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Performance Architect Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Apple

Systems Performance Architect

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$206K/yr

The System Performance Architecture team is responsible for all aspects of performance spanning hardware (CPU, GPU, DRAM, storage), software (OS, drivers, applications), and other system ...

Apple

Systems Performance Architect

Cupertino, CA

$150K - $277K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Retirement

The System Performance Architecture team is responsible for all aspects of performance spanning hardware (CPU, GPU, DRAM, storage), software (OS, drivers, applications), and other system ...

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Berkeley, CA · On-site

$158K - $194K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$178K - $218K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Berkeley, CA · On-site

$178K - $218K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Santa Clara, CA

$254K - $310K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$254K - $310K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$178K - $218K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$158K - $194K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$158K - $194K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Berkeley, CA · On-site

$254K - $310K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The performance architect will guide the performance team to work closely with the architect and the design team to research and develop the highest performance core architecture / micro-architecture.

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$178K - $218K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Work along with a team of performance engineers to research, model and develop architecture / micro-architecture ideas to build state-of-the-art performance processors that reach our aggressive ...

SiFive

Core Performance Architect

Berkeley, CA · On-site

$178K - $218K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Work along with a team of performance engineers to research, model and develop architecture / micro-architecture ideas to build state-of-the-art performance processors that reach our aggressive ...

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All JobsPerformance Architect JobsPerformance Architect Jobs in California

Performance Architect information

See California salary details

$154.5K

$165.8K

How much do performance architect jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for performance architect in California is $165,645.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $164,800.00 and $164,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Performance Architect?

A Performance Architect is a specialized IT professional responsible for designing and optimizing the performance of software systems, applications, or infrastructure. They analyze system bottlenecks, create performance testing strategies, and recommend improvements to ensure systems can handle expected workloads efficiently. Performance Architects often collaborate with developers, system administrators, and stakeholders to ensure that products meet performance requirements such as speed, scalability, and reliability.

What does a Performance Architect do?

As a performance architect, you optimize performance within a company, software system, or application. Your duties include collecting data and information on the processes you wish to optimize, identifying areas for improvement and developing strategies or process improvements to bring about those positive changes. In most cases, you test the performance of the system or process before implementing changes. Performance architects who work on computer software and hardware systems sometimes handle coding responsibilities themselves. In this job, you also help troubleshoot when problems arise with a software system, manufacturing process, or business practice.

How does a Performance Architect typically collaborate with development and operations teams to optimize system performance?

Performance Architects work closely with both development and operations teams to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks throughout the software lifecycle. They often participate in design reviews, conduct performance testing, and analyze system metrics to recommend optimizations. Regular communication and knowledge sharing are crucial, as Performance Architects translate technical findings into actionable tasks for developers and provide guidance to operations on monitoring and tuning the production environment. This collaborative approach ensures that performance goals are met efficiently and sustainably.

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

To thrive as a Performance Architect, you need deep expertise in systems architecture, performance engineering, and capacity planning, typically backed by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with performance analysis tools like JMeter, LoadRunner, APM suites (e.g., Dynatrace, New Relic), and cloud platforms is crucial. Analytical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication set outstanding professionals apart in this role. These skills ensure optimized system performance, scalability, and reliability, directly impacting user experience and organizational success.

What is the difference between Performance Architect vs Performance Engineer?

AspectPerformance ArchitectPerformance Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or related field; certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect may be beneficialUsually holds a bachelor's degree in computer science or engineering; certifications such as Certified Performance Testing Professional are common
Work EnvironmentDesigns high-level performance strategies, collaborates with architects and developers, often in planning phasesExecutes performance testing, analyzes bottlenecks, and implements improvements, often in testing or production environments
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in cloud, enterprise, and software development companies to plan scalable systemsFound in IT, software, and technology firms focusing on system optimization and testing

Performance Architects focus on designing overall system performance strategies and architecture, while Performance Engineers concentrate on testing, analyzing, and optimizing system performance through hands-on testing and troubleshooting.

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Performance Architect jobs near you
Infographic showing various Performance Architect job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 84% Full Time, 11% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $165,645 per year, or $79.6 per hour.

Performance Architect

Prophecy Technologies

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$196K/yr

Full-time

Posted 12 days ago

Job description

Role Overview:
The Performance Architect is responsible for designing, implementing, and governing performance engineering strategies across applications, platforms, and enterprise systems. This role focuses on ensuring scalability, reliability, responsiveness, and optimal resource utilization by identifying performance bottlenecks early in the software lifecycle and driving continuous performance improvements. The architect will independently own and deliver end-to-end performance testing, including scripting, execution, analysis, and reporting, and investigate and triage performance issues by identifying root causes through profiling, log analysis, and monitoring tools.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Define enterprise-wide performance engineering standards, frameworks, and best practices.
  • Review application and solution architectures to ensure scalability and performance requirements are met.
  • Establish performance goals, KPIs, and Service Level Objectives (SLOs).
  • Partner with solution architects, developers, and operations teams to integrate performance considerations into design decisions.
  • Design and execute performance, load, stress, endurance, and scalability testing strategies.
  • Analyze application behavior under varying workloads and identify bottlenecks.
  • Develop test plans, scripts, and automation frameworks for performance testing.
  • Evaluate infrastructure capacity and recommend optimization strategies.
  • Conduct root cause analysis for performance issues across application, database, network, and cloud layers.
  • Optimize APIs, microservices, databases, and distributed systems.
  • Monitor system performance and create dashboards for ongoing visibility.
  • Provide recommendations to improve response times, throughput, and resource utilization.
  • Integrate performance testing into CI/CD pipelines.
  • Support performance engineering initiatives across Azure, AWS, or GCP environments.
  • Drive observability practices using monitoring and Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tools.
  • Collaborate with SRE and DevOps teams for proactive performance management.
  • Mentor engineers on performance engineering principles and tools.
  • Lead performance reviews and capacity planning exercises.
  • Define governance processes, standards, and reporting mechanisms.
  • Act as the subject matter expert for performance architecture and optimization.

Required Skills:
  • Strong understanding of distributed systems, cloud platforms, and enterprise application architectures.
  • Experience with performance testing tools such as JMeter, LoadRunner, k6, Gatling, Azure Load Testing.
  • Knowledge of APM and observability tools including Azure Application Insights, Dynatrace, AppDynamics, New Relic, Splunk.
  • Strong SQL and database performance tuning experience.
  • Experience with CI/CD platforms and DevOps practices.

Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
  • 8+ years of experience in software engineering, performance engineering, or architecture roles.

Preferred Skills:
  • Experience designing performance strategies for large-scale enterprise applications.
  • Knowledge of microservices, Kubernetes, containers, and cloud-native architectures.
  • Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud certifications.
  • Performance engineering or architecture certifications.

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