You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly ...
You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly ...
You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly ...
You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly ...
Senior Firmware Engineer
Richardson, TX · On-site
$108K - $143K/yr
Develop Linux kernel modules, device drivers, and hardware abstraction layers for custom hardware platforms. * Create software interfaces for hardware utilizing I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO, MIPI-CSI2, and ...
Quick apply
Senior Firmware Engineer
Richardson, TX · On-site
$108K - $143K/yr
Develop Linux kernel modules, device drivers, and hardware abstraction layers for custom hardware platforms. * Create software interfaces for hardware utilizing I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO, MIPI-CSI2, and ...
You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly ...
You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly ...
You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly ...
You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly ...
Futurex embedded Linux software engineers will have opportunities to work with advanced cryptographic systems at all layers of an embedded Linux operating system such as boot loaders, kernel drivers ...
Futurex embedded Linux software engineers will have opportunities to work with advanced cryptographic systems at all layers of an embedded Linux operating system such as boot loaders, kernel drivers ...
Embedded Software Enginner
Austin, TX · On-site
$130K - $171K/yr
Major electronics systems design company is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer with Linux ALSA kernel device driver experience. In this position you will be responsible for defining and leading ...
Embedded Software Enginner
Austin, TX · On-site
$130K - $171K/yr
Major electronics systems design company is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer with Linux ALSA kernel device driver experience. In this position you will be responsible for defining and leading ...
Embedded Software Enginner
Austin, TX · On-site
$130K - $171K/yr
Major electronics systems design company is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer with Linux ALSA kernel device driver experience. In this position you will be responsible for defining and leading ...
Embedded Software Enginner
Austin, TX · On-site
$130K - $171K/yr
Major electronics systems design company is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer with Linux ALSA kernel device driver experience. In this position you will be responsible for defining and leading ...
Troubleshoot complex OS issues (kernel, boot, networking, PAM, systemd, SSH). * Manage system lifecycle tasks including OS upgrades, kernel management, filesystem/partitioning, and package management ...
Troubleshoot complex OS issues (kernel, boot, networking, PAM, systemd, SSH). * Manage system lifecycle tasks including OS upgrades, kernel management, filesystem/partitioning, and package management ...
Work on user space applications, kernel modules, or toolchain components * Implement new features and enhancements based on requirements * Debug and resolve complex technical issues * Write high ...
Work on user space applications, kernel modules, or toolchain components * Implement new features and enhancements based on requirements * Debug and resolve complex technical issues * Write high ...
Sr. Engineer II, Sensor - Sensor Performance Engineering (Hybrid)
Austin, TX · Hybrid
$103K - $142K/yr
This is a hands-on role for an engineer who bridges kernel-mode internals, ETW/WPA trace analysis, and enterprise customer escalations. You will own the most complex performance investigations, shape ...
Sr. Engineer II, Sensor - Sensor Performance Engineering (Hybrid)
Austin, TX · Hybrid
$103K - $142K/yr
This is a hands-on role for an engineer who bridges kernel-mode internals, ETW/WPA trace analysis, and enterprise customer escalations. You will own the most complex performance investigations, shape ...
Senior Staff Engineer, Software
Austin, TX · On-site
$119K - $157K/yr
Experience in Real Time OS / Linux kernel memory management, interrupts, IOMMU * Proven ability to articulate requirements and solutions to diverse audiences through written documents like ...
Senior Staff Engineer, Software
Austin, TX · On-site
$119K - $157K/yr
Experience in Real Time OS / Linux kernel memory management, interrupts, IOMMU * Proven ability to articulate requirements and solutions to diverse audiences through written documents like ...
Staff Engineer, Software
Austin, TX · On-site
Experience in Real Time OS / Linux kernel memory management, interrupts, IOMMU Preferred Qualifications * Familiarity with main elements of CPU, DPU, memory, NICs * Experience in designing and ...
Staff Engineer, Software
Austin, TX · On-site
Experience in Real Time OS / Linux kernel memory management, interrupts, IOMMU Preferred Qualifications * Familiarity with main elements of CPU, DPU, memory, NICs * Experience in designing and ...
Staff Software Engineer, Embedded Radio Software and Connectivity
Austin, TX · On-site
$130K - $171K/yr
What You'll Do • Develop and enhance Linux kernel and device drivers, including those for multimedia subsystems and networking (WLAN, LAN, BLE, BT5.0). • Lead system bring-up activities ...
