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Perception Jobs (NOW HIRING)

TerraFirma, Inc

Perception Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

Job Overview You will design and implement the perception systems that give our automated heavy machinery the awareness needed to operate effectively in complex, unstructured environments. This role ...

Embedding VC

Sr. Perception Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

$114K - $157K/yr

Pixmo is powered by AnywareOS, a physical AI software that enables advanced perception and object handling in dynamic, unstructured environments. Pixmo's combination of intelligent software and ...

Lodestar

Software Engineer: Perception

San Francisco, CA

$140K - $180K/yr

Perception Los Angeles, US About Lodestar Lodestar's mission is to develop the first "Protect and Defend" capability for high-value space assets in orbit. Our flagship product MITHRIL is the critical ...

Saronic Technologies

Perception Hardware Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$122K - $161K/yr

Job Overview We are seeking a Perception Hardware Engineer to join a team that will integrate and develop the sensing and perception systems that power autonomy on our unmanned surface vessels. In ...

Lodestar

Software Engineer: Perception

Los Angeles, CA

$140K - $180K/yr

About the Job As a Software Engineer - Perception at Lodestar, you'll be joining the perception and machine vision teams to rapidly grow our vision and perception models at MITHRIL's center. You'll ...

Aeva

Perception Data Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$136K - $163K/yr

They are seeking a Perception Data Engineer to manage data collection, scalable data systems, and sensor data workflows, collaborating with various teams to build efficient data pipelines.

Zoox

Senior Manager, Perception

Foster City, CA

$277K - $389K/yr

Our perception stack is responsible for building Zoox's world-class 3D environment model from multi-modal sensor data. We create novel AI architectures that combine the latest academic results with ...

Aquabyte

Perception Engineer

San Francisco, CA

$130K - $175K/yr

The role As a Perception Engineeryou will help develop and deploy next-generation sensing capabilities to fish farms across the world. While our current product utilizes underwater cameras and ...

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 ...

New

ATI

Lead Perception Engineer

Woburn, MA · On-site

$112K - $147K/yr

If you are a perception or computer vision engineer with a passion for solving complex automation challenges, we encourage you to apply and become a key part of our innovative team. Position Overview:

Tutor Intelligence

Robot Perception Engineer

Watertown, MA · On-site

$125K - $180K/yr

Perception Engineer As a Perception Engineer at Tutor Intelligence, you'll design, build, and deploy perception systems across RGB, depth, LiDAR, and other sensing modalities. You'll work on core ...

Chef Robotics

Senior Perception Engineer

San Francisco, CA

$123K - $169K/yr

As a Perception Engineer, you will own the full stack of how our robots see and understand the world: from integrating cutting-edge camera hardware, to training production-grade deep learning models ...

Lodestar

Software Engineer: Perception

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$140K - $180K/yr

About the Job As a Software Engineer - Perception at Lodestar, you'll be joining the perception and machine vision teams to rapidly grow our vision and perception models at MITHRIL's center. You'll ...

Robust.ai

Director of Perception

San Carlos, CA · On-site

$200K - $230K/yr

As the Director of Perception you will lead our computer vision and sensing efforts in developing robust, real-world robotic systems. You will build and manage a world-class team responsible for ...

Lodestar

Software Engineer: Perception

Los Angeles, CA

$140K - $180K/yr

Perception Los Angeles, US About Lodestar Lodestar's mission is to develop the first "Protect and Defend" capability for high-value space assets in orbit. Our flagship product MITHRIL is the critical ...

Aeva, Inc.

Senior Perception Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$123K - $169K/yr

Aeva's mission is to bring the next wave of perception to a broad range of applications from automated driving to industrial robotics, consumer electronics, consumer health, security, and beyond.

Rivian

Sr. Manager, Perception

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$243K - $304K/yr

Collaborate with other leads in Perception and in the broader Autonomy organization to set the technical direction for the organization and continuously deliver improved autonomy and safety features ...

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Perception information

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$30K

$158.2K

$239K

How much do perception jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for perception in the United States is $158,221.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $128,000.00 and $185,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are perception jobs?

Perception jobs typically refer to roles within the fields of robotics, autonomous vehicles, and artificial intelligence that focus on enabling machines to interpret and understand sensory data from the environment. Professionals in perception roles develop algorithms and systems that process information from cameras, LiDAR, radar, and other sensors to help machines recognize objects, obstacles, and their surroundings. These positions are crucial for applications like self-driving cars, robotics, and advanced computer vision systems.

What is a Perception job?

A Perception job typically involves developing and improving a system's ability to interpret and understand sensory data, often in fields like robotics, autonomous vehicles, and computer vision. Professionals in this role work with sensor fusion, machine learning, and computer vision algorithms to detect, track, and classify objects in an environment. Their goal is to enable machines to perceive and react to their surroundings accurately, enhancing safety and efficiency.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in perception roles within autonomous vehicle development teams?

Professionals in perception roles often encounter challenges related to processing large volumes of sensor data, such as lidar, radar, and cameras, in real time to ensure accurate object detection and scene understanding. Balancing the need for high accuracy with the computational limitations of embedded systems can be demanding. Additionally, perception engineers frequently collaborate with teams in sensor fusion, mapping, and planning, requiring strong communication and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. Adapting to rapidly evolving technologies and continuously improving algorithms to handle edge cases in complex environments are also key aspects of the role.

