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Hardware Design Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Array Labs

EE Hardware Design Engineer

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

About the Job As an EE Hardware Design Engineer , you will design and validate the digital and mixed-signal electronics that support Array's radar payloads and satellite platforms. Your work will ...

Array Labs

EE Hardware Design Engineer

Redwood City, CA · On-site

About the Job As an EE Hardware Design Engineer , you will design and validate the digital and mixed-signal electronics that support Array's radar payloads and satellite platforms. Your work will ...

Array Labs

EE Hardware Design Engineer

Redwood City, CA

$150K - $250K/yr

About the Job As an EE Hardware Design Engineer , you will design and validate the digital and mixed-signal electronics that support Array's radar payloads and satellite platforms. Your work will ...

Tarana Wireless

Staff Hardware Design Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$155K - $200K/yr

Minimum qualifications include a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and 12 years of hardware design and test. What you'll be doing: * Take a leadership role in architecting, designing PCBAs ...

Astreya

Senior Hardware Design Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$107K - $134K/yr

What this job entails We are seeking a Senior Hardware Design Engineer to drive end-to-end system development for one of our client's next-generation portable electronic systems. In this role, you'll ...

Astreya

Senior Hardware Design Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$107K - $134K/yr

What this job entails We are seeking a Senior Hardware Design Engineer to drive end-to-end system development for one of our client's next-generation portable electronic systems. In this role, you'll ...

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All JobsHardware Design Engineer JobsHardware Design Engineer Jobs in California

Hardware Design Engineer information

See California salary details

$68.6K

$145.6K

$212.2K

How much do hardware design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for hardware design engineer in California is $145,580.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,400.00 and $171,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Hardware Design Engineer, and why are they important?

To excel as a Hardware Design Engineer, you generally need a strong background in electrical engineering, circuit design, and proficiency with schematic capture and PCB layout, often supported by a relevant degree. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Altium Designer, Cadence, or OrCAD, and knowledge of simulation and testing equipment are typically required. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills that help you innovate and troubleshoot efficiently. These skills and qualities ensure reliable hardware development, seamless collaboration, and successful project outcomes in a competitive tech industry.

What are Hardware Design Engineers?

Hardware Design Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and test physical components and systems for electronic devices. They work on creating circuit boards, microprocessors, memory devices, and other hardware used in computers, smartphones, and various electronic products. These engineers use specialized software tools to plan and simulate hardware designs before building and evaluating prototypes. Their work is essential for bringing new technology products to market and improving existing devices.

Is there a demand for hardware engineers?

Hardware Design Engineers are in high demand due to the growth of electronics, IoT, and embedded systems industries. Employers seek professionals skilled in circuit design, FPGA, and CAD tools, with job opportunities available across various sectors including consumer electronics, automotive, and telecommunications.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior hardware design engineers with extensive experience, advanced skills in FPGA, ASIC, or PCB design, and often in specialized industries like aerospace or semiconductor manufacturing can earn $500,000 or more annually. High compensation typically involves leadership roles, bonuses, stock options, or working in high-demand, high-cost regions.

What are some typical challenges Hardware Design Engineers face when collaborating with cross-functional teams?

Hardware Design Engineers often work closely with firmware, software, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless integration of their designs. A common challenge is aligning the hardware specifications with changing software requirements or manufacturing constraints, which may require iterative design adjustments. Effective communication and documentation are essential to avoid misunderstandings and ensure that all teams are synchronized throughout the product development cycle. Building strong relationships across disciplines can greatly enhance the efficiency and success of collaborative projects.

What do hardware design engineers do?

Hardware design engineers develop and test electronic circuits, components, and systems used in computers, consumer electronics, and industrial equipment. They create schematics, select appropriate components, and use CAD tools to design hardware that meets performance and safety standards, often collaborating with software engineers and testing teams.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior hardware design engineers, especially those with extensive experience, specialized skills in FPGA or ASIC design, and working in high-demand industries like aerospace or semiconductor manufacturing, can earn $300,000 or more annually. Compensation often includes bonuses, stock options, and other incentives, particularly at large tech companies or in leadership roles.

What Does a Hardware Design Engineer Do?

A hardware design engineer uses their advanced knowledge of computer systems and schematics to develop and build useful hardware. Their duties include identifying hardware needs, building new hardware pieces, and testing and analyzing the results to ensure the system works as desired. Hardware design engineers must have in-depth knowledge of computer components and processes to understand internet-ready computer systems. They must maintain their knowledge of the latest software and networking needs so they can design hardware that interacts with the internet appropriately. Hardware design engineers work in teams with software developers to ensure that all components are capable of working together.

What is the difference between Hardware Design Engineer vs Electronics Engineer?

AspectHardware Design EngineerElectronics Engineer
Primary FocusDesigning and developing hardware components and systemsDesigning, testing, and troubleshooting electronic circuits and devices
Required SkillsCircuit design, PCB layout, hardware testingCircuit analysis, component selection, electronic testing
Work EnvironmentHardware labs, manufacturing facilities, R&D departmentsElectronics labs, research centers, manufacturing
Common CertificationsIEEE certifications, PCB design certificationsCertified Electronics Technician (CET), IEEE certifications

While both roles involve working with electronic systems, Hardware Design Engineers focus on creating physical hardware components like circuit boards, whereas Electronics Engineers often work on electronic circuit design, testing, and troubleshooting. Both roles are essential in electronics development and often collaborate in product development cycles.

