Software Engineer
San Diego, CA · On-site
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
San Diego, CA · On-site
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Embedded Software Engineer
Sunnyvale, CA · On-site
$96K - $118K/yr
Develop and enhance low-level software components, including device drivers, kernel modules, and ... Strong proficiency in C and/or C++ programming. * Experience with embedded Linux systems and low ...
Embedded Software Engineer
Sunnyvale, CA · On-site
$96K - $118K/yr
Develop and enhance low-level software components, including device drivers, kernel modules, and ... Strong proficiency in C and/or C++ programming. * Experience with embedded Linux systems and low ...
Software Engineer
Cardiff By The Sea, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
Cardiff By The Sea, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
El Cajon, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
El Cajon, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Flight Software Engineer As our Flight Software Engineer, you will support the the development ... Implement low level software to interface with various spacecraft components * Implement ...
Flight Software Engineer As our Flight Software Engineer, you will support the the development ... Implement low level software to interface with various spacecraft components * Implement ...
Software Engineer
National City, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
National City, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
Rancho Santa Fe, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
Rancho Santa Fe, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
San Diego, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
San Diego, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
Chula Vista, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
Chula Vista, CA · On-site
$87K - $157K/yr
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Embedded Software Engineer
$96K - $118K/yr
Develop and enhance low-level software components, including device drivers, kernel modules, and ... Strong proficiency in C and/or C++ programming. * Experience with embedded Linux systems and low ...
Embedded Software Engineer
$96K - $118K/yr
Develop and enhance low-level software components, including device drivers, kernel modules, and ... Strong proficiency in C and/or C++ programming. * Experience with embedded Linux systems and low ...
Software Engineer
San Diego, CA · On-site
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Software Engineer
San Diego, CA · On-site
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB ... Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI * Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL ...
Sr Software Engineer, Android Automotive
Mountain View, CA · On-site
$157K - $197K/yr
Waymo Onboard Infrastructure is responsible for low-level software and infrastructure on various ... We are seeking an experienced Android System Software Engineer to join our team in developing the ...
Sr Software Engineer, Android Automotive
Mountain View, CA · On-site
$157K - $197K/yr
Waymo Onboard Infrastructure is responsible for low-level software and infrastructure on various ... We are seeking an experienced Android System Software Engineer to join our team in developing the ...
We take on software engineering projects to make progress on Apple's most pressing security ... Understanding of how low-level code is compiled to machine code and interacts with hardware.
We take on software engineering projects to make progress on Apple's most pressing security ... Understanding of how low-level code is compiled to machine code and interacts with hardware.
Mid Level Software Engineer
Irvine, CA · On-site
$100K - $115K/yr
Mid Level Software Engineer Full-time Remote Exclusive confidential search -- details shared with qualified applicants. Become a Key Player as a Mid Level Software Engineer You will contribute to ...
Quick apply
Mid Level Software Engineer
Irvine, CA · On-site
$100K - $115K/yr
Mid Level Software Engineer Full-time Remote Exclusive confidential search -- details shared with qualified applicants. Become a Key Player as a Mid Level Software Engineer You will contribute to ...
Own the end-to-end design and delivery of low-level emulation and virtualization software for high ... Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent. Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality ...
Own the end-to-end design and delivery of low-level emulation and virtualization software for high ... Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent. Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality ...
As a Staff Simulation Software Engineer , you will design and deliver the foundational low-level software that makes this possible - working at the intersection of hypervisor technology, hardware ...
As a Staff Simulation Software Engineer , you will design and deliver the foundational low-level software that makes this possible - working at the intersection of hypervisor technology, hardware ...
Sr Software Engineer, Telematics
Mountain View, CA · On-site
$204K - $259K/yr
Waymo Onboard Infrastructure is responsible for low-level software and infrastructure on various ... Work on a small team of System Software and Linux Kernel Engineers to design, develop, and deploy ...