Staff Software Engineer, Embedded Radio Software and Connectivity
Austin, TX · On-site
$130K - $171K/yr
What You'll Do • Develop and enhance Linux kernel and device drivers, including those for multimedia subsystems and networking (WLAN, LAN, BLE, BT5.0). • Lead system bring-up activities ...
Senior Staff Engineer, Software
Austin, TX · On-site
$119K - $157K/yr
Experience in Real Time OS / Linux kernel memory management, interrupts, IOMMU * Proven ability to articulate requirements and solutions to diverse audiences through written documents like ...
Senior Staff Engineer, Software
Austin, TX · On-site
$119K - $157K/yr
Experience in Real Time OS / Linux kernel memory management, interrupts, IOMMU * Proven ability to articulate requirements and solutions to diverse audiences through written documents like ...
Linus Admin/Developer
Houston, TX · On-site
An excellent techie with strong experience in OS Engineering, Kernel Development, ProLiant Server, Networking * Linux debugging skill * Very well versed with debugging and rot cause analysis * Linux ...
Linus Admin/Developer
Houston, TX · On-site
An excellent techie with strong experience in OS Engineering, Kernel Development, ProLiant Server, Networking * Linux debugging skill * Very well versed with debugging and rot cause analysis * Linux ...
Senior Staff Engineer, Software
Richardson, TX · On-site
$111K - $146K/yr
Experience in Real Time OS / Linux kernel memory management, interrupts, IOMMU * Proven ability to articulate requirements and solutions to diverse audiences through written documents like ...
Senior Staff Engineer, Software
Richardson, TX · On-site
$111K - $146K/yr
Experience in Real Time OS / Linux kernel memory management, interrupts, IOMMU * Proven ability to articulate requirements and solutions to diverse audiences through written documents like ...
Develop and maintain Linux kernel drivers and low-level system software for embedded compute platforms, wireless modules, and custom MIPI image sensors * Build and integrate software stacks for Wi-Fi ...
Quick apply
Develop and maintain Linux kernel drivers and low-level system software for embedded compute platforms, wireless modules, and custom MIPI image sensors * Build and integrate software stacks for Wi-Fi ...
Staff Software Engineer, Embedded Radio Software and Connectivity
Austin, TX · Hybrid
$130K - $171K/yr
What You'll Do Develop and enhance Linux kernel and device drivers, including those for multimedia subsystems and networking (WLAN, LAN, BLE, BT5.0). Lead system bring-up activities, including ...
Staff Software Engineer, Embedded Radio Software and Connectivity
Austin, TX · Hybrid
$130K - $171K/yr
What You'll Do Develop and enhance Linux kernel and device drivers, including those for multimedia subsystems and networking (WLAN, LAN, BLE, BT5.0). Lead system bring-up activities, including ...
Principal AI Developer
Houston, TX · Remote
Azure OpenAI Azure AI Foundry Azure AI Search Microsoft Copilot Studio Semantic Kernel Vector Databases RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) Semantic Search Agentic AI MCP (Model Context Protocol ...
Principal AI Developer
Houston, TX · Remote
Azure OpenAI Azure AI Foundry Azure AI Search Microsoft Copilot Studio Semantic Kernel Vector Databases RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) Semantic Search Agentic AI MCP (Model Context Protocol ...
Kernel information
See Texas salary details
$80.9K - $91.9K
4% of jobs
$91.9K - $102.9K
7% of jobs
$102.9K - $113.9K
13% of jobs
$114.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$113.9K - $124.9K
15% of jobs
The median wage is $131K / yr.
$124.9K - $135.9K
20% of jobs
$145.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$135.9K - $146.9K
18% of jobs
$146.9K - $157.9K
9% of jobs
$157.9K - $168.9K
5% of jobs
$168.9K - $179.8K
4% of jobs
$179.8K - $190.8K
2% of jobs
$190.8K - $201.8K
2% of jobs
$80.9K
$136.7K
$201.8K
How much do kernel jobs pay per year?
What are the typical daily responsibilities of a kernel engineer?
Kernel Engineers typically spend their days designing, implementing, and maintaining low-level components of an operating system’s kernel, such as device drivers, process schedulers, or memory management subsystems. They often review and refactor code, troubleshoot and resolve bugs, and collaborate closely with hardware engineers, application developers, and QA teams. Participation in code reviews and contributing to open source communities or internal repositories are also common activities. This role requires staying up to date with the latest kernel developments and ensuring code changes are performant and stable, directly impacting the reliability and efficiency of the broader system.
What is a kernel?