More about Hardware Design Engineer jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Hardware Design Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Hardware Design Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Hardware Design Engineer jobs in California? For Hardware Design Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Hardware Design Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Hardware Design Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Hardware Design Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Hardware Design Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Hardware Design Engineer jobs in CA? For Hardware Design Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Hardware Design Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Hardware Design Engineer job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 98% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $145,580 per year, or $70 per hour.
EE Hardware Design Engineer

EE Hardware Design Engineer

Array Labs

Redwood City, CA • On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

Full-time

Posted 14 days ago

Job description

Array Labs builds advanced radar systems to help humanity understand and respond to changes across the physical world.
We're launching a coordinated fleet of radar satellites to create a high-resolution 3D map of the Earth - updated in real time - enabling faster, smarter decision-making for government and commercial organizations supporting disaster response, infrastructure resilience, and mission-critical geopolitical intelligence.
We design and build our satellites end-to-end, producing the world's most advanced earth observation satellites. Our fleet will deliver unprecedented levels of accuracy, coverage, and responsiveness to power critical insights precisely where they're needed most.
About the Job
As an EE Hardware Design Engineer, you will design and validate the digital and mixed-signal electronics that support Array's radar payloads and satellite platforms. Your work will include high-speed digital interfaces, precision clocking and timing distribution, power regulation and control circuits, system monitoring and telemetry hardware, and fault-tolerant designs suitable for the constraints of small satellites. You will take hardware from design, prototyping, bring-up, and qualification, working closely with RF, antenna, mechanical, and systems engineers. The hardware you develop will directly affect system performance, power efficiency, stability, and overall reliability on orbit.
As part of our quickly growing engineering team, you will play a critical role in the design of the world's most advanced radar satellite constellation-one that will significantly improve humanity's ability to rapidly and comprehensively understand our changing planet.
Responsibilities:
  • Develop advanced electronic platforms, from architecture to manufacturing
  • Work closely with software, firmware, RF, antenna, digital, and mechanical design engineers to design and validate state-of-the-art spacecraft electronics
  • Create requirements, perform system trades, select components, capture schematics, design complex electronic assemblies and manage manufacturing
  • Lead prototyping, hardware bring-up, debug, manufacturing, and test campaigns.
  • Rapidly iterate on and improve electronic designs based on laboratory, environmental and on-orbit testing

Basic Qualifications:
  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
  • Experience in electronics design, fabrication, and test
  • Excellent teamwork and communication skills
  • Learns new concepts rapidly, completely, and in a self-directed manner
  • High levels of self-motivation and personal accountability
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment under significant time constraints

Preferred Skills and Experience:
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in electrical engineering, or a related field
  • 4+ years of proven electrical engineering work experience with full-life cycle development (concept to production) of consumer electronics, power electronics, communications, automotive, aerospace, and/or robotics
  • Solid background in high-speed board design, simulation, and validation techniques including PCB stack-up, PCB fabrication, floorplanning, component selection, placement and routing, simulation and measurement
  • Solid background in electromagnetic theory and RF fundamentals such as s-parameters, transmission lines, and broadband impedance matching
  • Hands-on experience designing high-performance platforms including compute (SoCs, FPGAs, MCUs), storage (DDR, SSDs), high-speed interfaces (PCIe, SPI, JESD204B), RF components (PAs, LNAs, switches)
  • Proficiency with schematic capture and layout using CAD tools such as Altium Designer, Allegro, and ORCAD
  • Experience with EMC requirements and EMI mitigation techniques
  • Expertise in signal and power integrity simulation and measurement
  • Expertise in EM and thermal simulation of printed circuit boards
  • Experience with analysis and simulation tools such as LTSPICE, ADS and Microwave Office
  • Experience with data analysis and programming in MATLAB or python
  • Hands-on experience with test equipment such as oscilloscopes and network analyzers

ITAR Requirements:
  • To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equal Opportunity Employer:
  • Array Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made on the basis of merit, competence, and job qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by gender, color, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender identity, veteran status, disability status, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

$150,000 - $250,000 a year
Interview Process
We will conduct interviews via Google Meet; the typical process takes around 2-4 weeks to complete from start to finish.
Hiring and Compensation Strategy
Our hiring and compensation strategy is simple:
1) find uncommonly good people
2) pay them uncommonly well
You can anticipate competitive pay, with high flexibility between salary and equity-based compensation.
Why Join Array Labs?
Array Labs is launching a constellation of satellites to create the first high-resolution, real-time, three-dimensional model of Earth. Our next-generation satellite technology will offer image quality 60x greater than traditional techniques, profoundly expanding humanity's ability to understand and respond to events on a global scale.
In forging an affordable, accessible, accurate representation of Earth, our work has the potential to transform the face of dozens of fields, including autonomy, telecommunications, disaster relief, gaming, climate science, defense and construction.

Apply