What is the difference between Perception vs Data Analyst?

AspectPerceptionData Analyst
Required CredentialsVaries; often no formal certification requiredBachelor's degree in statistics, data science, or related field; certifications like CAP or Microsoft Data Analyst
Work EnvironmentResearch, consulting, or strategic planning settingsBusiness, finance, healthcare, and tech industries
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in marketing, psychology, and strategic rolesCommon in corporate, finance, and tech sectors
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding how perceptions influence decisionsAnalyzing data to inform business strategies

Perception focuses on how individuals interpret and understand information, often in psychological or strategic contexts. Data Analysts interpret and analyze data sets to support business decisions. While perception is more subjective and qualitative, Data Analysts rely on quantitative data analysis. Both roles are essential in decision-making processes but serve different functions within organizations.

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

To thrive as a Perception Engineer, you need strong foundations in computer vision, robotics, and sensor fusion, typically supported by a degree in computer science, robotics, or a related field. Familiarity with tools like ROS, OpenCV, TensorFlow, and experience working with LiDAR, radar, or camera systems are highly valuable. Excellent problem-solving skills, adaptability, and effective communication help you collaborate within multidisciplinary teams and tackle complex technical challenges. These skills are crucial for developing reliable perception systems that enable autonomous machines to interpret and interact safely with real-world environments.
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Perception jobs near you
Perception Engineer

Perception Engineer

TerraFirma, Inc

Austin, TX • On-site

Full-time

Posted yesterday

Job description

At TerraFirma, we're redefining how the world moves earth for construction. Founded by former SpaceX engineers and backed by Bain Capital Ventures, TerraFirma is automating construction to make it faster, cheaper, and safer.
Our Story & Mission
At SpaceX, we were part of the teams that built the largest rocket in human history, launched the largest constellation of satellites ever made, and delivered connectivity to millions of people worldwide. What we learned was simple: infrastructure is everything.
At Starbase, the biggest barrier to launching missions to Mars was not building the rocket. It was how slow, expensive, and complex it was to build the infrastructure around it. We lacked buildings, roads, water, power, communications, and waste management, and constructing them took far more time and resources than it should have.
From a first-principles perspective, that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be this hard or costly to create the foundations for progress. That's when we realized something important: the same engineering mindset that enabled us to tackle space exploration and mass manufacturing could be applied to infrastructure. By bringing the principles of simplification, iteration, acceleration, and automation to construction, we can unlock a new era in how the world builds.
Accelerating infrastructure unlocks progress across every domain, creating a self-sustaining engine for tackling humanity's toughest challenges. The innovations we develop on Earth will lay the groundwork for the technologies that one day make settlement on Mars possible.
Job Overview
You will design and implement the perception systems that give our automated heavy machinery the awareness needed to operate effectively in complex, unstructured environments. This role combines high-level architecture decisions with hands-on algorithm development, hardware integration, and field testing. You will work across the perception stack, from integrating and calibrating advanced sensors to building real-time processing pipelines for images, point clouds, and other high-bandwidth data streams. Your work will power critical functions such as collision avoidance, motion planning, localization, and operator visualization.
Responsibilities
  • Integrate multi-spectral and TOF sensors into robotic systems with real-time processing constraints
  • Work with motion and trajectory planning teams to design and synthesize sensor systems to extract required signals and inputs
  • Implement algorithms to efficiently detect objects of interest from incoming data streams for the purposes of collision avoidance, motion planning, and trajectory planning
  • Stitch together and manipulate camera feeds and data from other sensors to effectively visualize the state of physical systems to human operators
  • Develop real-time pipelines for processing, sharing, and fusing data from multiple sensor sources
  • Train Machine Learning (ML) models on existing and custom datasets and support collection and labeling of data for additional training and validation
  • Develop simulation and visualization tools to aid in rapid prototyping of robotic software and control algorithms
  • Own the integration, calibration, and testing of sensors, both for proof-of-concept prototypes and production systems
  • Lead interdisciplinary teams, mentor new employees, and actively participate in the hiring process

Basic Qualifications
  • B.S. in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field
  • 2+ years of professional or project experience with robotic software development, involving implementation of real-time algorithms for perception and data processing pipelines
  • Demonstrated experience owning large-scale deliverables, leading teams, and driving product roadmaps

Preferred Skills & Experience
  • Experience working with safety-critical or real-time systems
  • Experience working with embedded applications for robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, automotive, or construction
  • Proficiency in C++ and Python, including development for Linux-based systems and bare-metal MCUs
  • Experience training, testing, optimizing, and deploying online and offline machine learning models with existing and custom datasets
  • Experience implementing algorithms or pipelines for robotic systems or feedback control from scratch in C++ or Python
  • Experience performing object detection on multiple data sources including multi-spectral images and point clouds
  • Experience programming FPGAs for high-throughput networking, compression, or DSP

Additional Requirements
  • Must be willing to work extended hours or weekends when needed to support critical deadlines or triage urgent deployment issues
  • Comfortable with working in a fast-paced startup environment
  • Must be willing to relocate to Austin, TX if not within commuting distance

Compensation & Benefits
Base compensation will vary based on factors such as relevant experience and education. Salaries and leveling will be determined on a case-by-case basis if an offer is extended. Our total compensation package also includes equity in TerraFirma. Relocation packages are available to help cover moving costs, if applicable.

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