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Methods Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Scale AI

Distinguished Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

They are seeking a Distinguished Engineer to shape the vision and technical roadmap of their core AI/ML infrastructure, driving long-term technical direction and mentoring senior engineers.

General Atomics

Engineer III

Poway, CA · On-site

$81K - $141K/yr

We have an exciting opportunity located in Poway, CA for a Project Engineer to support MQ-9A CLS Sustainment Program. Under general supervision with limited review, this position is responsible for ...

E-Solutions

Bluetooth Engineer

Palo Alto, CA

Bluetooth Engineer palo alto, CA & Skill Requirement: • Design and implement Bluetooth applications/profiles and features on Linux and Android platforms. • Develop systems software architecture ...

Scale AI

Distinguished Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

This role involves shaping the vision for the Scale GenerativeAI Platform and mentoring engineering teams to ensure the delivery of high-quality enterprise AI applications. Responsibilities : • ...

General Atomics

Engineer III

Adelanto, CA · On-site

$81K - $141K/yr

The Engineer III will play a key role in propulsion R&D efforts, supporting rapid prototyping, testing, and iteration in a fast-paced development environment DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

General Atomics

Engineer V

San Diego, CA · On-site

$105K - $189K/yr

Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; nine or ...

Cisco

Distinguished Engineer

San Jose, CA

$273K - $384K/yr

Meet the Team You will join Cisco's Identity Engineering Group, a foundational organization responsible for transforming Cisco's Identity products into a unified Identity experience as a ...

Career Renew

Blockchain Engineer

San Francisco, CA

$200K - $300K/yr

Career Renew is recruiting for one of its clients a Blockchain Engineer - this is a fully onsite position in NYC or San Francisco. Salary range: 200-300K USD yearly. What we're building: Multi Asset ...

Cisco

Distinguished Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$273K - $384K/yr

Meet the Team You will join Cisco's Identity Engineering Group, a foundational organization responsible for transforming Cisco's Identity products into a unified Identity experience as a ...

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All JobsMethods Engineer JobsMethods Engineer Jobs in California

Methods Engineer information

See California salary details

$37.5K

$114.3K

$189K

How much do methods engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for methods engineer in California is $114,347.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $81,900.00 and $149,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a Methods Engineer, you need a solid background in industrial engineering, process optimization, and data analysis, often supported by a degree in engineering or a related field. Familiarity with Lean manufacturing principles, Six Sigma methodologies, CAD software, and ERP systems is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, effective communication, and problem-solving abilities help Methods Engineers collaborate across teams and implement improvements. These skills and qualifications are crucial for increasing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing product quality in manufacturing environments.

What is the difference between Methods Engineer vs Process Engineer?

AspectMethods EngineerProcess Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Engineering, certifications in process improvement or manufacturingBachelor's in Engineering, chemical or industrial engineering preferred
Work EnvironmentManufacturing plants, production lines, industrial settingsManufacturing facilities, chemical plants, or industrial environments
Employer & Industry UsageManufacturing, automotive, aerospace, industrial sectorsChemical, manufacturing, energy, and industrial sectors
Common Search & ComparisonMethods Engineer vs Process Engineer

Methods Engineers focus on developing and optimizing manufacturing processes, emphasizing efficiency and quality improvements. Process Engineers also work on process design and optimization but often have a broader scope, including chemical processes and system integration. Both roles require similar technical credentials and are found in manufacturing and industrial settings, but Methods Engineers typically specialize in specific methods and procedures within production environments.

What does a Methods Engineer do?

A Methods Engineer develops and improves manufacturing processes to increase efficiency, quality, and safety. They analyze workflows, select appropriate tools and techniques, and often use data analysis and process modeling to optimize production. Strong problem-solving skills and knowledge of industry standards are essential for this role.

How does a Methods Engineer typically interact with production and quality teams on a daily basis?

