1

Physical Design Engineer Intern Jobs in San Rafael, CA

... Engineer Intern to join their founding team in San Francisco. You'll work directly with the CTO to ... Collaborate with the founding team to design and ship components of an agentic AI system. * Talk to ...

... Engineer Intern to join their founding team in San Francisco. You'll work directly with the CTO to ... Collaborate with the founding team to design and ship components of an agentic AI system. * Talk to ...

THE ROLE We are seeking a Mechanical Engineering Intern to join Heirloom's Mechanical Team for the ... Support mechanical design of subsystems and components (structures, mechanisms, machine design)

Role Overview As a Software Engineer Intern, Backend at Serval, you'll work directly on core parts ... Learn how to design, implement, and test scalable systems in a production environment. * Help us ...

Showing results 21-40

Physical Design Engineer Intern information

See San Rafael, CA salary details

$12

$21

$32

How much do physical design engineer intern jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for physical design engineer intern in San Rafael, CA is $21.53, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.93 and $23.32 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a physical design engineer intern?

To thrive as a Physical Design Engineer Intern, you generally need a solid background in electrical engineering, digital circuit design, and semiconductor fundamentals, often supported by ongoing university studies in a related field. Familiarity with industry-standard EDA tools such as Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics, as well as scripting languages like TCL or Python, is highly valuable. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills for excelling in this role. These skills and qualifications are important because they ensure accurate chip layouts, efficient workflows, and successful collaboration within complex engineering teams.

What types of projects and tasks can a physical design engineer intern expect to work on during their internship?

As a Physical Design Engineer Intern, you will typically be involved in supporting the design and verification of integrated circuits at the physical level. Common tasks include assisting with floorplanning, placement and routing, timing analysis, and running design rule checks using industry-standard EDA tools. You may also participate in team meetings, collaborate with senior engineers, and help resolve issues related to power, performance, and area optimization. These hands-on experiences are designed to help you build practical skills and gain a deeper understanding of the physical design flow in VLSI chip development.

What is a physical design engineer intern?

A physical design engineer intern is a student or entry-level professional gaining hands-on experience in the physical implementation of integrated circuits, including tasks like floorplanning, placement, routing, and timing analysis. They typically work with electronic design automation (EDA) tools and collaborate with engineering teams to optimize chip performance and manufacturability.

What does a physical design engineer intern do?

A Physical Design Engineer Intern assists in the process of transforming a circuit design (RTL) into a real, manufacturable layout for semiconductor chips. They work on tasks such as floorplanning, placement, routing, timing analysis, and verifying that the chip design meets all physical and electrical requirements. Interns typically use electronic design automation (EDA) tools to perform these tasks and collaborate with experienced engineers. Their work is crucial in ensuring that chips are both functional and manufacturable at scale.

What is the difference between Physical Design Engineer Intern vs Digital Design Engineer Intern?

AspectPhysical Design Engineer InternDigital Design Engineer Intern
Required CredentialsTypically pursuing or holding a degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer EngineeringTypically pursuing or holding a degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
Work EnvironmentDesigning and implementing physical chip layouts, working with EDA toolsDesigning digital logic circuits, working on HDL coding and simulation
Industry UsageFoundries, semiconductor companies, integrated circuit design firmsSemiconductor companies, integrated circuit design firms, tech companies

Physical Design Engineer Interns focus on translating digital logic designs into physical layouts for chips, working closely with EDA tools. Digital Design Engineer Interns concentrate on creating and simulating digital logic circuits using hardware description languages. Both roles are essential in chip development but differ in their specific tasks and focus areas.

What are popular job titles related to Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs in San Rafael, CA? For Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs in San Rafael, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities near San Rafael, CA are hiring for Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs? Cities near San Rafael, CA with the most Physical Design Engineer Intern job openings:
Infographic showing various Physical Design Engineer Intern job openings in San Rafael, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 72% Full Time, 23% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $44,783 per year, or $21.5 per hour.

Mechanical Engineer Intern (Fall 2026)

Astranis

San Francisco, CA โ€ข On-site

$22 - $29.75/hr

Full-time, Internship

Re-posted 12 days ago


Job description

Mechanical Engineer Intern (Fall 2026)

Internships at Astranis typically last for twelve weeks, and are hourly roles designed for students who are currently enrolled at a four-year university.ย 

As an Intern, you will have an amazing opportunity to work on hard problems - we pride ourselves on giving everyone at Astranis a chance to do meaningful work on complex projects, no matter their seniority. Many past interns have designed and tested hardware/software that is heading to space on our first satellite, and many of them are now full-time employees at Astranis.ย 

If you have already graduated from a four-year university, please apply to be an Associate Engineer.

Role
  • Work together with the engineering team to design, build, and test satellite hardware and/or software.
  • Design, evaluate, procure, assemble, and test structure, bracketry, and mechanisms for Astranis spacecraft. Components include composite and metallic parts and assemblies with a variety of manufacturing techniques.
  • Perform mechanical and thermal analysis for spacecraft systems
  • Integrate parts and systems into the spacecraft by working together with the rest of the team, and document and develop procedures to improve the build process in the future
Requirements
  • Currently pursuing a B.S. in mechanical, aerospace, or equivalent technical degree (e.g. physics or applied math)
  • A passion and enthusiasm for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development
  • Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and test hardware from scratch
  • Don't meet them all? Not a problem, please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria
Bonus
  • Experience with CAD
  • Experience with analytical software such as stress or thermal analysis
  • Experience with electromechanical system design and specification
  • Experience with control system modeling and design