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Networking Software Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

As a Software Engineer on the Colossus Networking team, you will develop the core networking software that maximizes the performance and reliability of our datacenter fabric. Your work will directly ...

System Software Engineer, Networking

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$203K - $240K/yr

System Software Engineer, Networking About Tensordyne AI is reshaping our world, taking on cognitive work that once belonged only to humans - perceiving across modalities and environments, learning ...

Senior Networking Software Architect

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$152K - $206K/yr

Job Summary : NVIDIA is looking for a brilliant Software & Systems Architect to join the NIC ... Sc. in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience ...

As a Software Engineer on the Colossus Networking team, you will develop the core networking software that maximizes the performance and reliability of our datacenter fabric. Your work will directly ...

Showing results 41-60

Networking Software Engineer information

See California salary details

$62.7K

$145.6K

$202.8K

How much do networking software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for networking 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 is a networking software engineer?

A Networking Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains software that enables communication between computers, devices, and networks. They work with network protocols, software-defined networking (SDN), and network security to optimize performance and reliability. Their role involves writing code, debugging network applications, and collaborating with hardware and infrastructure teams to create scalable solutions.

What are some typical day-to-day tasks for a networking software engineer?

As a Networking Software Engineer, your daily responsibilities may include designing and developing network software, troubleshooting network issues, and optimizing existing protocols or applications. You’ll often collaborate with hardware engineers, QA testers, and other developers to ensure seamless integration and high network performance. Participation in code reviews and staying current with networking advancements are also common parts of the job. This role provides opportunities to solve complex technical challenges and contribute significantly to the reliability and scalability of an organization’s IT infrastructure.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the networking software engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Networking Software Engineer, you need a solid grounding in computer networking protocols, programming languages such as C/C++ or Python, and a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with networking equipment, network simulation tools, and certifications like Cisco's CCNA or CCNP are highly valued. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication abilities help you excel in this position. These skills ensure the engineer can develop robust, scalable networking solutions and collaborate efficiently in rapidly changing technical environments.

Are networking software engineers still in demand?

Networking software engineers are currently in high demand due to the increasing reliance on network infrastructure, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. Skills in programming, network protocols, and certifications like CCNA or Cisco DevNet can enhance job prospects in this field.

Is networking a high paying job?

Networking software engineers typically earn above-average salaries compared to many other tech roles, especially with experience and specialized skills in areas like network security, protocols, and infrastructure. Salaries can vary based on location, industry, and certifications such as Cisco or CompTIA, but overall, it is considered a well-compensated profession in the technology sector.

What cities in California are hiring for Networking Software Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Networking Software Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Networking Software Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 74% In-person, and 26% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $145,592 per year, or $70 per hour.

Software Engineer - Network (C++)

SpaceXAI

Palo Alto, CA

$180K - $440K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Re-posted 19 days ago


SpaceX rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 149 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

17th of 72 rated aerospace companies


Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE:

At SpaceXAI, we design, build, and operate Colossus from the ground up. This includes the massive GPU clusters, high-speed interconnect fabric, and the software that makes it all work at unprecedented scale. Colossus powers Grok and our frontier AI models with a custom, high-performance datacenter network that delivers ultra-low latency and massive bandwidth across hundreds of thousands of GPUs.

As a Software Engineer on the Colossus Networking team, you will develop the core networking software that maximizes the performance and reliability of our datacenter fabric. Your work will directly impact training efficiency, model convergence, and the speed at which we can push the frontier of AI.

Our engineers own the full lifecycle of their software - from design and implementation to deployment, monitoring, and iteration based on real-world performance at scale. You will solve hard problems in distributed systems, high-performance networking, and real-time control of one of the largest AI supercomputers on Earth.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Develop routing and traffic-engineering algorithms for the Colossus high-performance datacenter network.
  • Develop highly reliable, real-time software designed to run on the switches that form the backbone of our low-latency, high-bandwidth AI training fabric.
  • Participate in and lead architecture, design, and code reviews.
  • Develop prototypes and run experiments to validate key design decisions at both small and full-cluster scale.
  • Build tools for software development, deployment, data analysis, visualization, and testing across virtualized environments, hardware-in-the-loop setups, and live production clusters.
  • Deploy reliable software updates through continuous integration and release systems with rigorous testing and monitoring.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or a related technical discipline; OR 2+ years of professional software development experience in lieu of a degree.
  • Strong development experience in C or C++.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
  • Strong professional experience writing high-performance C/C++ in production environments.
  • Experience developing, debugging, and deploying software that runs at scale in real-world systems.
  • Deep knowledge of networking protocols (UDP, TCP/IP, RDMA, etc.), distributed systems, and large-scale datacenter fabrics.
  • Background in real-time systems, high-performance computing, low-latency networking, or resource-constrained environments.
  • Creative problem-solving ability with exceptional analytical skills and strong engineering fundamentals.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving requirements.
  • Experience with security considerations in large-scale distributed systems.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$180,000 - $440,000 USD

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at SpaceXAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.


What SpaceX employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


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About SpaceX

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Industry

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing, data services, guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing and satellite telecommunications

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Hawthorne, CA, US