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Optical Alignment Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Senior Optical Engineer

Milpitas, CA ยท On-site

$150K - $194K/yr

Your work will include optical system design, optical alignment methodology, and analysis of various optical modules. You will also lead the design of a custom metrology system to verify and adjust ...

Optical Engineer

San Diego, CA ยท On-site

$87K - $157K/yr

You will also play a hands-on role in laboratory activities, including optical alignment, integration, testing, and characterization of components and prototype systems. Working closely with senior ...

Senior Optical Engineer

Milpitas, CA ยท On-site

$118 - $200/hr

Your work will include optical system design, optical alignment methodology, and analysis of various optical modules. You will also lead the design of a custom metrology system to verify and adjust ...

New

Optical Engineer IV

Pasadena, CA ยท On-site

$140K - $181K/yr

Practical advanced knowledge in hardware integration, optical alignment, state-of-the-art measurement techniques. * Ability to apply for a clearance Preferred Skills: * Extensive knowledge of JPL ...

Senior Optical Engineer

Fremont, CA ยท On-site

$160K - $220K/yr

The role combines hands-on optical and SiPh device packaging engineering with project/technical ... alignment, thermal and stress considerations, and material qualification. * Plan and run ...

Manager, Optical Process Engineering

Milpitas, CA ยท On-site

$147K - $190K/yr

Optical alignment and fiber optic education Experience/Qualifications: Bachelor's or Master's degree in: * Optical Engineering * Physics * Photonics * Electrical Engineering * Mechanical Engineering

Manager, Optical Process Engineering

Milpitas, CA ยท On-site

$150K - $194K/yr

Troubleshoot manufacturing issues related to optics, fiber optics alignment, and length matching, or photonics assembly. Engineering Leadership * Lead and mentor a team of process, manufacturing, and ...

Manager, Optical Process Engineering

Milpitas, CA ยท On-site

$150K - $194K/yr

Optical alignment and fiber optic education Experience/Qualifications: Bachelor's or Master's degree in: * Optical Engineering * Physics * Photonics * Electrical Engineering * Mechanical Engineering

Set up, align, and operate optical benches and recording systems under engineer direction * Perform holographic recording, sample preparation, and handling * Characterize optical and holographic ...

Optical Packaging Engineer

Milpitas, CA ยท On-site

$150K - $194K/yr

Support the development, optimization, and validation of optical packaging and active alignment processes for photonic components and fiber attach assemblies. * Assist in process characterization ...

Showing results 21-40

Optical Alignment information

See California salary details

$10

$21

$36

How much do optical alignment jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average hourly pay for optical alignment in California is $21.16, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.15 and $23.03 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is optical alignment?

Optical alignment is the process of positioning and adjusting optical components, such as lenses, mirrors, or lasers, so that light travels accurately through an optical system. This ensures that the system achieves optimal performance, such as focusing light correctly or directing beams precisely. Optical alignment is critical in industries like telecommunications, manufacturing, medical devices, and scientific research, where precision is essential. Technicians use specialized tools and techniques to achieve this alignment, often working in cleanroom environments to maintain high standards.

What are some common challenges faced in an optical alignment role and how can they be managed?

Professionals in Optical Alignment often encounter challenges such as achieving precise tolerances under tight deadlines, managing environmental factors like vibration or temperature fluctuations, and troubleshooting alignment issues with complex optical systems. Success in this role requires strong attention to detail, patience, and the ability to follow meticulous procedures. Collaborating closely with engineers and technicians is essential to resolve issues efficiently and maintain quality standards. Continuous learning and adapting to new alignment technologies can also help overcome these challenges and support career advancement.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in optical alignment, and why are they important?

To excel in Optical Alignment, you need a strong background in optics, precision measurement, and mechanical assembly, often supported by a degree or certification in optics, engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with alignment tools such as interferometers, laser systems, autocollimators, and optical design software is typically required. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills for success in this role. These skills ensure accurate alignment of optical components, optimal system performance, and the prevention of costly errors in high-precision environments.

What is the difference between Optical Alignment vs Optical Technician?

AspectOptical AlignmentOptical Technician
CertificationsOften requires technical training or certifications in optics or laser systemsRequires certifications in optical manufacturing or lab procedures
Work EnvironmentInvolves precise setup in labs, manufacturing, or research facilitiesWorks in labs, manufacturing plants, or repair shops
Job FocusAligns optical components for precision systemsAssembles, tests, and repairs optical devices
Industry UsageCommon in aerospace, defense, and research sectorsUsed in optical manufacturing, repair, and production

Optical Alignment specialists focus on precisely aligning optical components within systems, requiring specialized skills and certifications. Optical Technicians handle the assembly, testing, and repair of optical devices, often working in manufacturing or repair environments. While both roles involve optics, Optical Alignment emphasizes precision setup, whereas Optical Technicians focus on device fabrication and maintenance.

What are the most commonly searched types of Optical Alignment jobs in California?

The most popular types of Optical Alignment jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Optical Alignment jobs in California?

