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Performance Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

ALO

Engineering Manager, Performance

San Ramon, CA

$188K - $235K/yr

  • PTO

About the Role We are seeking an Engineering Manager, Performance Engineering to lead teams focused on improving the speed, scalability, and reliability of our web and mobile platforms. This role ...

ALO

Engineering Manager, Performance

San Ramon, CA · On-site

$188K - $235K/yr

  • PTO

About the Role We are seeking an Engineering Manager, Performance Engineering to lead teams focused on improving the speed, scalability, and reliability of our web and mobile platforms. This role ...

Brillius

Performance Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Hands-on experience with Performance engineering and monitoring tools such as AppDynamics, CloudWatch etc * Hands-on experience within API REST/SOAP testing and experience using related tools SOAP UI ...

Brillius

Performance Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Hands-on experience with Performance engineering and monitoring tools such as AppDynamics, CloudWatch etc * Hands-on experience within API REST/SOAP testing and experience using related tools SOAP UI ...

Anthropic

Performance Engineer, GPU

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Pioneering the next generation of AI requires breakthrough innovations in GPU performance and systems engineering. As a GPU Performance Engineer, you'll architect and implement the foundational ...

Samsung Semiconductor

Senior Performance Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

We are a systems research and engineering team working at the intersection of large language models, accelerator hardware, and high-performance software. Our mission is to design, prototype, and ...

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Performance Engineering information

See California salary details

$10

$59

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How much do performance engineering jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for performance engineering 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 job of a performance engineer?

A performance engineer is responsible for analyzing, testing, and optimizing software or systems to ensure they meet performance standards such as speed, scalability, and reliability. They use tools like load testing and monitoring software to identify bottlenecks and improve system efficiency, often working closely with development and operations teams.

How does a performance engineer typically collaborate with development and operations teams to resolve application bottlenecks?

Performance Engineers play a vital role in bridging the gap between development and operations teams. They work closely with developers to analyze application code and identify potential performance issues early in the development lifecycle. Additionally, they partner with operations teams to monitor system performance in production, interpret logs, and recommend infrastructure or configuration changes. This collaborative approach helps ensure that performance bottlenecks are identified and addressed quickly, leading to more reliable and scalable applications.

What is performance engineering?

Performance engineering is a discipline in software and systems development focused on ensuring applications and systems meet required speed, scalability, and stability standards. It involves analyzing, designing, testing, and optimizing performance throughout the software development lifecycle. Performance engineers use specialized tools and methodologies to detect bottlenecks, simulate real-world loads, and recommend improvements. Their goal is to deliver reliable, high-performing products to end users.

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, expertise in software performance testing, and a background in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools like JMeter, LoadRunner, APM solutions, and scripting languages is typically required, along with relevant certifications such as ISTQB Performance Testing. Exceptional problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help you identify bottlenecks and collaborate with development teams. These skills are crucial for ensuring applications meet performance standards and deliver a seamless user experience.

What is the difference between Performance Engineering vs Performance Testing?

AspectPerformance EngineeringPerformance Testing
FocusDesigning, developing, and implementing strategies to ensure system performance throughout the development lifecycleExecuting tests to measure system performance under specific conditions
ActivitiesPerformance planning, monitoring, optimization, and capacity planningLoad testing, stress testing, and benchmarking
Skills & CertificationsPerformance testing tools, scripting, monitoring, performance analysisPerformance testing tools, scripting, test execution
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with developers, architects, and operations teamsPrimarily testing teams and QA departments

Performance Engineering involves proactive strategies to optimize system performance throughout development, while Performance Testing focuses on evaluating system performance through specific tests. Both roles require similar skills but differ in scope and objectives, with Performance Engineering being more comprehensive and ongoing.

What are the most commonly searched types of Performance Engineering jobs in California?

The most popular types of Performance Engineering jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Performance Engineering jobs?

Cities in California with the most Performance Engineering job openings:

Performance Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Performance Engineering job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 87% Full Time, 10% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 83% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $123,381 per year, or $59.3 per hour.

Engineering Manager, Performance

ALO

San Ramon, CA

$188K - $235K/yr

Full-time

PTO

Re-posted 25 days ago

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking an Engineering Manager, Performance Engineering to lead teams focused on improving the speed, scalability, and reliability of our web and mobile platforms. This role partners closely with application, platform, and data teams to ensure performance is built into system design, development workflows, and production operations.

You will set performance strategy, guide execution across the stack, and help teams turn performance insights into measurable improvements. This role values technical depth, thoughtful leadership, and cross-team collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

  • Define and evolve the performance engineering strategy, establishing multi-quarter roadmaps aligned with business and customer experience goals.
  • Lead end-to-end performance architecture across applications, services, infrastructure, and cloud platforms, ensuring performance is considered at every layer.
  • Establish performance standards, KPIs, and benchmarking methodologies, including latency, throughput, error rates, and user experience metrics such as Core Web Vitals.
  • Guide performance engineering practices for web and mobile, including load, stress, endurance, and real-user performance testing.
  • Drive frontend and backend performance improvements, supporting optimization across APIs, services, databases, caching, networking, and application code.
  • Design and evolve performance tooling, including profiling, tracing, telemetry, and benchmarking frameworks that provide actionable insights.
  • Embed performance into development workflows, integrating measurement and regression detection into CI/CD pipelines.
  • Partner with platform, application, and data teams, ensuring performance considerations are incorporated early in architecture and design decisions.
  • Analyze and resolve complex performance issues, using structured experimentation, data analysis, and systems-level debugging.
  • Lead and develop performance engineering teams, providing technical guidance, mentorship, and an inclusive, collaborative environment focused on continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

  • 7+ Years of professional experience in software engineering with more focus on performance engineering, system optimization, or reliability
  • 3+ Years experience in a technical leadership or engineering management role
  • Strong understanding of distributed systems and performance characteristics
  • Proficiency in at least one general-purpose programming language (e.g., Go, Python, TypeScript)
  • Experience with performance testing, benchmarking, and monitoring tools
  • Ability to analyze performance data, design experiments, and translate findings into delivered improvements
  • Strong communication skills and experience collaborating across frontend, backend, and platform teams

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience operating large-scale, consumer-facing or eCommerce systems
  • Familiarity with frontend performance monitoring and Core Web Vitals
  • Experience integrating observability, tracing, and metrics into production systems
  • Background in cloud-native architectures and distributed infrastructure
  • Experience building developer-facing performance tools or frameworks
  • Familiarity with open-source performance or benchmarking ecosystems

The base salary range for this position is $188,000-$235,000 per year which represents the current range for the base salary for this exempt position. Please note that actual salaries will vary based on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. As such, on occasion and when applicable, there is the possibility that the final, agreed-upon base salary may be outside of the upper end of the range. Please also note the range listed is just one component of the company's total rewards package for exempt employees. Other rewards may include performance bonuses, long term incentives, a PTO policy, and many other progressive benefits.

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