Sr Software Engineer, Telematics
Mountain View, CA · On-site
$204K - $259K/yr
Waymo Onboard Infrastructure is responsible for low-level software and infrastructure on various ... Work on a small team of System Software and Linux Kernel Engineers to design, develop, and deploy ...
As a Staff Software Engineer on the accelerator platforms team, you will have influence beyond, handling complex issues in low-level software and hardware interaction. The AI and Infrastructure team ...
As a Staff Software Engineer on the accelerator platforms team, you will have influence beyond, handling complex issues in low-level software and hardware interaction. The AI and Infrastructure team ...
Own the end-to-end design and delivery of low-level emulation and virtualization software for high ... Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent. * Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality ...
Quick apply
Own the end-to-end design and delivery of low-level emulation and virtualization software for high ... Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent. * Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality ...
Arista BIOS software engineers are also responsible for low level software driving the CPU subsystems on all Arista products. You will evaluate new CPUs and work with CPU vendors and BIOS vendors to ...
Arista BIOS software engineers are also responsible for low level software driving the CPU subsystems on all Arista products. You will evaluate new CPUs and work with CPU vendors and BIOS vendors to ...
Low Level Software Engineer information
See California salary details
$62.7K - $75.4K
2% of jobs
$75.4K - $88.1K
4% of jobs
$88.1K - $100.9K
6% of jobs
$100.9K - $113.6K
8% of jobs
$120.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$113.6K - $126.4K
7% of jobs
$126.4K - $139.1K
18% of jobs
The median wage is $142.1K / yr.
$139.1K - $151.8K
16% of jobs
$151.8K - $164.6K
2% of jobs
$169.8K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$164.6K - $177.3K
26% of jobs
$177.3K - $190.1K
1% of jobs
$190.1K - $202.8K
8% of jobs
$62.7K
$145.6K
$202.8K
How much do low level software engineer jobs pay per year?
As of Jul 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for low level software engineer in California is $145,592.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,400.00 and $170,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.
What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Low Level Software Engineer, and why are they important?
To thrive as a Low Level Software Engineer, you need strong proficiency in C/C++ programming, computer architecture, and operating system fundamentals, often supported by a degree in computer science or related fields. Experience with debugging tools, embedded systems, version control systems like Git, and knowledge of hardware interfaces are typically required. Attention to detail, analytical thinking, and effective problem-solving are vital soft skills that set top engineers apart. These skills are crucial for developing efficient, reliable, and secure software that interacts closely with hardware and underpins critical system functionality.
What are Low Level Software Engineers?
Low Level Software Engineers are professionals who specialize in programming close to the hardware, often working with firmware, device drivers, operating systems, and embedded systems. They use languages like C, C++, or assembly to interact directly with hardware components, optimizing performance and ensuring efficient resource management. Their work is essential for enabling communication between software applications and physical devices. These engineers are crucial in industries such as automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, and telecommunications.
What are some common challenges faced by Low Level Software Engineers in their daily work?
Low Level Software Engineers often encounter challenges such as debugging complex hardware-software interactions, optimizing code for performance and memory constraints, and ensuring compatibility across various hardware platforms. They work closely with hardware engineers and embedded systems teams, requiring strong communication and problem-solving skills. Additionally, staying updated on evolving hardware architectures and toolchains is essential for successful development and maintenance of low-level systems.
Leidos rating
8.4
Based on 149 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz
56th of 449 rated business services
Job description
Today, Electronic Warfare is a growing enterprise - protecting the warfighter and our national security against ever-adapting threats. Our EW division currently has an exciting opportunity for a Software Engineer to perform design, development, and hardware/software integration in San Diego, CA.
Leidos is a DOD leader in electronic design and chiplet manufacture. Our division primarily focuses on research & development and advanced prototyping, transforming state-of-the-art processing algorithms into real-time software systems. Projects involve small multi-disciplinary teams of engineers working together in spiral or agile development environments to meet aggressive customer schedules aimed at near-term field demonstrations. Leidos utilizes its proprietary design methodology for hardware software co-design to manufacture custom SoC and IP for high performance applications.
