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Graduate Computer Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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Graduate Computer Engineer information

See California salary details

$47.9K

$119.9K

$135.7K

How much do graduate computer engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for graduate computer engineer in California is $119,924.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $110,000.00 and $129,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a graduate computer engineer?

To thrive as a Graduate Computer Engineer, you need a solid background in computer science fundamentals, programming, and relevant engineering principles, usually demonstrated by a bachelor's degree in computer or software engineering. Familiarity with programming languages (such as Python, Java, or C++), version control systems like Git, and knowledge of operating systems or hardware design tools are commonly expected. Strong problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication are vital soft skills for success in collaborative and dynamic environments. These skills and qualities ensure you can contribute to complex engineering projects, adapt to evolving technologies, and work efficiently within multidisciplinary teams.

What types of projects can a graduate computer engineer expect to work on during their first year?

As a Graduate Computer Engineer, you can expect to be involved in a mix of hands-on technical tasks and collaborative projects, such as software development, hardware testing, or system integration. Early responsibilities often include assisting with coding, debugging, documentation, and contributing to team meetings or design reviews. You may also get opportunities to work under the guidance of senior engineers, which helps build both your technical expertise and understanding of real-world engineering workflows. Exposure to different project phases and technologies is common, offering a strong foundation for future career growth.

What is the difference between Graduate Computer Engineer vs Software Developer?

AspectGraduate Computer EngineerSoftware Developer
Required CredentialsDegree in Computer Engineering or related fieldDegree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
Work EnvironmentEngineering teams, hardware and software integration projectsApplication development, coding, and software design
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, hardware firms, R&D departmentsTech startups, software firms, IT departments
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared for entry-level roles in tech engineeringCommonly compared for software development roles

While both roles require a background in computer-related fields, Graduate Computer Engineers focus on integrating hardware and software systems, often working on engineering projects. Software Developers primarily concentrate on designing, coding, and testing software applications. The choice depends on your interest in hardware integration versus software programming, but both roles are essential in the tech industry and often overlap in entry-level positions.

What does a graduate computer engineer do?

A Graduate Computer Engineer is an entry-level professional who applies computer engineering principles to design, develop, test, and maintain computer systems and hardware. Their work often involves collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to solve technical problems, writing and debugging code, and assisting with the implementation of new technologies. Graduate Computer Engineers may work on projects involving software development, embedded systems, networking, or hardware design while gaining practical experience and building their skills within the industry.
Infographic showing various Graduate Computer Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $119,924 per year, or $57.7 per hour.

AI Systems Performance Engineer - New Graduate

External SambaNova Systems

San Jose, CA • On-site

$135K - $165K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life

Posted 6 days ago


Job description

The era of pervasive AI has arrived. In this era, organizations will use generative AI to unlock hidden value in their data, accelerate processes, reduce costs, drive efficiency and innovation to fundamentally transform their businesses and operations at scale.
SambaNova Suiteâ„¢ is the first full-stack, generative AI platform, from chip to model, optimized for enterprise and government organizations. Powered by the intelligent SN40L chip, the SambaNova Suite is a fully integrated platform, delivered on-premises or in the cloud, combined with state-of-the-art open-source models that can be easily and securely fine-tuned using customer data for greater accuracy. Once adapted with customer data, customers retain model ownership in perpetuity, so they can turn generative AI into one of their most valuable assets.
About The Role
We are seeking a talented and highly motivated AI Systems Performance Engineer to bring up and optimize state-of-the-art foundation models on SambaNova's reconfigurable dataflow platform.
You'll work hands-on with advanced AI models - such as DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi, GPT OSS, Llama, Qwen, and other frontier architectures - and learn how modern AI systems achieve high throughput, low latency, and efficient large-scale inference.
In this role, you'll work at the intersection of machine learning and computer systems, collaborating with engineers across model, compiler, runtime, and hardware teams. This is an ideal opportunity for a new graduate who is passionate about understanding how AI models execute on real hardware and wants to help build the next generation of high-performance AI systems.
Responsibilities
  • Bring up cutting-edge foundation models, including LLMs and multimodal models, on the SambaNova platform through the SambaNova software stack.
  • Analyze and profile model execution to identify performance bottlenecks across model, compiler, runtime, and hardware layers.
  • Optimize AI workloads for throughput, latency, memory efficiency, and scalability.
  • Collaborate with machine learning, compiler, runtime, and hardware engineers to develop high-performance AI applications.
  • Explore and integrate new techniques in model architecture, quantization, scheduling, caching, and memory optimization.
  • Develop tools, benchmarks, and performance analysis methodologies for large-scale AI inference.
  • Investigate new model architectures and translate research advances into efficient implementations on production AI systems.
  • Contribute ideas for dataflow, scheduling, and system optimizations for both single-node and distributed inference.
Basic Qualifications
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related technical field (e.g., applied mathematics, physics, or statistics), completed or expected before the start date.
  • Strong programming skills in Python, C++, or a similar programming language.
  • Solid foundations in algorithms, data structures, computer architecture, operating systems, or parallel computing.
  • Familiarity with deep learning and at least one major ML framework, such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an interest in understanding and optimizing system performance.
  • Ability and enthusiasm to learn across machine learning, software systems, and hardware.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Coursework, research, internship, or project experience in machine learning systems, computer architecture, compilers, distributed systems, or high-performance computing.
  • Hands-on experience with LLMs, multimodal models, or transformer architectures.
  • Familiarity with model inference, KV cache, batching, quantization, or distributed execution.
  • Experience with GPU or accelerator programming using CUDA, Triton, OpenCL, or similar technologies.
  • Familiarity with frameworks such as vLLM, DeepSpeed, Megatron, or TensorRT.
  • Understanding of memory hierarchy, caching, parallelism, or scheduling.
  • Experience profiling and optimizing the performance of software or ML workloads.
  • Research publications, open-source contributions, programming competitions, or technically challenging personal projects are a plus.

We value strong technical fundamentals, curiosity, and the ability to learn quickly. Prior production experience with large-scale AI systems is not required.
Base Salary Range:
Base Pay Range
$135,000-$165,000 USD
Submission GuidelinesPlease note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at SambaNova Systems, you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified.
EEO PolicySambaNova Systems is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.
Benefits Summary for US-Based, Full-Time Employment Positions
SambaNova offers a competitive total rewards package, including the base salary, plus equity and benefits. We cover 95% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, and 77% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution. We also offer Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life, and AD&D insurance plans in addition to Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options like Health Care, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care. Our library of well-being benefits available to you and your dependents includes a full subscription to Headspace, Gympass+ membership with access to physical gyms, One Medical membership, counseling services with an Employee Assistance Program, and much more.