1

Level Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Structures Design Lead

Oxnard, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous ...

Partner closely with a Staff-level designer and cross-functional teams - including engineers and PMs - to execute on roadmap projects such as AI voice agent evaluation, frameworks, and AI Actions (e ...

Airframe Design Lead, Wing

San Jose, CA · On-site

$172K - $216K/yr

Apply design for manufacturing concepts to create designs that are cost effective and easy to fabricate at rate. Preferred experience with composite sandwich construction and adhesive paste bonding

Designer II

Portola, CA · On-site

$41 - $54/hr

Designer II is a mid-level designer responsible for creating marked drawings, model development, and other documents showing equipment and device layouts and branch circuiting for power, lighting ...

Sr. Associate Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$85K - $95K/yr

The Senior Associate Designer for the Denim segment will utilize their acumen for fashion to create ... Able to complete the execution of a brand or category with the minimal direction of a senior level ...

Piping Designer

Los Angeles, CA · Hybrid

$60 - $65/hr

Mentor and guide junior and mid-level designers * Perform field visits to validate site conditions and support design accuracy * Support QA/QC processes and ensure high-quality deliverables ...

Piping Designer

Los Angeles, CA · Hybrid

$60 - $65/hr

Mentor and guide junior and mid-level designers * Perform field visits to validate site conditions and support design accuracy * Support QA/QC processes and ensure high-quality deliverables ...

Piping Designer

Los Angeles, CA · Hybrid

$60 - $65/hr

Mentor and guide junior and mid-level designers * Perform field visits to validate site conditions and support design accuracy * Support QA/QC processes and ensure high-quality deliverables ...

Piping Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$60 - $65/hr

Mentor and guide junior and mid-level designers * Perform field visits to validate site conditions and support design accuracy * Support QA/QC processes and ensure high-quality deliverables Job ...

QUALIFICATIONS * 5+ years in a senior or staff-level Designer role, with a well-rounded "Digital product design" portfolio with result-driven case studies. * Proven track record designing SaaS ...

Showing results 21-40

Level Designer information

See California salary details

$104.6K

$107.2K

$110K

How much do level designer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for level designer in California is $107,235.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $107,600.00 and $107,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Level Designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Level Designer, you need a solid understanding of game design principles, spatial awareness, and experience with 3D modeling or level editing software, often supported by a degree in game design or a related field. Proficiency with industry-standard tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, and visual scripting systems is typically required. Creativity, strong collaboration skills, and attention to detail help Level Designers stand out when crafting engaging player experiences. These skills are crucial for building immersive, balanced, and enjoyable game environments that support both gameplay and storytelling.

What does a Level Designer do?

A Level Designer is responsible for creating the environments, stages, or levels in a video game. They design the layout, challenges, and pacing to ensure the gameplay experience is engaging and balanced. Level Designers work closely with other team members such as artists, programmers, and game designers to bring their concepts to life, often using specialized software and game engines. Their goal is to make sure each level is fun, visually appealing, and fits within the story and mechanics of the game.

What Does a Level Designer Do?

A level designer uses special design software to create levels, which are also known as stages or maps, for a video game. As a level designer, your duties may include mapping the level, creating a layout, and using your artistic skills to create the look and feel of the stage's environments and locales. Your designs need to fit with the gameplay and story scenarios, so you frequently collaborate with other members of the design team, like environment artists. Your designs need to include any structural elements required by the storyline or game missions, so adhering to a game’s narrative is an essential part of your job.

What is the difference between Level Designer vs Environment Artist?

AspectLevel DesignerEnvironment Artist
Primary FocusDesigning gameplay spaces, layout, and player flowCreating visual environments, textures, and atmosphere
Skills & ToolsLevel design software, scripting, game mechanics3D modeling, texturing, art software
Work EnvironmentGame studios, collaborative teamsArt departments, visual teams
Common Industry UsageUsed in game design and developmentUsed in art and environment creation

While both roles contribute to the game's visual and spatial experience, Level Designers focus on gameplay layout and player experience, whereas Environment Artists specialize in creating the visual aesthetics of game worlds. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus within the game development industry.

How does a Level Designer typically collaborate with other departments during game development?