Methods Engineers work closely with both production and quality teams to analyze and optimize manufacturing processes. On a typical day, they may attend cross-functional meetings to discuss process improvements, troubleshoot bottlenecks, or implement new procedures. Collaboration is key, as Methods Engineers gather feedback from operators and quality inspectors to ensure that any process changes enhance efficiency without compromising product quality. This role often requires balancing technical analysis with strong communication skills to align different departments toward shared operational goals.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior engineers in specialized fields such as petroleum, aerospace, or software engineering with extensive experience and advanced skills can earn $500,000 or more annually. High compensation often involves leadership roles, bonuses, stock options, or working in high-demand industries with complex projects.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior engineers in specialized fields such as petroleum, aerospace, or software engineering can earn $300,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and leadership roles. High compensation often involves working in high-demand industries, holding advanced certifications, or managing large projects.

What job makes $10,000 a month without a degree?

A Methods Engineer typically requires specialized technical skills and often a degree, but some related roles in manufacturing or process optimization can reach $10,000 a month with extensive experience and industry expertise. High-paying technical roles may also include sales engineers or certain skilled trades, but they usually require certifications or significant experience rather than formal degrees. Overall, most high-earning jobs without a degree involve specialized skills, certifications, or entrepreneurial ventures.
What are the most commonly searched types of Methods Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Methods Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Methods Engineer jobs in California? For Methods Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Methods Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Methods Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Methods Engineer jobs in CA? For Methods Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Methods Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Methods 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 $114,347 per year, or $55 per hour.
Helix AI Engineer, Reinforcement Learning

Helix AI Engineer, Reinforcement Learning

Figure

San Jose, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 6 days ago

Job description

Figure is an AI robotics company developing autonomous general-purpose humanoid robots. Our goal is to build embodied AI systems that can perceive, reason, and act in the real world. Figure is headquartered in San Jose, CA, and this role requires 5 days/week in-office collaboration.
Our Helix team is responsible for developing the core AI systems that power humanoid autonomy. We are looking for a Helix AI Engineer, Reinforcement Learning to develop learning systems that enable robots to acquire skills through interaction, feedback, and experience.
This role focuses on applying and advancing reinforcement learning across simulation and real-world environments-improving policy performance, robustness, and long-horizon decision-making in embodied systems.
Responsibilities
  • Design and implement reinforcement learning algorithms for embodied agents operating in real-world and simulated environments
  • Train policies that learn from interaction, feedback, and large-scale experience across diverse tasks
  • Develop reward modeling, credit assignment, and exploration strategies for complex, long-horizon behaviors
  • Improve policy robustness to real-world challenges such as noise, partial observability, and environment variability
  • Work across online and offline RL settings, including learning from large-scale logged robot data
  • Collaborate closely with pretraining, video, generative, agent, and robot learning teams to integrate RL into the full autonomy stack
  • Build scalable training systems for RL, including distributed rollouts, simulation infrastructure, and experiment management
  • Design evaluation frameworks to measure policy performance, stability, and generalization
Requirements
  • Experience developing and applying reinforcement learning algorithms in complex environments
  • Strong understanding of RL fundamentals (e.g., policy optimization, value methods, model-based RL)
  • Experience training policies in simulation and/or real-world systems
  • Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch
  • Experience with large-scale experimentation and distributed training systems
  • Strong experimental rigor and ability to diagnose and improve learning systems
  • Solid software engineering skills and ability to build scalable, reliable systems
  • Ability to operate independently and drive ambiguous, high-impact technical problems
Bonus Qualifications
  • Experience applying RL to robotics, control systems, or embodied AI
  • Experience with large-scale RL infrastructure (distributed rollouts, simulation at scale)
  • Background in offline RL, imitation learning, or hybrid learning approaches
  • Experience with reward modeling or human-in-the-loop learning
  • Experience at leading AI labs such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, or xAI
  • Familiarity with robotics systems, simulation environments, or real-world deployment constraints
  • Publication record in reinforcement learning, machine learning, or robotics

The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.

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