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Perception Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Aurelius Systems

Perception Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$130K - $170K/yr

We are seeking a skilled Perception Engineer to join our software team and work on end‑to‑end perception and sensor‑fusion stack. You will develop, train, and deploy vision and sensor based ...

True Anomaly

Perception Engineer

Long Beach, CA · On-site

They are seeking a Perception Engineer to drive the architecture for image processing and object tracking for their spacecraft, while designing and implementing robust algorithms. Responsibilities ...

Teleo

Lead Perception Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$120K - $158K/yr

They are seeking a Lead Perception Engineer to build perception algorithms and architecture, ensuring safe operations for heavy machinery on construction and mining sites. Responsibilities : • Re ...

Teleo

Senior Perception Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$123K - $168K/yr

The Senior Perception Engineer will build perception algorithms and architecture to ensure safe operations for heavy machinery on construction and mining sites. Responsibilities : • Re-use, adapt ...

Mach Industries

Perception Engineer

Huntington Beach, CA · On-site

$125K - $220K/yr

As a Perception Engineer, you will design, train, and deploy state-of-the-art vision and multi-sensor perception systems that enable navigation, targeting, and automatic target recognition on our ...

Aeva

Senior Perception Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$124K - $170K/yr

The Senior Perception Engineer will work on the classical perception algorithms stack, contributing to the development and optimization of Aeva's 4D perception solutions for autonomous driving ...

Aeva, Inc.

Senior Perception Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$181K - $245K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Perception Engineer to work on our classical perception algorithms stack. You will be part of a growing team focused on exploring how far Aeva's 4D FMCW LiDARs can push ...

Aeva, Inc.

Senior Perception Engineer

Mountain View, CA

$181K - $245K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Perception Engineer to work on our classical perception algorithms stack. You will be part of a growing team focused on exploring how far Aeva's 4D FMCW LiDARs can push ...

Woven Planet

Lead Perception Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$189 - $310.50/hr

You'll collaborate daily with ML researchers, software engineers, robotics engineers, and hardware teams to design, build, and deploy perception and world‑understanding systems that directly ...

New

Aeva, Inc.

Senior Perception Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$181K - $245K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Perception Engineer to work on our classical perception algorithms stack. You will be part of a growing team focused on exploring how far Aeva's 4D FMCW LiDARs can push ...

Albert Invent

Lead Perception Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$110 - $140/hr

You will work on cutting‑edge 100,000‑pound autonomous robots and engineer complex systems at the intersection of hardware, software, robotics, and AI. Build perception algorithms and ...

New

Teleo

Lead Perception Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$120K - $158K/yr

You will work on cutting-edge 100,000-pound autonomous robots and engineer complex systems at the intersection of hardware, software, robotics, and AI. Build perception algorithms and architecture ...

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Perception Engineer information

See California salary details

$12

$55

$79

How much do perception engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average hourly pay for perception engineer in California is $55.26, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $39.62 and $73.56 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a perception engineer?

A Perception Engineer develops and optimizes computer vision and sensor-based systems to help machines interpret and understand their surroundings. This role involves working with data from cameras, LiDAR, radar, and other sensors to create models for object detection, tracking, and scene understanding. Perception Engineers commonly work in fields like robotics, autonomous vehicles, and augmented reality, utilizing machine learning and signal processing techniques. Their goal is to enhance a system’s ability to perceive and react to its environment accurately and efficiently.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a perception engineer?

As a Perception Engineer, your typical day involves designing, developing, and testing algorithms that help automated systems interpret sensor data from sources such as cameras, lidar, and radar. You’ll spend time collaborating with cross-functional teams, including hardware engineers and software developers, to integrate perception solutions into larger systems like autonomous vehicles or robotics platforms. Regular tasks include data collection and annotation, debugging, performance optimization, and participating in code reviews. This role often requires a balance of independent problem-solving and teamwork to ensure reliable and accurate perception capabilities in ever-changing environments.

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

To thrive as a Perception Engineer, you need a strong background in computer vision, sensor fusion, machine learning, and robotics, usually supported by a degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field. Experience with programming languages like Python or C++, deep learning frameworks (such as TensorFlow or PyTorch), and familiarity with tools like ROS and OpenCV are commonly required. Analytical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication are valuable soft skills that set top candidates apart. These skills are crucial for developing and optimizing perception systems that enable machines to understand and interact with complex real-world environments.

How do you become a perception engineer?