Level Designers work closely with artists, programmers, and game designers to bring levels to life. They often start by discussing design goals with the core game design team, then partner with artists to ensure visual consistency and technical requirements are met. Regular playtesting sessions with QA and feedback from other departments help refine the player experience. Effective communication and iteration are essential, as Level Designers must balance creative ideas with technical constraints and gameplay objectives.
What are the most commonly searched types of Level Designer jobs in California? The most popular types of Level Designer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Level Designer jobs? Cities in California with the most Level Designer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Level Designer jobs in CA? For Level Designer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Infographic showing various Level Designer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 4% Locum Tenens, 83% Full Time, 8% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $107,235 per year, or $51.6 per hour.
Lead, Engine Assembly Design

Lead, Engine Assembly Design

Relativity Space

Long Beach, CA

Full-time

PTO

Posted 18 days ago


Relativity Space rating

9.7

Company rating: 9.7 out of 10

Based on 8 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

1st of 71 rated aerospace companies


Job description

At Relativity Space, we're building rockets to serve today's needs and tomorrow's breakthroughs. Our Terran R vehicle will deliver customer payloads to orbit, meeting the growing demand for launch capacity. But that's just the start. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock new opportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress that reaches beyond the known.

Joining Relativity means becoming part of something where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. Here, you're not just executing tasks; you're solving problems that haven't been solved before, helping develop a rocket, a factory, and a business from the ground up. Whether you're in propulsion, manufacturing, software, avionics, or a corporate function, you'll collaborate across teams, shape decisions, and see your work come to life in record time. Relativity is a place where creativity and technical rigor go hand in hand, and your voice will help define the stories we're writing together. Now is a unique moment in time where it's early enough to leave your mark on the product, the process, and the culture, but far enough along that Terran R is tangible and picking up momentum. The most meaningful work of your career is waiting. Join us.

About the Team:
The Propulsion team at Relativity is focused on developing and delivering highly performant and manufacturable engines for Terran R. Engineers are responsible for the entire lifecycle of their parts, from initial design through production to qualification and flight. The team fosters a culture of bottoms-up decision-making, free from technical gatekeeping, where ownership and accountability are key at all levels. But designing engines with a quarter million pounds of thrust is just the beginning. As the flight configuration enters qualification, the team is now exploring modifications for future engines, including thrust upgrades, new cycles, and design for mass production.

About the Role:

In this role, you will lead a team that is responsible for top-level ownership of Relativity's rocket engine assemblies and their various configurations. You and your team will:

  • Own the overall layout and packaging of Aeon-R engines, in all of their different configurations (development, qualification, acceptance, first stage versus upper stage, etc.)
  • Design and analyze final integration hardware, such as secondary structures, fluid manifolds, tubing, custom fittings, etc.
  • Work closely with component and sub-system owners across the Propulsion department to drive towards an optimal engine design.
  • Own and release top-level CAD models of the engine assembly.
  • Track and report mass/mass projections of the Aeon-R engines.
  • Own the Interface Control Diagram for Aeon-R engines, requiring close collaboration with vehicle and test stand partners.
  • Champion configuration and change management for the Aeon-R engines.
  • Partner closely with the Engine Integration engineers to successfully build and ship engines at rate.

This role will require managing a small team, requiring strong mentorship, project management, establishing priorities, communicating with leadership, providing technical guidance, and recruiting. Close collaboration with stakeholders within Propulsion Engineering and external to Propulsion Engineering is essential. To be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and knows how to lead and guide projects to completion. Along with these expectations comes the opportunity to have a significant impact on a fast-growing team and accelerate your professional growth in an environment that values ownership, learning, and thoughtful risk-taking.

About You:

  • Bachelor's degree in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics field
  • 5+ years of experience with fluid systems design and/or structural design
  • Experience applying fluid, thermal, structural, and mechanical design fundamentals
  • Experience with Computer Aided Design (CAD) software
  • Experience in mentoring and demonstrated leadership skills
  • Detail-oriented, organized, and able to follow through
  • Demonstrated drive to deliver on ambitious schedules, especially if unconventional & creative solutions are necessary to do so


Nice to haves, but not required:

  • Experience in leading high performing teams
  • Working knowledge of engine subsystems such as combustion devices, turbomachinery, valves, integration hardware, etc.
  • Experience with large CAD model management, change management, and configuration management
  • Experience with Siemens NX, Teamcenter, and ANSYS workbench
  • Familiarity with industry best practices and aerospace standards
  • Familiarity with aerospace standards (AS, NAS, SAE, etc.)

At Relativity Space, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our compensation practices. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors.
Compensation is only one part of our total rewards package. Relativity Space offers competitive salary and equity, a generous PTO and sick leave policy, parental leave, an annual learning and development stipend, and more! To see some of the benefits & perks we offer, please visit here.

Hiring Range:
$136,000—$204,000 USD

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at accommodations@relativityspace.com.


What Relativity Space employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom