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Operating System Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Sr. Systems Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$123K - $168K/yr

Senior System Engineer Location: San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA | Los Angeles, CA | San Diego, CA ... Manage infrastructure lifecycle activities, including operating system upgrades, patching, hardware ...

Sr. Systems Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$123K - $168K/yr

Senior System Engineer Location: San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA | Los Angeles, CA | San Diego, CA ... Manage infrastructure lifecycle activities, including operating system upgrades, patching, hardware ...

We are looking for someone who can build a working AI-supported operating system for a busy criminal defense law firm. This will begin as a project-based role. Ongoing monthly support may be ...

We are looking for someone who can build a working AI-supported operating system for a busy criminal defense law firm. This will begin as a project-based role. Ongoing monthly support may be ...

Coordinate with government stakeholders, operators, and engineering teams to support system integration, modernization efforts, and lifecycle sustainment of communications and electrical capabilities.

About the Position We are seeking a Staff System Engineer | Researcher to join our SkyOS team ... The team is responsible for the design and development of NIO's full-domain vehicle operating ...

About the Position We are seeking a Staff System Engineer | Researcher to join our SkyOS team ... The team is responsible for the design and development of NIO's full-domain vehicle operating ...

In this 0-to-1 role, you will be at the forefront of early-stage product exploration, operating at ... Description As a Home Prototyping System Engineer, you will be responsible for the electrical ...

MIT System Engineer

Chico, CA · On-site

$85K - $100K/yr

Troubleshoot according to best practices and standard operating procedures * Escalate to and/or collaborate with Senior Systems Engineers when necessary * Adhere to communication standards and enter ...

MIT System Engineer

Stockton, CA · On-site

$85K - $100K/yr

Troubleshoot according to best practices and standard operating procedures * Escalate to and/or collaborate with Senior Systems Engineers when necessary * Adhere to communication standards and enter ...

DTP-N System Engineer

Ridgecrest, CA · On-site

$96K - $120K/yr

... DTP-N) Systems Engineer supporting the F/A-18 and EA-18G Integrated Product Team (IPT) the ... Respond to inquiries from fleet operators and support personnel. Provide technically sound ...

In this 0-to-1 role, you will be at the forefront of early-stage product exploration, operating at ... Description As a Home Prototyping System Engineer, you will be responsible for the electrical ...

DTP-N System Engineer

Ridgecrest, CA · On-site

$96K - $120K/yr

... DTP-N) Systems Engineer supporting the F/A-18 and EA-18G Integrated Product Team (IPT) the ... Respond to inquiries from fleet operators and support personnel. Provide technically sound ...

DTP-N System Engineer

Ridgecrest, CA · On-site

$96K - $120K/yr

... DTP-N) Systems Engineer supporting the F/A-18 and EA-18G Integrated Product Team (IPT) the ... Respond to inquiries from fleet operators and support personnel. Provide technically sound ...

Systems Engineers working within the Media Systems and Network Engineering group provide the ... Operating system administration (e.g. Unix, Linux, OSX, and Windows). High performance data storage ...

Troubleshoot according to best practices and standard operating procedures * Escalate to and/or collaborate with Senior Systems Engineers when necessary * Adhere to communication standards and enter ...

Showing results 41-60

Operating System Engineer information

See California salary details

$52.8K

$125.5K

$164.8K

How much do operating system engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for operating system engineer in California is $125,549.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $96,700.00 and $154,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by operating system engineers when maintaining system stability in large-scale environments?

Operating System Engineers often encounter challenges such as managing software patching across diverse hardware, ensuring compatibility with legacy applications, and minimizing downtime during critical updates. In large-scale environments, balancing security with performance and reliability can be complex, especially when multiple teams depend on the systems. Effective communication with development, security, and IT operations teams is essential to address these issues proactively and maintain overall system stability.

What does an operating system engineer do?

An Operating System Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, maintaining, and optimizing operating systems that run on computers and servers. They work on the core components that manage hardware resources, enable software applications, and ensure system security and stability. Their duties often include writing system-level code, troubleshooting performance issues, implementing updates, and collaborating with hardware and software teams. Operating System Engineers play a critical role in ensuring that computing environments are efficient, reliable, and secure.

What is the difference between Operating System Engineer vs System Administrator?

AspectOperating System EngineerSystem Administrator
Primary FocusDesigning, developing, and optimizing operating systemsMaintaining, configuring, and supporting existing systems
Skills & CertificationsLinux/Unix, scripting, OS architecture, certifications like RHCE or Linux FoundationSystem management, network setup, troubleshooting, certifications like CompTIA Server+ or Microsoft Certified
Work EnvironmentDevelopment teams, R&D, engineering projectsIT support, data centers, enterprise environments
Industry UsageTech companies, hardware firms, software developmentCorporate IT, government agencies, healthcare, finance

While both roles involve working with operating systems, Operating System Engineers focus on designing and developing OS solutions, whereas System Administrators manage and support existing systems. The roles complement each other but serve different stages of the system lifecycle.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an operating system engineer?