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB used to control Hardware Test Equipment, design and build a GUI to serve as a user-facing interface for the Leidos SoC products, and develop complex, highly integrated testing system for RF signal processing applications.
Join a team of experts in implementing high-performance signal processing on custom system-on-chip (SoC) hardware and building the tools that enable analysis, rapid prototyping, and deployment of cutting-edge algorithms.
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits http://www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits, including 4 or more weeks Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in Electronic Warfare Technology!
At Leidos we value passion for learning. If you believe you have what it takes to succeed in this role and are eager to learn, we encourage you to apply.
The successful candidate will have the following basic education/experience:
Bonus education/experience:
NKE
ElectronicWarfare
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
April 21, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
Leidos is a DOD leader in electronic design and chiplet manufacture. Our division primarily focuses on research & development and advanced prototyping, transforming state-of-the-art processing algorithms into real-time software systems. Projects involve small multi-disciplinary teams of engineers working together in spiral or agile development environments to meet aggressive customer schedules aimed at near-term field demonstrations. Leidos utilizes its proprietary design methodology for hardware software co-design to manufacture custom SoC and IP for high performance applications.
In this role, the Software Engineer will develop and maintain APIs written in Python and MATLAB used to control Hardware Test Equipment, design and build a GUI to serve as a user-facing interface for the Leidos SoC products, and develop complex, highly integrated testing system for RF signal processing applications.
Join a team of experts in implementing high-performance signal processing on custom system-on-chip (SoC) hardware and building the tools that enable analysis, rapid prototyping, and deployment of cutting-edge algorithms.
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
- Contributing to design and development of advanced systems as a part of multi-disciplinary teams. These teams are made up of other software team members and subject matter experts from the areas of systems engineering, hardware, firmware, RF front end design, and signal processing.
- Designing, implementing, and testing object-oriented applications in Python/MATLAB
- Designing, implementing, and testing software to configure and control RF hardware devices
- Integrating low-level software with a user-facing GUI
- Developing Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) tests to validate low-level software APIs
- Designing and implementing test framework for implementing HITL tests and deploying applications in HITL test environments
- Documentation of the developed test software and embedded systems
- Clearly communicating technical details of test software to internal and external engineers
- Supporting system field testing and collection events, usually about a week in duration once or twice a year
At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits http://www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits, including 4 or more weeks Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in Electronic Warfare Technology!
At Leidos we value passion for learning. If you believe you have what it takes to succeed in this role and are eager to learn, we encourage you to apply.
The successful candidate will have the following basic education/experience:
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science, or related discipline
- 4+ years of software development experience, including strong experience in programming in Python, MATLAB, or C++
- Strong understanding of object-oriented design
- Basic understanding of hardware-software interaction and basic computer architecture
- Experience with hardware interfaces (e.g. PCIe, UART, Ethernet)
- Experience with build tools (e.g. GCC, CMake, or Make)
- Experience using version control (e.g. git, Subversion) and continuous integration software tools (e.g. Jenkins)
- Experience with software testing tools and methodology
- Experience in creating and maintaining technical documentation for developed software
- Ability to communicate and share ideas, concepts, and designs with a team of engineers
- Demonstrated ability and motivation to continually learn new technical skills and concepts
- Understanding of unit test frameworks and test-driven development practices
- Must have active Secret level security clearance with the ability to obtain a TS/SCI.
Bonus education/experience:
- Master's Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent
- Active security clearance higher than the Secret level
- Ability to debug embedded systems using tools like oscilloscopes and logic analyzers
- Experience maintaining, tracking, and updating ticket/status using Gitlab or similar interface
- Experience using common scripting languages (e.g. bash)
NKE
ElectronicWarfare
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
April 21, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Sourced by ZipRecruiter
At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers' success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainable practices. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.
Industry
It services
Company size
10,000+ Employees
Headquarters location
Reston, VA, US