To become a perception engineer, typically a bachelor's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or a related field is required. Relevant skills include experience with computer vision, machine learning, and programming languages like Python or C++, along with knowledge of sensor data processing and AI frameworks. Gaining hands-on experience through internships or projects is also beneficial.

What does a perception engineer do?

A perception engineer develops algorithms and systems that enable machines to interpret sensory data such as images, audio, and lidar. They work on tasks like object detection, scene understanding, and sensor fusion, often using machine learning and computer vision tools. Their work is essential in fields like autonomous vehicles, robotics, and advanced driver-assistance systems.

What are popular job titles related to Perception Engineer jobs in California?

For Perception Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Perception Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Perception Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Perception Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Perception Engineer job openings:

Perception Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Perception Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $114,938 per year, or $55.3 per hour.

Perception Engineer

Human Computer Lab

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

Human Computer Lab is a research lab building character robots that feel alive and responsive. Our first robot, LeLamp, explores a new category of consumer robotics where everyday objects become interactive and help us reshape our attachment to technology.
Our goal is to push the frontier of human-robot interaction by making technology more legible, emotionally intuitive, and human-centered. We are building the foundation for a new generation of robots designed for everyday environments.
What to Expect
We are looking for a hands-on Perception Engineer who can build the system that allows our robot to understand people and the world around it. You will work on developing computer vision and machine learning system at the core of the robot's awareness, enabling it to recognize people, understand gestures, track attention, and respond naturally in real time. The liveliness of our robot will truly convey the character interface that we are building that can learn and adapt as required.
This role sits at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and software engineering. You will work closely with the CEO and the founding team to develop perception capabilities from prototype to deployment, collecting data, training models, optimizing performance, and integrating the stack directly into the robot's behavior.
In this Role, You Will:
  • Design, train, and deploy computer vision and perception models for person detection, tracking, pose estimation, gesture recognition, emotion recognition and scene understanding.
  • Develop data collection, labeling, and evaluation pipelines to improve model performance and reliability.
  • Build perception systems that operate robustly across varying lighting conditions, environments, and user behaviors.
  • Optimize models for real-time inference on edge hardware while balancing latency, accuracy, and power constraints.
  • Work with RGB cameras, depth sensors, IMUs, audio inputs, and other sensor modalities to create multi-modal perception systems.
  • Develop tools for dataset management, model evaluation, debugging, and monitoring.
  • Support integration between perception, behavior, controls, and firmware systems.
  • Stay updated with state-of-the-art research to develop architectures and techniques that can improve the robot's ability to understand and interact with people.
  • Debug perception failures systematically and close the loop through data-driven improvements.
  • Help define and evolve the platform's perception architecture as the robot grows in capability.

You May Be a Good Fit If You:
  • Have a degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, and a minimum of 3+ years of hands-on experience.
  • Are proficient in Python and comfortable working in C++ when required.
  • Have experience training and deploying machine learning models using frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, ONNX, or similar tools.
  • Have worked on computer vision problems such as object detection, tracking, pose estimation, segmentation, gesture recognition, or activity understanding.
  • Have experience deploying models to edge devices and optimizing performance for real-world systems.
  • Understand the challenges of collecting, labeling, and maintaining high-quality datasets.
  • Are comfortable working in environments where architecture is still evolving and your input shapes direction.
  • Document clearly and drive issues to resolution.

You Will Be a Strong Fit If You:
  • Care deeply about building perception systems that work reliably outside ideal lab conditions.
  • Have strong intuition for debugging machine learning systems and can distinguish between data problems, model problems, and deployment problems.
  • Enjoy converting cutting-edge research into practical systems that ship.
  • Think critically about tradeoffs between accuracy, latency, robustness, power consumption, and cost.
  • Have the ability to quickly adapt through iteration cycles without waiting for perfect information to make progress.
  • Take ownership over systems end-to-end, from data collection and training through deployment and monitoring.
  • Work well in small, collaborative teams where software, hardware, controls, and AI are in constant conversation.
  • Care about what perception enables: awareness, responsiveness, and the feeling that the robot is alive.

The early team becomes the DNA of the company. We set ourselves and others to a high standard, and we respond with kindness when things get hard but keep everyone accountable. This requires us to be curious, creative, and diverse in our thinking and approach.
We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. Studies show that women and underrepresented groups often hold back unless they meet 100% of the criteria - we don't want that to be the reason we miss out on great talent.

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