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Physical Design Engineer Intern Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA

$159K - $164K/yr

Physical Design Engineer / Staff Engineer Location : San Jose CA Contract More than 12 months Relocation consultants are also considerable.. Job Responsibilities: We are seeking experienced Physical ...

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $164K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

As a Digital IC Design Engineer Intern, your responsibilities will include: * Micro-architecture ... Experience in the physical design of complex digital systems, using industry standard tools

$140K - $156K/yr

The Physical Design Engineer willbe an integral part of the physical design team with all aspects of physical design implementation and verification tasks for Ambarella's cutting edgelow powerAISoC ...

Physical Design Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$159K - $164K/yr

Physical Design Engineer Location:Sunnyvale, CA OR Austin,TX Duration: Long term experience: 5-18 years only ( No 18+ years profile) Job Overview: We are looking for a highly skilled Physical Design ...

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII.","responsibilities":"Generate ...

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$181K - $318K/yr

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII. Your responsibilities include ...

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII. Your responsibilities include ...

Physical Design Engineer

$139K - $143K/yr

Overall, 7 to 12 yrs of exp as a Physical Design Engineer. (Remote Opening) Must Have : Advance Node Exp 3nm/5nm,Full Chip Integration, Advance/Complex SOC Integration, Cadence/Synopsys (Innovus ...

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$181K - $318K/yr

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII. Your responsibilities include ...

Physical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA · On-site

$147K - $272K/yr

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII.","responsibilities":"Your ...

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII. Your responsibilities include ...

Physical Design Engineer Etched is looking for exceptional PD engineers to join our team. The candidate will be responsible for working with 3rd party design services to implement and verify physical ...

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$126K - $220K/yr

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII. Your responsibilities include ...

Physical Design Engineer Etched is looking for exceptional PD engineers to join our team. The candidate will be responsible for working with 3rd party design services to implement and verify physical ...

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII. Your responsibilities include ...

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Physical Design Engineer Intern information

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

As of Jun 20, 2026, the average hourly pay for physical design engineer intern in the United States is $19.31, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.11 and $20.91 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

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 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.

More about Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs
What cities are hiring for Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs? Cities with the most Physical Design Engineer Intern job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Physical Design Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Physical Design Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs? States with the most job openings for Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs include:
Infographic showing various Physical Design Engineer Intern job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 99% Full Time, and 1% Part Time. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $40,174 per year, or $19.3 per hour.
Physical Design Engineer

Physical Design Engineer

Violet Ink

San Jose, CA

$159K - $164K/yr

Other

Posted 29 days ago


Job description

Position: Physical Design Engineer / Staff Engineer

Location : San Jose CA

Contract More than 12 months

Relocation consultants are also considerable.. 

Job Responsibilities:

We are seeking experienced Physical Design Engineers with expertise in top-level signoff for complex SoCs on advanced nodes (7nm/5nm/3nm). Candidates should have multiple full-cycle tapeouts and strong experience in signoff-to-tapeout closure.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Drive full-chip/top-level signoff activities
  • Collaborate with RTL, PD, STA, EMIR, and Foundry teams
  • Resolve timing, power, clocking, and reliability challenges
  • Improve PPA and signoff turnaround time
  • Support independent tapeout closure

Specialized Expertise in One or More Areas:

  • EMIR / Power Integrity (RedHawk-SC, Voltus)
  • Timing & STA (PrimeTime/PT-SI, Tempus, MMMC)
  • Clock Distribution / CTS (Innovus, ICC2, H-Tree, Mesh)

 

Requirements:

  • 8+ years in Physical Design / Signoff
  • Hands-on experience with 7nm/5nm/3nm tapeouts
  • Strong knowledge of OCV, AOCV/POCV, STA methodologies
  • Scripting skills in Tcl/Python/Perl
  • Experience with HPC, AI accelerators, or large-scale SoCs preferred
  • Exposure to TSMC/Samsung/Intel signoff methodologies is a plus