To thrive as an Operating System Engineer, you need a deep understanding of computer science principles, operating system internals, and strong programming skills in languages like C, C++, or Rust, often backed by a relevant degree. Familiarity with kernel development, debugging tools, virtualization platforms, and experience with version control systems (such as Git) are typically required. Problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication are soft skills that set top performers apart. These skills ensure the reliability, performance, and security of operating systems, which are foundational to all computing environments.
What are popular job titles related to Operating System Engineer jobs in California? For Operating System Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Operating System Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Operating System Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Operating System Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Operating System Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Operating System Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $125,549 per year, or $60.4 per hour.

Sr. Systems Engineer

Digital Realty

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$123K - $168K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 20 days ago


Digital Realty rating

8.9

Company rating: 8.9 out of 10

Based on 13 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

18th of 223 rated it services


Job description

Senior System Engineer

Location: San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA | Los Angeles, CA | San Diego, CA | Sacramento, CA | Seattle, WA | Portland, OR |(West Coast Preferred)

Your Role

Reporting to the Manager, IT System Operations, the (Senior) System Engineer is responsible for maintaining, monitoring, and optimizing Digital Realty's global systems infrastructure to ensure availability, performance, compliance, and security. This role supports both on-premises and cloud-based environments, drives operational excellence through automation and tooling, and partners with teams across the business to deliver reliable and scalable technology solutions. At the senior level, the position also provides technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to engineers within the region while supporting critical infrastructure initiatives across the enterprise.

What You'll Do

  • Maintain and support global IT systems infrastructure to ensure high availability, reliability, and performance.
  • Deploy, manage, and optimize Microsoft Windows, VMware, Azure, AWS, and hybrid infrastructure environments.
  • Manage infrastructure lifecycle activities, including operating system upgrades, patching, hardware refreshes, and technology modernization initiatives.
  • Maintain backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions to ensure data integrity and recoverability.
  • Monitor infrastructure health and proactively identify, troubleshoot, and resolve performance, capacity, and operational issues.
  • Ensure compliance with IT policies and security standards, including patching, anti-virus controls, vulnerability remediation, operating system updates, and system hardening.
  • Conduct vulnerability assessments and remediate findings within established service level agreements (SLAs).
  • Evaluate, implement, and maintain infrastructure management, automation, monitoring, and reporting tools to improve operational efficiency.
  • Provide systems engineering expertise for business initiatives, audits, infrastructure projects, architecture reviews, and technical assessments.
  • Participate in an after-hours on-call rotation and provide support for critical incidents and operational needs.

What You'll Need

  • Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and 5+ years of relevant experience.
  • Strong experience administering Microsoft technologies, including Windows Server, Azure, Active Directory, and enterprise systems management.
  • Strong knowledge of VMware infrastructure and virtualized environments.
  • Experience supporting cloud platforms, including Azure and AWS.
  • Experience supporting storage technologies, including SAN infrastructure.
  • Understanding of infrastructure security, vulnerability management, patch management, compliance frameworks, and risk management practices.
  • Microsoft certification required; VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification preferred.
  • Experience working in complex international and multi-vendor environments.
  • Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and critical-thinking abilities with a proactive and quality-focused approach.


A Bit About Us

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 25+ countries on six continents.

To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

A Bit About Our Team

IT

Our IT team is at the heart of our business. We develop infrastructures, design and build networks, support servers and provide the first line of support by delivering rich connectivity for our customers. With new data centers coming online all the time, it's a rapidly changing technical environment so our team is always ready to innovate and take the lead on projects. We constantly develop, deploy and support vital networks and data services that drive business performance and improve life for customers around the globe.

What We Can Offer You

Our rapidly evolving business sector offers the opportunity to be part of a courageous and passionate team who work together to understand and meet the changing needs of our global customers.

Join us and you'll be part of a supportive and inclusive environment where you can bring your whole self to work. As part of our team, you'll get to work with people from different business areas, challenge the way we do things, and put your ideas into action. We'll also give you plenty of development opportunities so you can build a rewarding and successful career with us.

Apply today, take charge of your career and grow your talents with us.

Training and Development

Join our IT team and gain the support to succeed from day one. Our onboarding program prepares you to contribute meaningfully right away, with clear career pathways and continuous training to fuel your long-term growth. From onboarding to specialized development, we equip you with the skills and opportunities to make a lasting impact.

Health and Safety

Safety isn't just a priority here at Digital Realty; it's critical to everything we do. Safeguarding lives, protecting assets, and securing data aren't just ideals, they're essential pillars of our commitment to excellence for our people, our partners, and our customers. We have a culture of care where every member of Team Digital embraces a relentless pursuit of working safely across Digital Realty. Together we are Safely Powering Progress.

Our Compensation Philosophy

Digital Realty offers its employees a highly competitive compensation package, excellent benefits, and an environment that recognizes and rewards your contributions. Central to our compensation philosophy is rewarding our employees for achieving the values and objectives aligned to the company's overall goals and values.

Compensation Range

Our published pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum target for new hire pay for the full-time position determined by role, level, and geographical location. Individual pay is based on additional factors including but not limited to job-related skills, experience, and relevant education and/or training. Moreover, an employee's total compensation package varies by role and may include salary, cash bonus, or equity awards not quantified below.

Compensation Range: $120,000 - $140,000 annually. This compensation range represents the Company's good faith belief as to what it will pay as a base salary for this position at the time of this posting.

Benefits: For this role, benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, 401(k) match, disability benefits, wellness and education benefits, employee stock purchase plan, paid time off, holidays, and more.


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