A Kernel job typically refers to a role focused on developing, maintaining, or optimizing an operating system's kernel—the core component that manages system resources, hardware interaction, and process scheduling. Kernel developers work with low-level programming languages like C and Assembly to improve system performance, security, and stability. These roles often involve debugging kernel crashes, implementing new features, and collaborating with hardware and software teams to ensure seamless integration.
What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the kernel position, and why are they important?
To thrive as a Kernel Engineer, you need strong expertise in operating system fundamentals, C/C++ programming, and kernel module development, often supported by a degree in computer science or equivalent experience. Familiarity with Linux kernel source code, debugging tools like GDB, and version control systems such as Git is essential. Analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and effective communication distinguish outstanding professionals in this field. These skills are crucial for maintaining system stability, ensuring high performance, and collaborating on complex, low-level software projects.

Full-time
Re-posted 6 days ago
Amazon rating
7.4
Based on 7,084 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz
6th of 39 rated national retailers
Job description
The AWS Graviton Software team is seeking Software Engineers to optimize performance for AWS Graviton.
Graviton delivers the best price/performance in AWS data centers. For the past 3 years, Graviton has powered the majority of new EC2 capacity and is used by over 90% of our largest customers.
You'll drive performance optimization across open source projects, internal services, and customer applications, working on everything from Linux kernel development to C++/Rust debugging to assembly-level optimization. Our team optimizes a diverse range of applications including databases, web services, games, video encoding, ML, and HPC workloads.
This doesn't mean you have or will have all those skills, but you'll have a chance to learn from those who do
This is a unique opportunity to impact how software runs in AWS, while growing your technical breadth and depth.
Key job responsibilities
As a Graviton Software Developer, you will:
Performance Optimization & Analysis
Enhance architectures and algorithms for optimal performance
Use tools like Aperf, sysstat, sysctl, perf to identify bottlenecks
Monitor and analyze processor, OS, and workload metrics
Optimize software performance for AWS customers and AWS services (such as S3, Lambda, EMR, ElastiCache, RDS ..etc)
Open Source Development
Contribute to Linux kernel improvements
Contribute to various other open source projects
Develop analysis frameworks and automation systems
Tool(s) Development
Enhance APerf (our open-source Rust-based performance tool)
Create new performance analysis features
Build and maintain automation solutions
The role offers opportunities to work on latest CPU technology while contributing to both AWS and the open source community.
About the team
Annapurna Labs, part of AWS, created Graviton as a strategic ARM-based CPU initiative to revolutionize cloud computing at Amazon scale. Graviton instances deliver superior performance, cost efficiency, and reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional x86 solutions. The Graviton Software organization drives customer and internal team migrations to Graviton by optimizing and stabilizing software ecosystems, contributing to open source projects (including Linux kernel, operating systems, compilers, libraries, and ML frameworks), developing automated services, and maintaining public documentation
Our work enables AWS customers and Amazon teams to leverage Graviton's advantages in performance, cost, stability, and energy efficiency.
About Amazon
Sourced by ZipRecruiter
Amazon.com, Inc., commonly known as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and initially started as an online marketplace for books. Since then, Amazon has expanded its operations and become one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. Amazon's primary business is its online retail platform, where customers can purchase a vast array of products, including electronics, clothing, books, home goods, and much more. The company offers a convenient and user-friendly shopping experience, with features such as fast shipping, customer reviews, and personalized recommendations. In addition to its e-commerce platform, Amazon has diversified its business into various other areas. One of its notable ventures is Amazon Web Services (AWS), a comprehensive cloud computing platform that provides services such as storage, compute power, and database management to individuals and businesses. AWS has become a leader in the cloud computing industry, powering many websites and applications worldwide. Amazon has also developed its own consumer electronics, including the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader, Fire tablets, Fire TV streaming devices, and the Alexa-powered Echo smart speakers. The Alexa voice assistant, integrated into these devices, allows users to interact with their devices using voice commands, perform tasks, and access information. Furthermore, Amazon has expanded into media and entertainment. It operates Prime Video, a streaming service that offers a wide range of movies, TV shows, and original content. Amazon Music provides a platform for streaming and purchasing digital music, while Audible offers audiobooks and other audio content. The company's commitment to customer satisfaction and convenience is demonstrated by its membership program, Amazon Prime. Prime members receive various benefits, including free two-day shipping, access to streaming services, exclusive deals, and more.
Industry
It services, book publishers, retail, real estate and computer and electronic product manufacturing
Company size
10,000+ Employees
Headquarters location
Seattle, WA, US