenges requires strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt to evolving design requirements.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior FPGA Emulation Engineers with extensive experience, specialized skills in hardware description languages, and proficiency with FPGA development tools can earn salaries approaching or exceeding $300,000 annually, especially in high-demand industries like semiconductor design and aerospace. Compensation varies based on location, company size, and individual expertise, often including bonuses and stock options.

What are FPGA Emulation Engineers?

FPGA Emulation Engineers are professionals who specialize in using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to create hardware prototypes that emulate the behavior of digital circuits or systems, such as ASICs or SoCs. Their work involves designing, configuring, and testing these FPGA-based platforms to validate chip designs before they are manufactured. This role often requires expertise in hardware description languages (HDLs) like VHDL or Verilog, as well as a strong understanding of digital design and verification methodologies.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an FPGA Emulation Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an FPGA Emulation Engineer, you need strong expertise in digital design, hardware description languages (such as VHDL or Verilog), and a solid background in electrical or computer engineering. Familiarity with FPGA development tools (like Xilinx Vivado or Intel Quartus), emulation platforms, and debugging systems is typically required, with some roles preferring relevant certifications. Problem-solving ability, attention to detail, effective communication, and teamwork are standout soft skills in this field. These capabilities are crucial for accurately simulating complex hardware, identifying design issues early, and ensuring successful project delivery in collaborative environments.

Are FPGA engineers in demand?

FPGA engineers are in high demand due to the increasing use of FPGAs in industries such as telecommunications, aerospace, and automotive for tasks like hardware acceleration and signal processing. Skills in hardware description languages like VHDL or Verilog, along with experience in FPGA development tools, enhance job prospects in this field.
More about Fpga Emulation Engineer jobs
What job categories do people searching Fpga Emulation Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Fpga Emulation Engineer jobs are:
Fpga Emulation Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Fpga Emulation Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 7% Internship, 2% As Needed, 25% Full Time, 56% Part Time, 2% Contract, and 8% Nights. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,315 per year, or $70.8 per hour.
FPGA Prototype Engineer

FPGA Prototype Engineer

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

$145K/yr

Full-time

Posted 11 days ago

Advanced Micro Devices rating

8.4

Company rating: 8.4 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

23rd of 139 rated electronics manufacturers

Job description

WHAT YOU DO AT AMD CHANGES EVERYTHING
At AMD, our mission is to build great products that accelerate next-generation computing experiences-from AI and data centers, to PCs, gaming and embedded systems. Grounded in a culture of innovation and collaboration, we believe real progress comes from bold ideas, human ingenuity and a shared passion to create something extraordinary. When you join AMD, you'll discover the real differentiator is our culture. We push the limits of innovation to solve the world's most important challenges-striving for execution excellence, while being direct, humble, collaborative, and inclusive of diverse perspectives. Join us as we shape the future of AI and beyond. Together, we advance your career.
THE ROLE:
In this role, you will drive early-stage validation of complex SoC and subsystem designs using FPGA/HAPS platforms across AMD's next-generation silicon programs. You will collaborate closely with architecture, RTL design, verification, emulation, firmware, and bring-up teams to deliver high-fidelity prototypes that enable software development, performance studies, and system integration long before silicon availability.
This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys hands-on bring-up, debug, and system-level problem solving across hardware, firmware, and validation domains.
THE PERSON:
You have a passion for modern, complex processor architecture, digital design, and verification in general. You are a team player who has excellent communication skills and experience collaborating with other engineers located in different sites/timezones. You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills and are willing to learn and ready to take on problems.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
HAPS/FPGA Prototyping & SoC Mapping
  • Partition large SoC RTL for multi-FPGA platforms (Synopsys HAPS or equivalent).
  • Perform synthesis, place-and-route, timing closure, and resource optimization for FPGA builds.
  • Develop and maintain HAPS/FPGA build infrastructure including scripts, flows, and makefiles.
  • Integrate custom transactors, high-speed interfaces, and debug instrumentation.

Platform Bring-Up & Validation
  • Bring up prototypes in lab environments, including clocks/resets, DDR, PCIe, networking, and custom high-speed IP.
  • Validate system functionality by running architectural tests, diagnostics, directed tests, and firmware.
  • Enable and support pre-silicon software development (drivers, OS bring-up, bootloader work).

Debug & Issue Resolution
  • Drive debug of functional, timing, or tool-related issues across FPGA, RTL, and test environments.
  • Analyze waveform data, HAPS Deep Trace, SystemVerilog assertions, debug probes, and logic analyzers.
  • Work across teams (RTL, DV, Emulation, Firmware, Silicon Bring-up) to root-cause and resolve issues efficiently.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with design and DV teams to ensure RTL is "prototype-ready" with appropriate constraints, transactors, and models.
  • Collaborate with software teams to identify, prioritize, and execute pre-silicon use cases.
  • Provide feedback to architecture and design teams based on prototyping insights.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:
Technical Skills
  • Strong RTL design background using SystemVerilog/Verilog.
  • Hands-on experience with Synopsys HAPS, Protium, Palladium, or other FPGA/emulation platforms.
  • Experience with SoC buses and protocols: AXI, ACE, APB, PCIe, DDR, Ethernet, SerDes-based links, etc.
  • Familiarity with lint/tools (SpyGlass), CDC, timing constraints, and clocking architecture.
  • Strong debug skills across RTL, simulation, FPGA, and system setups.

Software / Scripting
  • Expertise in scripting/automation: Python, Perl, Tcl, Make/CMake, Shell.
  • Experience integrating C/C++ or embedded firmware into prototyping flows is a plus.

Soft Skills
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in ambiguous, cross-domain environments.
  • Excellent communication and ability to collaborate across broad multi-site teams.
  • Self-starter with the ability to drive issues to closure.

NICE-TO-HAVES (OPTIONAL)
  • Experience working with large multi-FPGA prototyping (>10 FPGAs).
  • Track record enabling early software stacks (Linux kernel, drivers, boot firmware).
  • Familiarity with emulation acceleration, hybrid simulation, or co-modeling.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor's degree in electrical/computer engineering or related field, Masters preferred
#LI-BW1
This role is not eligible for VISA sponsorship.
Benefits offered are described: AMD benefits at a glance.
AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants' needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.
AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position. AMD's "Responsible AI Policy" is available here.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

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