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Front End Rtl Design Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Lumilens

IC/RTL Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

IC/RTL Design Engineer/ Front-End Engineer About the role. You design and implement the digital front-end RTL at the heart of the chip - including the high-speed datapath that moves data between UCIe ...

Apple

FE RTL Infrastructure - CAD Engineer

Beaverton, OR · On-site

$172K/yr

Description As a Front-End (FE) RTL Infrastructure - CAD Engineer, you will play a major role in developing and supporting a reliable infrastructure and work environments that design and verification ...

Apple

FE RTL Infrastructure - CAD Engineer

Beaverton, OR · On-site

$172K/yr

Description As a Front-End (FE) RTL Infrastructure - CAD Engineer, you will play a major role in developing and supporting a reliable infrastructure and work environments that design and verification ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Melbourne, FL

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Cary, NC · On-site

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Melbourne, FL · On-site

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Waltham, MA · On-site

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Austin, TX

$134K/yr

... RTL Design Engineer. This is an exciting position in the world class Apple mixed-signal silicon ... Qualifications Front-end tools expertise (Verilog simulators, linters, clock-domain crossing ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Cary, NC · On-site

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Cary, NC

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Waltham, MA · On-site

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Cary, NC · On-site

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Beaverton, OR · On-site

$141K/yr

... RTL Design Engineer. This is an exciting position in the world class Apple mixed-signal silicon ... Qualifications Front-end tools expertise (Verilog simulators, linters, clock-domain crossing ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Melbourne, FL

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Melbourne, FL · On-site

... highly motivated RTL Design Engineer. Are you looking to expand your chip design career and ... front-end tools (Verilog simulators, linters, CDC, RDC, LEQ, UPF) Low power design methodologies ...

Apple Inc.

RTL Design Engineer

Beaverton, OR · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

... RTL Design Engineer. This is an exciting position in the world class Apple mixed-signal silicon ... Preferred Qualifications * Front-end tools expertise (Verilog simulators, linters, clock-domain ...

Apple

RTL Design Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$134K/yr

... RTL Design Engineer. This is an exciting position in the world class Apple mixed-signal silicon ... Qualifications Front-end tools expertise (Verilog simulators, linters, clock-domain crossing ...

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Front End Rtl Design Engineer information

See salary details

$61K

$138.9K

$198K

How much do front end rtl design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for front end rtl design engineer in the United States is $138,932.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $113,000.00 and $161,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a front end RTL design engineer?

Front End RTL (Register Transfer Level) Design Engineers are professionals who design and develop the digital logic circuitry of electronic devices, such as processors and ASICs, at the RTL abstraction level. They use hardware description languages like Verilog or VHDL to describe the behavior and structure of digital circuits. Their work involves writing, simulating, and verifying RTL code to ensure the design meets functional and timing requirements before fabrication. These engineers collaborate closely with verification, backend, and system architecture teams throughout the hardware development lifecycle.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a front end RTL design engineer?

To thrive as a Front End RTL Design Engineer, you need strong expertise in digital design, hardware description languages (like Verilog or VHDL), and a background in electrical or computer engineering. Familiarity with EDA tools such as Synopsys Design Compiler, Cadence, or ModelSim, as well as knowledge of industry standards, is typically required. Attention to detail, analytical thinking, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills for this role. These skills ensure accurate and efficient design implementation, verification, and collaboration on complex semiconductor projects.

How does a front end RTL design engineer typically collaborate with verification teams during a project?

Front End RTL Design Engineers work closely with verification teams throughout the design cycle to ensure that the Register Transfer Level (RTL) code meets functional requirements and passes all verification checks. This collaboration often involves regular design reviews, debugging simulation failures, and iterating on code based on feedback from verification results. Engineers are expected to provide detailed documentation, respond promptly to issues found during verification, and sometimes assist in creating or reviewing testbenches. Effective communication and teamwork are crucial, as both roles must align on design intent and test coverage to achieve robust, high-quality silicon designs.

What is the difference between Front End Rtl Design Engineer vs Front End Developer?

AspectFront End Rtl Design EngineerFront End Developer
Primary FocusDesigning and implementing RTL (Register Transfer Level) hardware descriptions for digital circuitsBuilding and maintaining user interfaces using HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Required SkillsHardware description languages (Verilog, VHDL), digital logic design, RTL codingWeb development, UI/UX design, JavaScript frameworks
Work EnvironmentHardware design labs, semiconductor companiesSoftware companies, tech startups, web agencies
CertificationsVLSI design certifications, FPGA design coursesJavaScript, React, Angular certifications

While both roles involve technical expertise, a Front End Rtl Design Engineer focuses on hardware description and digital circuit design, whereas a Front End Developer specializes in creating user-facing web interfaces. They differ in skills, tools, and work environments but share a common emphasis on technical problem-solving.

What are popular job titles related to Front End Rtl Design Engineer jobs?

For Front End Rtl Design Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Front End Rtl Design Engineer job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $138,932 per year, or $66.8 per hour.

IC/RTL Design Engineer

San Jose, CA • On-site

Lumilens
See more jobs at Lumilensexternal

Full-time

Re-posted 4 days ago

Job description

IC/RTL Design Engineer/ Front-End Engineer
About the role. You design and implement the digital front-end RTL at the heart of the chip - including the high-speed datapath that moves data between UCIe and the optical front end. Guided by the interface specs and coding standards, you take blocks from micro-architecture through clean, timing-aware RTL and block-level verification. It's a hands-on role with room to grow your scope as the team and the chip mature.
What you'll do
  • Develop block-level micro-architecture for your assigned blocks, and contribute to interface and register definitions.
  • Design and implement front-end RTL blocks in SystemVerilog - datapath elements, the UCIe streaming/RDI adapter, elastic FIFOs, and supporting logic.
  • Integrate IP and support parameterization for configurability.
  • Write clean, lint-clean, CDC/RDC-clean RTL that follows the coding and quality standards.
  • Write block-level testbenches, sanity checks, and assertions (SVA) for your own blocks before handoff to DV.
  • Power- and timing-aware design - managing block activity, clock-gating, pipelining, and retiming; partner with the backend team on physical closure for your blocks.
  • Bring-up and debug across simulation and emulation / FPGA prototyping; support DV and silicon bring-up, including DFT/debug hooks in your blocks.
  • Collaborate with the architecture, modelling, DV, DFT, and backend teams as your blocks move through the flow.

Required
  • BS or MS in Electrical/Computer Engineering (or equivalent experience).
  • 3+ years of digital RTL design in SystemVerilog, with blocks taken from micro-architecture through to verification handoff.
  • Solid digital design fundamentals: pipelining, FSMs, FIFOs, clock-domain crossing, and streaming/bus interfaces (e.g., AXI).
  • Lint and CDC/RDC discipline and clean-RTL practices.
  • Power- and timing-aware design practices; comfort with synthesis and timing closure, working with the backend team.
  • Strong debug skills in simulation; scripting in Python, Perl, or TCL.

Preferred
  • High-speed datapath, SerDes-adjacent, or interface design exposure (UCIe, PCIe/CXL, or similar).
  • FEC/coding datapath familiarity (e.g., Reed-Solomon) and gray-code mapping.
  • Assertion-based verification (SVA) and familiarity with UVM block-level testbenches; emulation / FPGA prototyping experience.
  • Exposure to scale-up / scale-out interconnects or network switch / NIC / memory-controller datapaths.
  • Low-power / UPF and DFT (scan) concepts.
  • Optical transceiver, CPO, or linear-drive optics background; advanced-node (N5/N3/N2) design experience.

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