For Optical Alignment jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Optical Alignment jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Optical Alignment jobs in California are:

Infographic showing various Optical Alignment job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 82% Full Time, 12% Contract, and 6% Nights. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $44,009 per year, or $21.2 per hour.

Senior Optical Engineer

KLA Corporation

Milpitas, CA โ€ข On-site

$150K - $194K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 5 days ago


Job description

Company Overview
KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world's leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow's electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.
Group/Division
With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers around the globe rely on KLA to ensure that their fabs ramp next-generation devices to volume production quickly and cost-effectively. Enabling the movement towards advanced chip design, KLA's Global Products Group (GPG), which is responsible for creating all of KLA's metrology and inspection products, is looking for the best and the brightest research scientist, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. The RAPID division is the world leading provider of reticle inspection solutions for the semiconductor industry. The company provides inspection solutions to both the mask shops and the semiconductor fabs to ensure that lithography yields are consistently high thus enabling cost-effective manufacturing.
Job Description/Preferred Qualifications
We are looking for a Senior Optical Engineer to design, develop, build and qualify various optical subsystems that make up the inspection tool! Your work will include optical system design, optical alignment methodology, and analysis of various optical modules. You will also lead the design of a custom metrology system to verify and adjust the optical performance of our primary optical system. You will interact closely with the systems engineering group to define performance criteria and system level specification. During the design phase, you will work with hardware and software design teams following a rigorous product design protocol. Additional tasks include creating optical models, statistical tolerance analysis, performance predictions, leading design reviews, creating test procedures, and selecting suppliers.
Responsibilities
  • Investigate different design options and finding the best option through evaluating tolerances, manufacturability, light budgets and other trade-offs.
  • Translate system or subsystem requirements into optical design and manufacturing requirements.
  • Perform thorough tolerancing analysis to have a complete system design with full consideration of alignment process and metrology, system calibrations and opto-mech design limitations by working with other groups (systems, ME).
  • Design and implement optical alignment and metrology process, test/tooling fixtures to achieve targeted optical performance.
  • Follows complete design process, including design reviews, part procurement from vendors, testing, integration, and release.
  • Investigate issues from customers or manufacturing and provide option design solution or work-around.
  • Propose optical design improvements to enhance a tool performance such as SNR or throughput or manufacturability.
  • Debug and solving of any optical problems that arise with the system.

Qualifications
  • Optical design in imaging and illumination systems delivering in-spec performance, cost and manufacturability on time.
  • Statistical optical component and alignment tolerancing
  • Able to create specs for precision opto-mechanical assemblies
  • Proficiency in optical modeling software such as Code V or Zemax or LightTools
  • Non-sequential ray tracing using Light Tools to model high precision optics surface scattering, conduct stray light analysis
  • Optical module and system build, alignment and debugging
  • Test stand design and build: concept, error budget, realization
  • Knowledge with diverse optical devices and components such as objectives, collimator, CGH, and relay optics, fibers, cameras, lasers and detectors
  • Strong understanding in optics and physics enabling to analyze complex optical phenomena
  • Proficiency in computing language such as Matlab, Python

Skills
  • Ability to learn and apply new information or skills.
  • Strong customer focus and commitment to customer satisfaction through prioritization, quality, efficiency, and professionalism.
  • Ability to complete assignments with attention to detail and high degree of accuracy.
  • Ability to perform effectively in a demanding environment with changing workloads and deadlines.
  • Result driven-demonstrate ownership and accountability.
  • Identifies bottlenecks and drives improvements.
  • Work independently or as part of a team and follow through on assignments with minimal supervision.
  • Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with manager, co-workers, and customer.
  • Be able to quickly acquire technical knowledge from documentation and on-the-job training and be capable of thoroughly investigating technical issues (analytically and hands-on in a lab).
  • Strong communication and presentation skill. Must have capability to clearly communicate progress and status of assignments to colleagues, key stakeholder, managers via documents or presentations.

Experience
  • Product development or research experience in high precision optics or optical module.
  • Experience in working with engineers across disciplines to solve complex problems in a timely manner.

Preferred
  • Masters or PhD in Optical engineering (preferred) or Physics
  • Three to five years of professional experience in high end optical system development; microscope experience is a bonus
  • Experience in high precision optical tools' manufacturing is bonus, not mandatory.
  • Highly desired to have strong background in following areas: Geometrical optics, Fourier optics, Lens design, Radiometry, Optical metrology, Illumination optics, Optical imaging system, Optical alignment, Polarization, Optical aberration

Minimum Qualifications
Doctorate (Academic) Degree and 0 years related work experience; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 5 years
Base Pay Range: $117,800.00 - $200,300.00 Annually
Primary Location: USA-CA-Milpitas-KLA
KLA's total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave.
Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at talent.acquisition@kla.com or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.
Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees. KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA. Please ensure that you have searched KLA's Careers website for legitimate job postings. KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers. If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to talent.acquisition@kla.com to confirm the person you are communicating with is an employee. We take your privacy very seriously and confidentially handle your information.