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Performance Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Wise Skulls

Android Performance Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

Android Performance Engineer Location: Cupertino, CA (On-site) Duration: 6 months (possibility of extension) Implementation Partner: Infosys End Client: To be disclosed JD: Android Performance ...

Quanta Search

Senior Performance Engineer

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$127K - $175K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Performance Engineer to join the team who can lead performance investigations which push the limits of our technology. Responsibilities As a member of Performance ...

Wise Skulls

Android Performance Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

Android Performance Engineer Location: Cupertino, CA (On-site) Duration: 6 months (possibility of extension) Implementation Partner: Infosys End Client: To be disclosed JD: We're looking for a Senior ...

Broadcom

AI Systems Performance Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

Broadcom is seeking a highly talented and experienced Senior AI Fabric Performance Engineer to take on a critical role within their Performance Lab. This role involves driving the performance ...

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Performance Engineer information

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How much do performance engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for performance engineer in California is $59.32, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $48.65 and $67.12 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Performance Engineer vs Software Test Engineer?

AspectPerformance EngineerSoftware Test Engineer
Primary FocusOptimizing system performance, load testing, scalabilityFunctional testing, bug identification, feature validation
Required SkillsPerformance testing tools, scripting, system analysisTest case design, automation, defect tracking
Work EnvironmentDevelopment teams, QA, DevOpsQA teams, development teams
CertificationsPerformance testing certifications (e.g., JMeter, LoadRunner)ISTQB, software testing certifications

Performance Engineers focus on system performance, scalability, and load testing, ensuring applications run efficiently under stress. Software Test Engineers primarily verify functionality and identify bugs. While both roles require testing skills, Performance Engineers specialize in performance metrics and optimization, making their roles complementary but distinct.

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

To thrive as a Performance Engineer, you need strong analytical abilities, a solid understanding of software architecture, and experience with load testing and profiling, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as JMeter, LoadRunner, New Relic, and monitoring systems, as well as scripting languages, is typically required. Excellent problem-solving, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help distinguish top performers in this role. These skills and qualities are crucial for identifying system bottlenecks, optimizing performance, and ensuring a seamless user experience.

What is a Performance Engineer?

A Performance Engineer is a professional who ensures that software applications and systems run efficiently and meet performance requirements. They analyze, test, and optimize system performance by identifying bottlenecks, conducting load and stress testing, and recommending improvements. Performance Engineers work closely with development and operations teams to ensure that applications can handle expected user loads and deliver a smooth user experience. Their work is crucial in preventing slowdowns, crashes, and other performance-related issues in production environments.

What Is Performance Engineering?

Performance engineering is the development of software solutions for specific business problems. As a performance engineer, your responsibilities are to identify issues, whether for a particular company or an industry, and develop software that directly addresses them. To become a performance engineer, you need a bachelor’s degree in computer science or computer engineering, two to five years of information technology (IT) work experience, and excellent problem solving skills. Organizations like HyPerformix offer professional certifications, like their Enterprise Performance Engineering program, which can significantly boost your qualifications. Your additional job duties include performing routine maintenance and service, experimenting with possible solutions in the test environment, and monitoring system performance.

What are some common challenges Performance Engineers face when optimizing complex systems?

Performance Engineers often encounter challenges such as identifying bottlenecks in multi-tiered or distributed systems, balancing trade-offs between speed and resource consumption, and ensuring that performance improvements do not compromise system reliability. They frequently work with cross-functional teams, requiring strong communication skills to translate technical findings into actionable recommendations. Staying up-to-date with evolving tools and best practices is also essential, as technology stacks and performance benchmarks continually change.
More about Performance Engineer jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Performance Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Performance Engineer jobs in California are:
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What job categories do people searching Performance Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Performance Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Performance Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Performance Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Performance Engineer jobs in CA? For Performance Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Performance Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Performance Engineer job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 98% Full Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $123,381 per year, or $59.3 per hour.
Processor Performance Engineer

Processor Performance Engineer

Ventana Micro Systems

Cupertino, CA

$105K - $260K/yr

Full-time

Posted 29 days ago

Job description

Ventana is building the highest-performance RISC-V CPUs on the planet—designed for data center, AI, and edge workloads, with real silicon, not slideware.
Our second-generation Veyron core (V2) is on track to ship early next year, featuring an aggressive wide-issue pipeline and built in 4nm. Development on Veyron V3 is ramping now, with even greater performance and deep AI platform integration. This is your opportunity to work alongside engineers who built iconic processors like the AMD K6 and the first 64-bit ARM server processor (X-Gene at AppliedMicro)—bringing decades of CPU innovation to a clean-slate, open-standards future. You can check us out here: Ventana Micro - YouTube
Processor Performance Engineer will be tasked to:
  • Critically review Design Specifications
  • Refine Performance Modeling infrastructure and near cycle accurate models
  • Define (and develop as necessary) applications, benchmarks, and micro-benchmarks on which to measure performance
  • Analyze and verify important performance characteristics at multiple levels of simulation, as well as with prototyping platforms and silicon. Track results over time and quickly identify unexpected regressions.
  • Work with Core and Noncore Architects and the RTL Design team to pinpoint performance opportunities and develop approaches to address them
  • Help specify performance monitoring hardware support
Collaborate with our Software team on:
  • Characterization and optimization of key software libraries and middle-ware (e.g. JVM)
  • Compiler/toolchain optimization/tuning guidelines for our microarchitecture
  • Application-level workload characterization/optimization
Qualifications Required:
  • In Depth understanding of both the RISC-V ISA and our Core and Subsystem microarchitecture
  • Recently responsibility for microarchitecture/design or a combination of performance modeling, analysis, validation, and correlation for high performance CPU or GPU, memory subsystem, or related system-level designs
  • Domain expertise in computer architecture concepts
  • Ability to work independently and across geographies, with a strong passion for developing excellent products
  • Bachelors or Masters degree in a related engineering field
Skills Desired:
  • C/C++/System-C modeling of near cycle accurate simulators
  • Industry experience with CPU microarchitecture (e.g. ISAs including: x86, ARM, SPARC, MIPS, RISC-V, POWER) and/or coherent caching systems.
  • Working knowledge of compiler technology and optimization techniques
  • Verilog/ SystemVerilog development experience
  • Experience in compiled and/or interpreted (Python, perl) languages, especially with respect to processing large, complex data sets and extracting meaningful information 
BASE SALARY RANGE
$105,000 TO $260,000 per year
EEOE
Ventana is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and uphold an inclusive environment where all people feel that they are equally respected and valued. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or nationality, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other category protected by law.
COVID-19
Ventana encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated (and boosted, if eligible) against COVID-19. We do require Proof of vaccination (or proof of a negative PCR test) to work in the office or meet with customers/ business partners.
NOTICE: External Recruiters/ Staffing Agencies:
Ventana Micro instructs agencies not to engage with its employees to present candidates. Employees are not authorized to enter into any agreement regarding the placement of candidates. All unsolicited resumes received as gratuitous submissions. We reserve the right to directly contact any candidate speculatively submitted by a third party. Such contact will not constitute acceptance of any contractual arrangement between Ventana and the agency, and Ventana will not be liable for any fees should it choose to engage the candidate’s services. All external recruiters and staffing agencies are required to have a valid contract executed by Ventana’s CFO.
Please Note: Fraudulent job postings/job scams are increasingly common. Our open positions can be found through the careers page on our website.

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